News linked to this event type.
According to Cointelegraph, the blockchain payment network XRP Ledger (XRPL) has partnered with zero-knowledge infrastructure provider Boundless to integrate its zero-knowledge technology into the underlying network, aiming to enable confidential and compliant on-chain transactions for banks and asset management firms. Shiv Shankar, CEO of Boundless, stated that the solution protects sensitive information—including transaction size, frequency, and counterparty details—through selective disclosure and role-based access control, while ensuring regulatory authorities can audit related activities. This integration is expected to drive adoption across multiple institutional use cases on public blockchains, including cross-border corporate payments, treasury management, over-the-counter (OTC) trading, tokenized asset issuance, and decentralized finance (DeFi). Industry observers believe that striking a balance between privacy and compliance is becoming a key factor in driving institutional adoption of public blockchains.
According to Decrypt, Bitcoin’s price recently approached $75,000, driven by improved risk sentiment and easing geopolitical tensions. Since the Iran conflict erupted on February 28, Bitcoin has surged approximately 13%, outperforming both the S&P 500 Index and gold. Data shows bearish pressure in the options market has eased, with the 25-Delta Skew rebounding from -10% to -4.5%, indicating reduced investor demand for downside protection. Last week, CoinShares data revealed net inflows of $1.1 billion into crypto investment products—the strongest weekly performance so far this year—with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs accounting for $786 million in net inflows. Analysts note that ETF inflows and strengthening institutional demand have become key drivers behind Bitcoin’s rally. Experts caution that inflation, Federal Reserve policy, and evolving geopolitical developments could influence its future trajectory.
The Jito Foundation announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KODA, South Korea’s largest digital asset custodian. Under the agreement, both parties will jointly promote institutional access to the liquid staking token JitoSOL in the Korean market in compliance with applicable regulations. Collaboration activities include conducting market education for institutional investors, exploring compliant custody and staking solutions, and coordinating promotional efforts in alignment with developments in South Korea’s virtual asset regulatory framework. KODA offers cold wallet storage, MPC-based key management, institutional staking services, and $20 million in digital asset insurance underwritten by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance. It also holds a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license and ISMS certification. Previously, the Jito Foundation had explored launching a JitoSOL ETF in partnership with Hanwha Asset Management, pending regulatory approval.
According to Cointelegraph, the Pacific island nation of Nauru has appointed cryptocurrency entrepreneur Dadvan Yousuf as its International Trade Commissioner to advance its digital asset strategy and attract global investment. Nauru’s President David Adeang stated that this move aims to strengthen cross-border collaboration with virtual asset service providers, financial institutions, and technology companies, positioning Nauru as a hub for virtual asset activities. Previously, Nauru enacted legislation establishing the Command Ridge Virtual Asset Authority (CRVAA), a dedicated regulatory body overseeing virtual asset activities—including cryptocurrency firms and digital banks. Officials said Yousuf will assist Nauru in promoting international cooperation and harmonizing compliance standards. Notably, Yousuf previously drew regulatory scrutiny in Switzerland for unlicensed token sales related to a cryptocurrency project he founded. This appointment marks Nauru’s strategic shift from building a regulatory framework to actively promoting its digital asset industry.
According to Bloomberg, Deutsche Börse has invested $200 million in Payward Inc., the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. This transaction will grant Deutsche Börse a fully diluted 1.5% stake in the company. The investment aims to advance Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s provision of broader securities services via blockchain technology and is expected to close in the second quarter, subject to regulatory approval. Previously, Kraken was valued at $20 billion in a share sale in November 2025.
According to Cointelegraph, Hacken, a blockchain security firm, released its Q1 2026 report revealing that Web3 projects suffered $464.5 million in losses due to hacking and scams during the quarter. Phishing and social engineering attacks accounted for $306 million—making them the primary source of losses. A hardware wallet scam in January alone caused $282 million in losses, representing 81% of the quarter’s total losses. Smart contract vulnerabilities led to $86.2 million in losses, while failures in access control—including compromised private keys and cloud services—resulted in $71.9 million in losses. The report notes that the largest security incidents predominantly occurred in off-chain operations and infrastructure layers—areas typically beyond the scope of traditional audits. Europe’s regulatory frameworks, MiCA and DORA, are increasingly imposing stricter requirements on security monitoring and incident response, and global regulators are also raising standards for real-time monitoring and emergency response.
According to DL News, Irkutskenergosbyt—a state-owned power company in Russia’s Irkutsk Oblast—recently identified over 8,000 suspected illegal cryptocurrency mining operations disguised as chicken coops, greenhouses, forests, paper mills, and abandoned gas stations. Since 2019, the company has filed 2,170 lawsuits against illegal miners, seeking a total of $18.5 million in compensation; courts have ordered fines amounting to roughly half that sum, while some cases were settled out of court. Miners frequently mask their activities as electric-vehicle charging or agricultural power use, resulting in electricity losses. To safeguard grid stability, several Russian regions have shut down licensed industrial mining facilities and plan to deploy artificial intelligence tools to detect illegal mining.
According to Cointelegraph, the UK’s Liberal Democrats have written to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requesting an investigation into Nigel Farage—the leader of Reform UK—and his ties to the bitcoin company Stack BTC. The party questions whether Farage’s appearance in the company’s promotional video, while holding shares in Stack BTC, violates market rules and constitutes a conflict of interest. Stack BTC recently disclosed that it purchased 37 bitcoins—valued at approximately $2.7 million—as corporate reserves; Farage holds a 6.31% stake in Stack BTC through his media company. This incident comes as the UK government advances a proposal to ban cryptocurrency political donations, aiming to prevent external funding from interfering with elections. The FCA stated it will review the letter and respond accordingly.
According to Bloomberg, just days after the Pentagon designated Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, Anthropic PBC has hired Ballard Partners—a lobbying firm linked to U.S. President Trump. This collaboration comes amid an ongoing dispute between Anthropic and the U.S. Department of Defense (i.e., the Pentagon). Public filings indicate that Ballard Partners will represent Anthropic in policy communications and lobbying activities.
According to DL News, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is intensifying its crackdown on cryptocurrency-related tax evasion, with particular focus on new reporting requirements for the 2025 tax year. The IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division has prioritized cryptocurrency tax cases, and investors must proactively report relevant transactions before the April 15 tax-filing deadline. Starting in 2025, Form 1099-DA—introduced for the first time—requires brokers to report investors’ total digital asset transaction proceeds to both investors and the IRS; however, investors themselves must calculate and verify their cost basis. Reports from Coinbase and CoinTracker indicate that approximately 61% of U.S. cryptocurrency investors are unaware of the new rules, and 52% fear penalties resulting from filing errors. Experts advise investors to gather all transaction records and file accurate returns to avoid criminal penalties, including fines of up to $100,000 and imprisonment for up to five years.
According to The Block, U.S. Republican Senator Thom Tillis stated that a draft bill aimed at resolving the long-standing dispute between banks and crypto firms over stablecoin yield—under the “Clarity for Payment Stablecoins Act” (the “Clarity Act”)—will be publicly released this week. Tillis co-drafted the provisions with Democratic Senator Angela Alsobrooks. The draft has already undergone review by both banking and crypto industry stakeholders, though banks remain opposed. Tillis indicated he is open to further revisions of the text. The issue of stablecoin yield represents the central point of contention in the Clarity Act: banks fear that permitting crypto firms to pay interest on idle stablecoins would trigger massive deposit outflows, while crypto enterprises such as Coinbase argue that banning such interest payments would stifle innovation. Additionally, Tillis proposed hosting a “Crypto Summit” to bring all stakeholders to Capitol Hill for negotiations toward a resolution. The Clarity Act has not yet advanced through the Senate Banking Committee and remains far from final enactment.
According to The Block, Korean payment service provider NHN KCP has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ava Labs to jointly build a Layer 1 network for payment use cases on Ava Cloud. The initiative will focus on three key areas: sub-second payment confirmation, on-chain transaction data encryption, and customizable merchant payment infrastructure. The two parties will also explore business opportunities including tokenized deposit models, multi-stablecoin settlement architectures, and cross-border payments. Justin Kim, Head of Asia at Ava Labs, stated that the mainnet launch timeline for this L1 will depend significantly on the progress of South Korea’s cryptocurrency regulatory framework.
According to DL News, several “revenge intermediaries” in South Korea that accept cryptocurrency as payment have recently remained highly active. These organizations receive orders via Telegram and offer services including intimidation, assault, and even murder disguised as accidents. They require clients to pay a 50% deposit in USDT and promise to send footage of the operation—recorded using body-worn cameras—via Telegram. Although the alleged ringleader was arrested on April 3, related online advertisements continued to appear as recently as April 13. This year, South Korean police have launched investigations into more than 50 such cases and arrested approximately 30 individuals; all cases were confirmed to involve cryptocurrency payments.
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 Crypto in America, Chris Giancarlo—former Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and widely known in the industry as “Crypto Dad”—has officially stepped down from his role as Senior Advisor at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP at the end of April. He is now shifting his focus to digital asset strategic consulting, private investments, and public policy research. Giancarlo spent six years at the law firm, where he spearheaded the development of its cryptocurrency legal practice. Additionally, his new book, *CryptoDad’s New Adventure: The Path to Financial Freedom in the 21st Century*, is scheduled for publication this October, chronicling the evolution of the crypto industry from the 2024 U.S. presidential election through the potential second Trump administration.
According to Stocktitan, U.S.-listed Bitcoin treasury company Exodus Movement has filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery, seeking to compel service provider W3C Corp and its CEO Garth Howat to fulfill the share acquisition agreement signed in November 2025 and complete the transaction. Exodus Movement stated that it has already classified its loan to W3C as “immediately payable” and exercised related security rights, expecting the court to issue an order compelling the counterparty to complete the closing as stipulated in the agreement. Previously, on April 8, 2026, Exodus obtained approval from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), removing a key regulatory hurdle for the acquisition. The company said it will accelerate completion of this acquisition by advancing both the litigation and enforcement of its security rights.
According to reporter Eleanor Terrett, the American Bankers Association (ABA) has publicly criticized the recent stablecoin report issued by the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), arguing that the report’s analytical direction is flawed and overlooks more fundamental policy risks. The ABA warns that permitting stablecoins to pay interest could trigger massive outflows of deposits from community banks, raise funding costs, and thereby tighten local credit supply. The ABA stated: “The CEA report focuses on the implications of banning interest payments, thereby creating a false sense of security while sidestepping the far more disruptive scenario—rapid, large-scale expansion of interest-bearing payment stablecoins.”
According to Fortune, Foundry, a leading Bitcoin mining pool, officially launched a new mining pool for the privacy coin Zcash on April 13. Mike Colyer, CEO of Foundry, stated that this move aims to address growing institutional demand for privacy coins. The pool has already attracted several institutional miners, and its output now accounts for nearly one-third of all newly minted Zcash globally. Zcash implements transaction privacy via zero-knowledge proof technology while supporting selective disclosure to meet regulatory compliance requirements—making it more appealing to institutions than its competitor Monero. Fueled by this news, Zcash’s price has surged over 75% in the past 30 days, with its current market capitalization standing at approximately $6.3 billion. Foundry currently controls about 31% of the global Bitcoin hash rate, making it the world’s largest Bitcoin mining pool operator.
According to Cointelegraph, South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) stated that API-based cryptocurrency trading currently accounts for approximately 30% of market buy/sell volume. The FSS noted that some traders are using automated tools to inflate trading volumes and manipulate prices—for example, by repeatedly submitting small orders to create a false impression of market activity or placing high-limit buy orders to artificially boost prices. The regulator announced it would launch a targeted investigation into accounts suspected of abnormal API trading and urged investors to remain vigilant toward assets exhibiting sudden, unexplained spikes in price and trading volume. Previously, South Korea mandated that exchanges reconcile asset balances every five minutes and has been continuously tightening anti-fraud regulations; however, certain regulatory measures remain constrained by an incomplete legal framework.
It is reported that Bybit Earn has entered a strategic partnership with Doppler Finance to officially launch an institutional-grade XRP fixed-income product, offering users a new yield opportunity. Traditionally, XRP does not support native staking, limiting its yield potential. This collaboration introduces Doppler Finance’s institutional-grade yield strategies, making yield-generating capabilities—previously available only to institutions—accessible to retail users. These strategies are selected and executed by Doppler Finance, a native yield platform focused exclusively on the XRP ecosystem, dedicated to delivering secure, transparent, and compliant yield solutions for non-stakable assets. During the campaign, users participating in the 90-day XRPfi fixed-income product will earn an annualized yield of 5%, comprising a base annualized yield of 2.5% plus an additional 2.5% annualized reward drawn from a 30,000 XRP incentive pool. Campaign Period: April 13, 2026, 10:00 – July 12, 2026, 23:59 (UTC)