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Project Overview
Block, Inc. (NASDAQ:SQ)is a technology company focused on financial services and digital payments. The company was founded in 2009, formerly known as Square, Inc., and was renamed Block in 2021 to reflect its expanding product portfolio. The company operates Square merchant payment solutions, Cash App (provides peer-to-peer payments and Bitcoin transactions), Afterpay (provides buy-to-pay-after-pay), TIDAL (provides music streaming services), Bitkey (provides self-hosted Bitcoin wallets), and Proto (provides Bitcoin mining services).
Benchmark refutes "circular financing" allegations: Strategy STRC bitcoin model is not a Ponzi structure
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)
Solana yield trading platform Exponent completes $5 million seed round, led by Multicoin Capital
Exponent Finance, a Solana-based yield trading platform, announced the completion of a $5 million seed funding round. The round was led by Multicoin Capital, with participation from Solana Ventures, RockawayX, L1D, Prelude, and Theia Blockchain, along with several key figures from the Solana ecosystem as angel investors. The round was initiated in May last year and closed in August, bringing Exponent's total funding to $7.1 million. Exponent stated that the funds will be used to expand its yield trading platform and upgrade it into a more comprehensive on-chain yield infrastructure, covering active yield management needs within the Solana ecosystem. (The Block)
Trump-linked crypto company AI Financial to acquire Block Street for up to $43 million
Odaily AI Financial (formerly Alt5 Sigma), a publicly listed crypto company linked to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump, has announced it will acquire crypto infrastructure startup Block Street for up to $43 million. Block Street was founded by Matthew Morgan, who currently serves as an advisor to AI Financial and is also its CEO and largest shareholder.According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the deal was reached last Monday. Block Street was registered in October 2025, but Morgan stated that its business operations had started about 16 months prior.The acquisition has raised market concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as Morgan is both an advisor to AI Financial and the founder of the acquired company. He was briefly nominated for the position of Chief Investment Officer in a previous cooperation deal between AI Financial and World Liberty Financial, but the role was later adjusted to an unpaid advisor position.In August, AI Financial reached an agreement with World Liberty Financial to include approximately $1.5 billion in crypto assets on its balance sheet, in exchange for equity and a board seat. This collaboration also positioned the company as part of the "Trump family crypto ecosystem."In interviews, Morgan has denied that the transaction constitutes self-dealing, stating that Block Street focuses on tokenization and ICO infrastructure capabilities, areas AI Financial is looking to enter. He claimed to have pitched the asset to several other public companies and turned down acquisition offers with higher valuations.However, since establishing ties with the Trump family crypto project, AI Financial's stock price has fallen by over 90%, reflecting ongoing market skepticism toward the "crypto reserve public company" model.This transaction has also reignited controversy over insider transactions and governance structures within public companies. Similar cases have frequently emerged in the crypto industry recently, with multiple listed companies criticized for mixing assets with related-party transactions, raising investor concerns about the risks of conflicts of interest. (Fortune)
Squads completes $18 million strategic funding round led by Solana Ventures
: Solana ecosystem multi-signature protocol Squads announced the completion of an $18 million strategic funding round, led by Solana Ventures, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Haun Ventures, L1D, and others. Its total cumulative funding has now reached $42.9 million. According to reports, Squads' stablecoin payment platform Altitude allows enterprises to conduct 24/7 global payment settlements in stablecoins through self-custodial wallets, and connects to the global payment network via its compliance and risk control system. (The Block)
Squads, a Solana ecosystem multisig protocol, announced it has completed an $18 million strategic funding round led by Solana Ventures.
According to The Block, Squads, a multi-signature protocol in the Solana ecosystem, has announced the completion of an $18 million strategic funding round led by Solana Ventures, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Haun Ventures, L1D, and others. This round is an equity financing, bringing Squads’ total funding to $42.9 million. Squads will use the funds from this round to expand its stablecoin-based corporate finance platform, Altitude.
RWA platform Nuva Digital closes $5.2M seed round led by Morgan Creek Digital
According to The Block, Nuva Digital has completed a $5.2 million seed funding round, led by Morgan Creek Digital with participation from Ulu Ventures. The round was closed in a single tranche and marks the company’s first external funding. Nuva Digital was jointly incubated by Animoca Brands and Nuva Labs (formerly Provenance Blockchain Labs) and is building Nuva Finance, a real-world asset (RWA) yield platform. The financing structure consists of a priced equity seed round accompanied by token purchase warrants; the valuation was not disclosed.
MoonPay Launches Stablecoin Debit Card for AI Agents
According to The Block, MoonPay has launched the stablecoin debit card “MoonAgents Card,” enabling AI agents and users to spend directly from on-chain wallets. The card is integrated with the Mastercard network and issued by Monavate, a regulated global payment platform.
Warren and other U.S. senators question Tether and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over related-party loans
this week, U.S. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden sent letters to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, expressing concerns over a loan provided by Tether to a family trust fund benefiting Lutnick’s children.The letter notes that prior to becoming Commerce Secretary, Lutnick led Cantor Fitzgerald, which has served as the custodian for Tether’s reserves since 2021. The senators question whether the loan may have helped Lutnick’s children obtain funds to acquire their father’s stake in Cantor Fitzgerald, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest or bribery. Additionally, the senators expressed concerns over Tether’s past compliance record and its lobbying activities during the legislative process of the GENIUS Act, emphasizing the need to ensure that politically connected crypto stakeholders do not receive special treatment. (The Block)
Analysis: Bitcoin Stalled at Key Resistance, ETF Outflows and Fed Divergence Amplify Market Caution
Bitcoin remained near $76,000 on Thursday. After the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, market attention quickly shifted to internal policy divergence and macroeconomic uncertainty. Analysts noted that Bitcoin remains suppressed below the key resistance range of $78,000 to $79,000, lacking short-term breakout momentum.Thomas Perfumo, Chief Economist at Kraken, stated that the market is currently more focused on policy uncertainty stemming from internal "divisions" within the Federal Reserve rather than the inaction itself. This is particularly true against the backdrop of Chairman Jerome Powell's continued tenure and the potential expectation of Kevin Warsh succeeding him, creating a lack of clear policy transition.Glassnode data shows that Bitcoin remains "trapped" below the True Market Mean, with resistance concentrated in the $78,000 to $79,000 range and support lying between $65,000 and $70,000. While selling pressure has eased, demand remains insufficient to support a sustained upward breakout.On the macro front, the Fed has shown rare, severe internal disagreements, interpreted by the market as rising uncertainty over the inflation path. Analysts from institutions like Bitget Wallet and 21Shares point out that the expectation of "higher rates for longer" is suppressing risk asset performance, pushing the crypto market into a wait-and-see phase.Regarding capital flows, U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs have recorded net outflows for three consecutive days, with a single-day outflow of approximately $138 million on April 29. Ethereum ETFs saw outflows of about $87.7 million over the same period. Although individual products still saw inflows, the overall trend indicates cooling institutional demand.Meanwhile, CME open interest and ETF assets under management have stabilized but have yet to show strong signals of capital return. In the derivatives market, short positions in perpetual contracts have reached an all-time high, suggesting a potential squeeze if sentiment improves. However, the current market remains dominated by a low-volatility, low-confidence consolidation structure.Overall, Bitcoin is caught in a tug-of-war between an improving support structure and weak demand. Sustained ETF outflows, policy uncertainty, and macroeconomic risks collectively suppress its ability to break through the key resistance range. (The Block)
Gemini Receives CFTC Derivatives Clearing Organization License, Accelerating Development of Full-Stack Compliant Derivatives Platform
According to The Block, Gemini’s Olympus division has officially received a Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) license from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), enabling it to serve as an internal clearing house for settlement, risk management, and collateral management—eliminating reliance on third-party clearing and potentially reducing operational costs. Combined with its previously obtained Designated Contract Market (DCM) license, Gemini now possesses full-stack, compliant capabilities across futures, options, perpetual contracts, and prediction markets. Gemini is currently pursuing a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) license to complete its full suite of CFTC authorizations, positioning itself for direct competition with Kraken and Coinbase.
Shinhan Card, a South Korean credit card company, has partnered with the Solana Foundation.
According to The Block, South Korean credit card company Shinhan Card has announced a partnership with the Solana Foundation to jointly advance a proof-of-concept project testing a real-world stablecoin-based payment system. The project aims to explore the feasibility of stablecoins in actual payment environments, leveraging the Solana network as the underlying infrastructure for transaction processing. Meanwhile, South Korea is actively advancing the legislative process for its Digital Asset Basic Act, a bill designed to establish a comprehensive and unified regulatory framework for the digital asset industry.
Crypto VC firm Hashed obtains Abu Dhabi financial services license
According to The Block, cryptocurrency venture capital firm Hashed has obtained a Financial Services Permission from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). With this license, Hashed plans to collaborate with institutional investors in the Middle East within a regulated environment.
Benchmark refutes "circular financing" allegations: Strategy STRC bitcoin model is not a Ponzi structure
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)
Analysis: Bitcoin Stalled at Key Resistance, ETF Outflows and Fed Divergence Amplify Market Caution
Bitcoin remained near $76,000 on Thursday. After the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, market attention quickly shifted to internal policy divergence and macroeconomic uncertainty. Analysts noted that Bitcoin remains suppressed below the key resistance range of $78,000 to $79,000, lacking short-term breakout momentum.Thomas Perfumo, Chief Economist at Kraken, stated that the market is currently more focused on policy uncertainty stemming from internal "divisions" within the Federal Reserve rather than the inaction itself. This is particularly true against the backdrop of Chairman Jerome Powell's continued tenure and the potential expectation of Kevin Warsh succeeding him, creating a lack of clear policy transition.Glassnode data shows that Bitcoin remains "trapped" below the True Market Mean, with resistance concentrated in the $78,000 to $79,000 range and support lying between $65,000 and $70,000. While selling pressure has eased, demand remains insufficient to support a sustained upward breakout.On the macro front, the Fed has shown rare, severe internal disagreements, interpreted by the market as rising uncertainty over the inflation path. Analysts from institutions like Bitget Wallet and 21Shares point out that the expectation of "higher rates for longer" is suppressing risk asset performance, pushing the crypto market into a wait-and-see phase.Regarding capital flows, U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs have recorded net outflows for three consecutive days, with a single-day outflow of approximately $138 million on April 29. Ethereum ETFs saw outflows of about $87.7 million over the same period. Although individual products still saw inflows, the overall trend indicates cooling institutional demand.Meanwhile, CME open interest and ETF assets under management have stabilized but have yet to show strong signals of capital return. In the derivatives market, short positions in perpetual contracts have reached an all-time high, suggesting a potential squeeze if sentiment improves. However, the current market remains dominated by a low-volatility, low-confidence consolidation structure.Overall, Bitcoin is caught in a tug-of-war between an improving support structure and weak demand. Sustained ETF outflows, policy uncertainty, and macroeconomic risks collectively suppress its ability to break through the key resistance range. (The Block)
Analysis: Bitcoin Holds at $77,000 Range, Powell's "Final FOMC" Adds Market Uncertainty
Odaily Bitcoin remained consolidating above $77,000 on Wednesday, with markets cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision. According to market data, Bitcoin fluctuated within the range of approximately $75,689 to $77,837 during the session, and is currently trading around $77,100.This FOMC meeting is seen as a pivotal event. Markets widely expect interest rates to remain unchanged, but the real focus is on whether Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will signal a "higher-for-longer" hawkish stance. Additionally, this meeting may be his last as Fed Chair, with markets simultaneously pricing in uncertainty regarding policy direction and potential power transitions.On the capital front, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a reversal after nine consecutive days of net inflows. SoSoValue data shows that on April 28, ETFs recorded net outflows of approximately $89.68 million. Among them, BlackRock's IBIT saw a single-day outflow of about $112 million. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs also logged net outflows of $21.8 million.On-chain data also signals caution. CryptoQuant noted that on April 27, exchange net inflows reached 9,905 BTC, the largest single-day inflow in nearly 30 days. Exchange reserves have also rebounded recently. If these inflows are not quickly absorbed, prices could retest the support range of $74,000–$75,000.On the macroeconomic front, fluctuations in crude oil prices and shifts in the Middle East energy landscape continue to influence inflation expectations. Some analysts believe this could limit the Fed's room for future easing. Meanwhile, market liquidity continues to weaken, with institutional trading volumes and perpetual contract activity both at low levels. This means any policy surprise could amplify price volatility.Overall, Bitcoin remains in a "low liquidity + high event risk" structure and may continue to oscillate within the $72,000 to $80,000 range in the short term, awaiting further clarity on the Fed's policy path. (The Block)
Stable Sea partners with WisdomTree to integrate tokenized money market funds into its enterprise stablecoin management platform
According to The Block, stablecoin management firm Stable Sea has announced a partnership with asset management firm WisdomTree to directly integrate WisdomTree’s tokenized money market fund WTGXX into its enterprise payment and treasury management platform. Stable Sea users can now one-click transfer idle stablecoin balances into the WTGXX fund to earn yield (currently offering an approximate 7-day annualized yield of 3.5%) and redeem those holdings at any time back into stablecoins for global payments.
First batch of prediction market ETFs may launch in the US next week
Odaily reports, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart, the first batch of prediction market ETFs in the United States could launch next week. Roundhill has submitted updated documents to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, aiming to activate six prediction market ETFs on May 5. The products will be designed around event contracts related to the U.S. presidential and congressional elections.Additionally, similar products submitted by GraniteShares and Bitwise may also be launched around the same time. James Seyffart believes this reflects a growing trend of combining event contracts with ETF products. (The Block)
Suspected Block Street team address transfers 5 million BSB to Bybit, valued at approximately $3.65 million
According to Arkham data, a suspected Block Street team address has transferred tokens to a Bybit deposit address (0xEcB8...0D51) over the past two hours, with a cumulative transfer of 5 million BSB tokens, valued at approximately $3,653,400. The tokens in this sending address previously originated from the BSB team's multi-signature address.Currently, the circulating supply of BSB is 207.75 million tokens, and the total amount received by this address accounts for approximately 2.41% of the circulating supply. BSB is currently trading at $0.7595, down 9.11% in the past 24 hours, with a circulating market cap of approximately $157.8 million.
North Korean hackers accounted for 76% of cryptocurrency theft losses in 2026, having stolen over $6 billion cumulatively since 2017.
According to The Block, blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs released a report stating that North Korean hacker groups stole approximately $577 million in crypto assets during the first four months of 2026—accounting for 76% of global hacking losses over the same period. All these losses stemmed from two major incidents that occurred in April: KelpDAO was attacked by the TraderTraitor group, resulting in $292 million in losses; and Drift Protocol was compromised by another North Korean sub-group, suffering $285 million in losses. Preparations for the latter attack began as early as March 11, and funds were fully extracted within 12 minutes. The two incidents employed distinct money-laundering pathways: stolen funds from Drift remain largely dormant on Ethereum, whereas funds stolen from KelpDAO were rapidly swapped into BTC via THORChain, with subsequent laundering facilitated by Chinese intermediaries. TRM Labs noted that since 2017, North Korea’s cumulative crypto theft has exceeded $6 billion—and its share of global losses has risen steadily, from less than 10% in 2020 to 64% in 2025.
Standard Chartered: rsETH Security Incident Does Not Alter RWA Growth Thesis, Maintaining $2 Trillion Market Size Forecast
Standard Chartered Bank's latest report indicates that while the theft of KelpDAO's rsETH has severely impacted the DeFi ecosystem, it is insufficient to change the long-term growth trend of Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization. The bank maintains its forecast that the RWA tokenization market will grow from $35 billion in October 2025 to $2 trillion by the end of 2028, with the core drivers remaining the continued expansion of the DeFi banking system and stablecoin liquidity.Geoffrey Kendrick, Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered, stated that this incident is more like DeFi being "bent, not broken," and could even serve as a significant turning point for the industry to move towards a more resilient structure. (The Block)
Litecoin Discloses Zero-Day Vulnerability Leading to DoS Attack and Abnormal MWEB Transactions, Fixed After Block Reorganization
Litecoin disclosed on X platform that a recent zero-day vulnerability once led to a DoS attack, affecting the operation of major mining pools. Mining nodes that were not updated in time allowed an invalid MWEB (MimbleWimble Extension Block) transaction to be executed, enabling the relevant tokens to be withdrawn to a third-party DEX. The Litecoin network rolled back these invalid transactions through a 13-block reorganization (reorg), confirming they would not be included in the main chain. All valid transactions during this period were unaffected. The vulnerability has now been completely fixed, and the network has resumed normal operation.
JPMorgan: Frequent DeFi hacks and stagnant TVL continue to suppress institutional participation
According to The Block, JPMorgan analysts noted in their latest report that ongoing DeFi security vulnerabilities and stagnant growth in total value locked (TVL) continue to constrain institutional enthusiasm for the DeFi sector. Recently, Kelp DAO’s cross-chain bridge suffered a major attack, during which the attacker minted $292 million worth of uncollateralized rsETH tokens and borrowed real ETH on Aave, resulting in approximately $230 million in bad debt. This caused DeFi TVL to evaporate by roughly $20 billion within several days. LayerZero and blockchain security researchers have attributed this attack to the North Korean hacker group Lazarus Group; some of the stolen funds have been frozen, while the rest remain in circulation. Analysts also pointed out that DeFi TVL denominated in ETH has remained range-bound for an extended period, raising market concerns about whether DeFi can achieve organic growth sufficient to support institutional adoption. Furthermore, following each security incident, users tend to shift funds into USDT as a safe-haven asset—yet this trend has not yet significantly driven USDT’s market capitalization growth.
Russian exchange Grinex suspends operations after ~$15 million attack
According to The Block, Grinex—a Russia-linked cryptocurrency exchange—suspended withdrawals and trading on Thursday after suffering a hack reportedly worth approximately $15 million. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic stated that the stolen funds consisted of USDT, which were subsequently moved across the Tron and Ethereum networks and swapped for TRX and ETH to reduce the risk of being frozen by Tether. Grinex said its wallet infrastructure was hit by a “large-scale cyberattack,” resulting in losses exceeding 1 billion rubles—approximately $13.1 million. Reports indicate Grinex is widely regarded as one of the successor platforms to sanctioned exchange Garantex, which U.S. authorities targeted last year for facilitating hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit fund flows.
Circle CEO: Did Not Freeze USDC in Drift Hack Due to “Moral Dilemma”
According to The Block, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire responded at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, to criticism over Circle’s decision not to freeze the stolen USDC involved in the Drift incident. He stated that Circle fulfills its legal obligations and freezes wallets only upon instruction from law enforcement agencies or courts; unilaterally freezing assets would constitute a “major ethical dilemma.” He also revealed that Circle is engaging with U.S. legislative bodies regarding the Clarity Act, seeking to establish a “safe harbor” mechanism for stablecoin issuers in extreme circumstances—but emphasized that any such authority must be explicitly granted through legislation, not exercised unilaterally by the company.
MoonPay Launches Stablecoin Debit Card for AI Agents
According to The Block, MoonPay has launched the stablecoin debit card “MoonAgents Card,” enabling AI agents and users to spend directly from on-chain wallets. The card is integrated with the Mastercard network and issued by Monavate, a regulated global payment platform.
Riot Platforms Q1 Data Center Revenue Reaches $33.2 Million, AMD Contract Capacity Doubles
according to financial data released by Riot Platforms, the company recorded $33.2 million in data center revenue for the first time in the first quarter. A significant portion of this revenue came from lower-margin tenant retrofitting services, which involve procuring and installing specific equipment for clients. Notably, AMD has chosen to exercise its option to double its contracted capacity from 25 MW to 50 MW, with the possibility to further expand to 200 MW in the future. Currently, 5 MW of capacity related to the AMD deal has been delivered and is generating revenue, with the remaining initial capacity expected to come online in the second quarter. Additionally, Riot Platforms reported total revenue of $167.2 million for the first quarter, with its core Bitcoin mining business contributing $111.9 million. The company currently holds 15,679 Bitcoins (valued at approximately $1.2 billion), making it the world's seventh largest public holder of Bitcoin. (The Block)
Data: USDT0 users are predominantly small holders, with over 99% holding less than $1,000
According to the latest data from the omnichain stablecoin USDT0, its user base is primarily retail: approximately 99.2% of holders have wallet balances under $1,000, only about 1,200 addresses hold between $100,000 and $1 million, and just 35 addresses hold over $10 million.The report notes that the main use case for USDT0 is small-value cross-chain transfers, with active users primarily engaged in daily transactions rather than large fund flows. However, in terms of transaction volume, single transfers exceeding $1 million still account for approximately 68.8% of the total transfer volume.USDT0 was launched by Everdawn Labs and is supported by LayerZero and Tether, pegged 1:1 to USDT. It has currently expanded to 23 chains, with a total transaction volume of $86.7 billion, becoming the third-largest holder of USDT, trailing only Binance and OKX. (The Block)
Solana yield trading platform Exponent completes $5 million seed round, led by Multicoin Capital
Exponent Finance, a Solana-based yield trading platform, announced the completion of a $5 million seed funding round. The round was led by Multicoin Capital, with participation from Solana Ventures, RockawayX, L1D, Prelude, and Theia Blockchain, along with several key figures from the Solana ecosystem as angel investors. The round was initiated in May last year and closed in August, bringing Exponent's total funding to $7.1 million. Exponent stated that the funds will be used to expand its yield trading platform and upgrade it into a more comprehensive on-chain yield infrastructure, covering active yield management needs within the Solana ecosystem. (The Block)
Tether’s Oobit Launches AI-Powered Corporate Spending Card That Supports Direct USDT Spending
According to The Block, Oobit—a wallet startup backed by Tether—has launched virtual “Agent Cards,” enterprise expense cards powered by Visa and designed for AI agents. These cards enable AI bots to make online purchases directly using their USDT balances, eliminating the need to convert to fiat currency or obtain manual, per-transaction approval. Each agent card features individual spending limits, category-level expenditure controls, and per-transaction or per-merchant caps. Every transaction automatically generates a human-readable record and supports integration with payment platforms such as Stripe for handling subscription billing and vendor payments.
North Korean hackers accounted for 76% of cryptocurrency theft losses in 2026, having stolen over $6 billion cumulatively since 2017.
According to The Block, blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs released a report stating that North Korean hacker groups stole approximately $577 million in crypto assets during the first four months of 2026—accounting for 76% of global hacking losses over the same period. All these losses stemmed from two major incidents that occurred in April: KelpDAO was attacked by the TraderTraitor group, resulting in $292 million in losses; and Drift Protocol was compromised by another North Korean sub-group, suffering $285 million in losses. Preparations for the latter attack began as early as March 11, and funds were fully extracted within 12 minutes. The two incidents employed distinct money-laundering pathways: stolen funds from Drift remain largely dormant on Ethereum, whereas funds stolen from KelpDAO were rapidly swapped into BTC via THORChain, with subsequent laundering facilitated by Chinese intermediaries. TRM Labs noted that since 2017, North Korea’s cumulative crypto theft has exceeded $6 billion—and its share of global losses has risen steadily, from less than 10% in 2020 to 64% in 2025.
Related news
MoonPay Launches Stablecoin Debit Card for AI Agents
According to The Block, MoonPay has launched the stablecoin debit card “MoonAgents Card,” enabling AI agents and users to spend directly from on-chain wallets. The card is integrated with the Mastercard network and issued by Monavate, a regulated global payment platform.
Riot Platforms Q1 Data Center Revenue Reaches $33.2 Million, AMD Contract Capacity Doubles
according to financial data released by Riot Platforms, the company recorded $33.2 million in data center revenue for the first time in the first quarter. A significant portion of this revenue came from lower-margin tenant retrofitting services, which involve procuring and installing specific equipment for clients. Notably, AMD has chosen to exercise its option to double its contracted capacity from 25 MW to 50 MW, with the possibility to further expand to 200 MW in the future. Currently, 5 MW of capacity related to the AMD deal has been delivered and is generating revenue, with the remaining initial capacity expected to come online in the second quarter. Additionally, Riot Platforms reported total revenue of $167.2 million for the first quarter, with its core Bitcoin mining business contributing $111.9 million. The company currently holds 15,679 Bitcoins (valued at approximately $1.2 billion), making it the world's seventh largest public holder of Bitcoin. (The Block)
Greeks.live: Altcoin Market Sees Limited Recovery; Altcoin Trading Still Requires Patience
Adam, a macro researcher at Greeks.live, posted on platform X that on May 1st, a total of 23,000 BTC options expired, with a Put Call Ratio of 1.13, a max pain point of $76,000, and a notional value of $1.74 billion. Additionally, 175,000 ETH options expired, with a Put Call Ratio of 0.94, a max pain point of $2,325, and a notional value of $400 million.He pointed out that market volatility was relatively low this week, with Bitcoin fluctuating around the $78,000 level. Market sentiment has gradually calmed, short-term RV has dropped significantly, and combined with the monthly expiry releasing nearly a quarter of position margins, the implied volatility (IV) for major-term options has decreased notably this week. The IV for Bitcoin's main tenors has all fallen below 40%, while the decline in ETH's main tenors was even larger, with short-term IV dropping below 50% and medium-to-long-term IV falling below 60%.Looking at the key options data, Skew remains relatively stable, maintaining a mildly bearish directional sentiment in the market. Only 6% of options expired this week, with approximately 25% of open interest expiring at the end of May and about 30% at the end of June. Block trades are relatively inactive, all signaling a period of consolidation.He further stated that in April of this year, Bitcoin significantly outperformed the first three months in terms of both price and market attention. However, altcoins have shown only limited recovery. The current strategy is primarily centered on Bitcoin, and one should wait before engaging in altcoin trading.
Warren and other U.S. senators question Tether and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over related-party loans
this week, U.S. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden sent letters to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, expressing concerns over a loan provided by Tether to a family trust fund benefiting Lutnick’s children.The letter notes that prior to becoming Commerce Secretary, Lutnick led Cantor Fitzgerald, which has served as the custodian for Tether’s reserves since 2021. The senators question whether the loan may have helped Lutnick’s children obtain funds to acquire their father’s stake in Cantor Fitzgerald, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest or bribery. Additionally, the senators expressed concerns over Tether’s past compliance record and its lobbying activities during the legislative process of the GENIUS Act, emphasizing the need to ensure that politically connected crypto stakeholders do not receive special treatment. (The Block)
Data: USDT0 users are predominantly small holders, with over 99% holding less than $1,000
According to the latest data from the omnichain stablecoin USDT0, its user base is primarily retail: approximately 99.2% of holders have wallet balances under $1,000, only about 1,200 addresses hold between $100,000 and $1 million, and just 35 addresses hold over $10 million.The report notes that the main use case for USDT0 is small-value cross-chain transfers, with active users primarily engaged in daily transactions rather than large fund flows. However, in terms of transaction volume, single transfers exceeding $1 million still account for approximately 68.8% of the total transfer volume.USDT0 was launched by Everdawn Labs and is supported by LayerZero and Tether, pegged 1:1 to USDT. It has currently expanded to 23 chains, with a total transaction volume of $86.7 billion, becoming the third-largest holder of USDT, trailing only Binance and OKX. (The Block)
Benchmark refutes "circular financing" allegations: Strategy STRC bitcoin model is not a Ponzi structure
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)