News linked to this event type.
stablecoin infrastructure startup Rain is now valued at $1.95 billion and has announced a partnership with payment giant Mastercard to issue credit and prepaid cards, while also exploring the use of stablecoins for payment settlements. Previously, Rain primarily relied on the Visa network for its card products. This collaboration with Mastercard marks its entry into a "dual-card network" strategy, further expanding its institutional client market. Rain stated that the partnership will focus on serving large institutional clients already deeply integrated with a single payment network, enabling them to introduce stablecoin settlement capabilities without altering their existing payment systems.Meanwhile, the application of stablecoins continues to expand across the industry, with institutions such as Stripe and Coinbase actively promoting the integration of stablecoin payments and settlements. This indicates that the convergence of traditional finance and crypto payment infrastructure is accelerating. Analysts suggest that as regulatory frameworks gradually become clearer, stablecoins are rapidly transitioning from trading tools to enterprise payment and cross-border settlement infrastructure. (Fortune)
: According to market sources, Strategy has paused its Bitcoin accumulation while raising approximately $82 million through stock issuance. Its total Bitcoin holdings remain at 818,334 BTC.Analysts believe that despite the short-term pause in accumulation, Strategy continues to secure funding through capital markets, providing financial support for its long-term Bitcoin reserve strategy. This fundraising primarily relies on equity sale arrangements rather than debt expansion. The market is widely watching Strategy's first phased halt after consecutive rounds of accumulation, which may reflect a more flexible capital allocation strategy within the current price range. However, its overarching "Bitcoin balance sheet" strategy remains unchanged.
Hut 8 announced its subsidiary has entered into a $200 million, 364-day bitcoin-backed credit agreement with FalconX to replace the previous financing arrangement from Coinbase Credit. The new financing carries an annualized fixed interest rate of 7.0%, a reduction of 200 basis points from the previous 9.0% rate on the Coinbase facility. During the period from December 2023 to March 2025, this financing cost had reached as high as 10.5%–11.5%, meaning cumulative reductions of up to 450 basis points, demonstrating continued progress in optimizing debt costs.Following this refinancing, approximately 3,300 BTC held by Hut 8 have been converted to an unencumbered state, valued at approximately $260 million based on market capitalization as of May 1, 2026. This significantly enhances the flexibility and liquidity capacity of its balance sheet. Additionally, the credit structure maintains key risk control provisions, including a limited recourse structure, a no-rehypothecation clause, and a fixed LTV threshold design to avoid triggering additional margin calls in the event of a decline in bitcoin prices.Hut 8 management stated that this financing not only reduces capital costs but also releases more unencumbered bitcoin assets, helping to enhance capital allocation flexibility across different market cycles. FalconX emphasized that this transaction reflects its growing capability in providing institutional-grade bitcoin credit solutions. (PRNewswire)
blockchain trading platform Ekiden has announced the completion of a $2 million seed funding round, led by Unicorn Factory Ventures and P2 Ventures. The round also attracted participation from angel investors who have previously invested in projects such as GSR, Pyth, Aptos, LayerZero, and Cube Exchange. It is reported that Ekiden is valued at $20 million. The company is dedicated to bringing institutional-grade trading on-chain, providing efficient and secure trading solutions through blockchain technology. (TechFundingNews)
Arkham has disclosed that BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes' estimated net worth in 2026 could range between $200 million and $350 million, with verifiable on-chain assets totaling approximately $42 million. His wealth primarily stems from his BitMEX equity, his family office Maelstrom fund, and potential undisclosed token investments. Although BitMEX has significantly declined from its 2019 peak (with an annual trading volume exceeding $1 trillion and a valuation of around $3.6 billion), its current valuation stands at approximately $500 million, yet it still constitutes a core component of his asset base.Arthur Hayes was previously sentenced in 2022 for violating the Bank Secrecy Act and was later pardoned by Donald Trump in 2025. Despite navigating regulatory controversies, he remains influential in the crypto industry, particularly active in innovating perpetual swaps and sharing market perspectives.Overall, Arthur Hayes is still regarded as a key opinion leader in the crypto market, with his asset structure closely correlated to market cycles.
According to The Block, Payward, Kraken’s parent company, has announced the completion of its acquisition of Chicago-based crypto-native exchange Bitnomial, thereby obtaining a full suite of U.S. derivatives licenses from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), including Futures Commission Merchant (FCM), Designated Contract Market (DCM), and Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) licenses. Payward stated that it will first launch spot margin trading on Kraken, followed by perpetual contracts and options products, all available to eligible U.S. customers. This acquisition will also provide partners—including banks, brokers, and payment service providers—with a channel to offer U.S. derivatives to their end customers. Bitnomial will operate independently under Payward while retaining its existing licenses and regulatory framework. The transaction’s value is reported to be up to $550 million, comprising cash and stock, implying a valuation for Payward of approximately $20 billion; however, the final terms have not been disclosed.
Bitcoin treasury company Capital B announced the completion of a €1.1 million financing through the issuance of warrants, with participation from Adam Back. Additionally, adjustments were made to the terms of its B-04 convertible bonds. It is reported that the conversion price of Adam Back's OCA B-04 convertible bonds has been reduced from €5.174 to €2.59 per share.
Odaily Strategy founder Michael Saylor posted on X yesterday stating that the company will suspend its routine weekly Bitcoin purchase plan this week, marking the second time this year it has paused weekly accumulation.To date, Strategy holds a total of 818,334 BTC, representing approximately 3.9% of Bitcoin's total supply. Data from Saylortracker shows that as Bitcoin staged a strong rebound today, breaking through the $80,000 mark, the total market value of BTC held by Strategy has returned to above $65 billion, currently standing at $65.74 billion. The average cost price is $75,537, with an unrealized profit of $3.926 billion.Strategy is expected to announce its Q1 earnings on Tuesday, with the market anticipating a loss per share of $18.98, higher than the loss of $16.38 per share in the same period last year. Its ongoing coin purchases are primarily financed through stock (MSTR) and perpetual preferred stock. Among these, the high-dividend product STRC (annualized yield approximately 11.5%) has raised concerns among some analysts regarding structural risks, though others argue that this model can convert yield demands into long-term Bitcoin exposure. (The Block)
According to Financialit, stablecoin financial services platform UnblockPay has announced the completion of a $4.5 million seed funding round, led by Prelude, with participation from Plug and Play, Wintermute, Reverie, Signature Ventures, Triaxis Capital, Crescera Capital, and a group of angel investors. The new capital will support the development of regulated financial products, enabling businesses to integrate stablecoins into their day-to-day financial operations and facilitating seamless conversions between fiat currencies and major stablecoins such as USDC and USDT for enterprise users.
: Yunfeng Financial has announced the completion of a strategic investment in cross-border payment service provider WooshPay, with the specific amount undisclosed. WooshPay is a financial infrastructure platform regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department. Yunfeng Financial stated that this investment aims to expand the digital payment market and integrate its digital asset infrastructure platform AlphaToken, advancing "AI+Web3" asset tokenization and compliant settlement-related businesses. According to further disclosure, Yunfeng Financial has received approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission to provide virtual asset trading services, supporting users in trading digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum on its platform.
According to Bloomberg, Founders Fund’s fourth growth-stage fund, Founders Fund Growth IV, has closed on $6 billion to invest in late-stage companies—the largest fundraising in the firm’s history. Of this amount, $4.5 billion comes from limited partners (LPs), including sovereign wealth funds; the remaining $1.5 billion comes from senior management and employees of Founders Fund, including Peter Thiel himself.
According to Cointelegraph, venture capital funding in the cryptocurrency sector dropped to $659 million in April, the lowest monthly total since July 2024.
According to Fortune, payments infrastructure startup Fun has announced a $72 million Series A funding round, co-led by Multicoin Capital and SignalFire, with participation from Infinity Ventures, Pharsalus Capital, and Justin Mateen, co-founder of Tinder. Fun primarily provides cryptocurrency and fiat deposit/withdrawal infrastructure for platforms such as Polymarket, Lighter, and Aave, processing over $18 billion in annual payments. The company plans to use the new funds to expand its team of approximately 30 people.
Hyperliquid News posted on X platform saying that Tradexyz has added a Pre-IPO market feature to its documentation. This system allows users to gain exposure to stocks before their public listing.This market oracle prices assets based on the company's latest funding round, with the market determining the price via Hyperp. Upon IPO completion, the perpetual contract automatically converts at the IPO price. If no IPO occurs, it settles at the average Pre-IPO price. The CBRS Pre-IPO market is now tradable, with an expected IPO date of May 7.
Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) disclosed in a regulatory filing on April 30 that it holds $219 million worth of shares in Strategy, a decentralized finance (DeFi) asset management protocol. Strategy provides institutional-grade yield optimization and automated risk management services. The investment aligns with trends including real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, automated liquidity allocation, and institutional participation in on-chain finance.
According to the UK’s Financial Times, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump merged with Kazakhstan’s Key Minerals Group—a company operating through shell entities. Last year, the group received up to $1.6 billion in support from the U.S. government to develop a tungsten mining project. The report states that the tungsten project involves the Katpar and Upper Kairakty deposits in northern Kazakhstan. Financing was provided by institutions including the U.S. Export-Import Bank. Trump’s sons joined the advisory board of the relevant company and acquired equity stakes at the end of 2024. The report suggests this is yet another instance linking the Trump family’s business empire with U.S. government interests.
According to The Information, Peter Thiel’s venture capital firm Founders Fund is investing approximately $624 million in Anduril’s latest funding round—making it one of the largest investors in this round. Anduril’s current round is reportedly raising around $4 billion, with an estimated valuation of $60 billion; Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Thrive Capital are leading the round. Anduril is a U.S.-based AI defense startup. Its founder, Palmer Luckey, previously co-founded Erebor—a digital bank tailored for cryptocurrency and tech startups—with Peter Thiel.
According to on-chain analyst Ember (@EmberCN), Pantera Capital—the lead investor in Ondo—transferred 83.9 million ONDO tokens (approximately $22.11 million) five hours ago. The market expects these tokens to be sold in the near term. The receiving address has a history of similar activity: one year ago, it received 34.28 million ONDO tokens (approximately $42.52 million) from Ondo’s multi-sig wallet and subsequently transferred them to Coinbase Prime in batches.
market分歧 has widened regarding Strategy's financing model of continuously accumulating Bitcoin through its preferred stock STRC. Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer stated in his latest report that the interpretation of the STRC model as a "circular financing or Ponzi structure" is a "serious misreading" and emphasized that the mechanism is an "intentionally designed and sustainable capital framework," with the core logic being to convert market demand for yield into long-term Bitcoin exposure.According to an SEC 8-K filing, Strategy raised approximately $3.5 billion in the first three weeks of April, with over 85% coming from STRC issuance. Subsequently, it made three consecutive purchases within the following three weeks, acquiring a total of 51,364 Bitcoins worth approximately $3.9 billion. Strategy's total Bitcoin holdings have now increased to 818,334 BTC, with a market value of around $62.5 billion, and it has recently returned to an unrealized profit of about $700 million.Benchmark believes that this structure does not rely on continuous issuance to sustain itself and could even sell a portion of its Bitcoin to pay preferred stock dividends if necessary. However, significant market skepticism remains, with some arguing that selling financed assets to pay dividends could be perceived as a risk signal, potentially triggering broader market pressure. (The Block)
during his trial testimony against OpenAI, Elon Musk stated, “Some cryptocurrency has value, but most of it is a scam.” The remarks came during cross-examination at the Oakland, California court, where the case involved OpenAI’s early consideration of raising funds through an ICO (Initial Coin Offering).According to reports, Musk’s response to relevant questions during the trial pointed to widespread speculation and fraudulent activities in the crypto asset space, drawing market attention.Notably, Musk’s stance on the crypto market has long shown significant volatility: during the 2021 bull market, he pushed Tesla to purchase approximately $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin and publicly mentioned Dogecoin on multiple occasions, driving substantial price surges for related assets. However, Tesla reduced its Bitcoin holdings by 75% in 2022 and booked an impairment loss of approximately $222 million on its remaining holdings in the first quarter of 2026. According to the latest financial report, it still holds approximately 11,509 Bitcoins, with a book value of around $786 million. (Fortune)