Today's Crypto Pulse
Bitcoin slides below $70k as energy‑price worries spark $1.8B in liquidations
Bitcoin fell under $70,000 amid heightened energy‑price uncertainty linked to U.S.–Iran tensions. The dip triggered roughly $1.8 billion in crypto liquidations, while institutional investors pulled more than $4.2 billion from digital‑asset positions.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Strive acquires 2,500 Bitcoin for $185.2M
Polymarket Seeks $15B Valuation as It Raises Capital Ahead of U.S. Regulatory Outcome
Polymarket is in talks to raise an additional $400 million, expanding its current round to $1 billion and valuing the platform at roughly $15 billion. The funding follows a $600 million investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which may increase its strategic stake to $2 billion. The capital will underwrite costly legal battles, a U.S. market re‑entry via a CFTC‑regulated entity, user acquisition, and the infrastructure needed to attract institutional traders. ICE’s backing despite unresolved regulatory questions signals strong confidence in the prediction‑market model.
Wall Street Moves Beyond the Bitcoin ETF Trade as XRP Leads Altcoins on Fragile Macro Relief
Institutional investors are rotating capital from Bitcoin and Ethereum into altcoin-focused ETFs amid heightened Middle East geopolitical risk. XRP-linked funds led the surge, pulling in $55.4 million last week, the second‑best weekly inflow of 2026. Altcoin ETFs collectively attracted more than...
DeFi Contagion Spreads Beyond Aave as LayerZero, Lido, Ethena Suffer Sharp Declines: Santiment
The recent turbulence in decentralized finance traces back to a bad‑debt episode at Aave, one of the sector’s largest lending platforms. Aave’s token fell 22%, while LayerZero’s ZRO and Lido’s LDO dropped 22% and 19% respectively. Even protocols without direct...
LayerZero Post Mortem Shows Lazarus Group Stole $290M From KelpDAO via RPC Node Compromise
On April 18, 2026, North Korea’s Lazarus Group stole roughly $290 million from KelpDAO’s rsETH bridge by compromising two LayerZero RPC nodes that feed the protocol’s verifier. The attackers injected malware that supplied false transaction data only to the verifier while keeping external...
Patience Pays: BTC Expected to Slip Below $73K
🚨 BTC flushed below $74K Sunday night after the US Navy seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. Iran cancelled Monday's Islamabad talks. Ceasefire expires Tuesday. BTC sits at $75,044. This is NOT the dip to buy at...
Paris Blockchain Week 2026: Four Things the Main Stage Didn’t Tell You
Paris Blockchain Week 2026 drew over 10,000 attendees, with banks such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan and EU ministers onstage, signaling a maturing European crypto ecosystem. Behind the polished narrative, participants learned that the EU is already planning a MiCA...
ZachXBT Vs. RAVE: Is a Clean Market What Degens Want?
In April 2026 the RAVE token surged 4,500% before on‑chain analyst ZachXBT revealed that three team‑linked wallets controlled roughly 90% of the 1 billion token supply. The wallets moved large amounts to Binance and Bitget, prompting the exchanges to launch investigations...
Laniakea Standardizes Governance, Boosting Security for Sky and Partners
Laniakea is a project in Sky to bring all structures of governance and collateral exposure into standardized formats, with strict standardization and best practice optimization across 4 critical dimensions: Smart contracts, risk management, data infrastructure and legal recourse. With Laniakea...
Rep. Eugene Vindman Demands Polymarket Records After $500K Insider Military Bets
Representative Eugene Vindman has formally asked Polymarket to preserve and disclose internal data after newly created accounts reportedly earned $400,000‑$553,000 by betting minutes before U.S. strikes in Venezuela and Iran. The request, joined by a CFTC inquiry from Rep. Ritchie...
Cobo Unveils AI‑Powered Agentic Wallet to Automate Tokenized Real‑Estate Deals
Cobo has launched the Cobo Agentic Wallet, an AI‑focused, non‑custodial wallet that lets autonomous agents conduct blockchain transactions under user‑defined controls. The platform combines Multi‑Party Computation, a Pact protocol and modular "Recipes" to secure tokenized property deals, promising a new...
Coinbase Pilots AI Agents on Slack to Aid 4,000‑Plus Staff
Coinbase has started a pilot of two AI agents, Fred and Balaji, on Slack and email to help its more than 4,000 employees with strategic alignment and creative problem‑solving. CEO Brian Armstrong says the experiment could soon let any worker...
Proof‑based Protocols and Diversity Essential for Long‑term Security
This is the kind of attack that many people in blockchain security had long expected. This is why proof based protocols, multiple, operator diversity etc matter. The challenge with security is that it’s a super long game and it’s hard to convince...
Startale Secures $63M Series A and Expands to Abu Dhabi via Hub71
Startale Group, backed by a $63 million Series A, has been selected for Hub71’s Digital Assets cohort and will open a regional hub inside Abu Dhabi Global Market. The move gives the crypto‑focused fintech regulatory clarity and access to a network...
Physicist Warns Quantum Breakthrough Could Threaten Bitcoin by 2029
Chris Tam, director of BTQ Technologies, warned that recent quantum computing progress could make Bitcoin's cryptography vulnerable by 2029, far earlier than earlier estimates. The warning has reignited a split in the crypto world between those urging immediate upgrades and...
Aave Tanks Because a DAO Hack Reminds Us of Crypto Fragility. Time to Buy?
A Kelp DAO exploit siphoned roughly $293 million by minting rsETH tokens, which were then used as collateral on Aave. The attack forced Aave to freeze the rsETH market, causing a cascade that slashed its total value locked from $26.4 billion to...
BIS Chief Urges Global Coordination on Stablecoin Regulation
Bank for International Settlements (BIS) chief Agustín Carstens called for coordinated international policy on stablecoins, warning that fragmented rules could undermine financial stability. The appeal comes as regulators worldwide grapple with the rapid growth of algorithmic and fiat‑backed digital assets.
Bitcoin's $315,000 Awakening: The Historic "Cup and Handle" Pattern the Smart Money Is Watching.
Bitcoin appears to be forming a classic cup‑and‑handle pattern on the daily chart, with price hovering near the critical on‑chain level of $72,300. The technical setup projects a bullish breakout that could push the cryptocurrency toward a $315,000 target, a...
Coinbase Testing AI Agents on Slack and Email
Coinbase has begun testing two internal AI agents that appear in Slack and email, each modeled after former executives Fred Ehrsam and Balaji Srinivasan. The Ehrsam‑based agent provides strategic guidance, while the Srinivasan‑based agent is tasked with sparking innovation. CEO...
Stablecoins Are No Longer Arriving—They’re Here
Stablecoins have moved from a niche concern to a core component of traditional finance strategy, driven by the July 2025 GENIUS Act and subsequent OCC charters for major digital‑asset firms. The OCC’s proposed 376‑page rule and the FDIC’s upcoming regulation...
The Business Case for Blockchain in B2B Payments
Blockchain is being repositioned as a utility for B2B payments, distinct from cryptocurrency. Finance leaders can use distributed ledger technology to speed settlement, cut intermediaries, and improve transparency. Stablecoin‑based rails and integration with ERP systems enable automated, auditable transactions, reducing...
SEC Subpoenas Trigger Account Closures, Stalling Defenses
When the SEC sends a bank subpoena, your account is often closed before anyone reads it. Nader tells Laura how the tactic nearly shut down his legal defense: https://lnkd.in/eK6_npmu
Bitcoin Poised for New Weekly Highs After Bounce
Relatively strong bounce upwards on $BTC on Monday, as markets tend to go risk-off prior to the open. Gold has gone down, so no attached risk. #Bitcoin bouncing upwards, and given that there's still a gap to $77.3K, I would assume...
Piero Cipollone: Sparking the Transformation of Finance - Tokenisation and the Role of Central Banks
Piero Cipollone of the BIS argued that tokenisation and distributed ledger technology could finally reduce the long‑standing 2% cost of financial intermediation in the United States and Europe. He contrasted this potential breakthrough with past innovations—derivatives, electronic trading, dematerialisation—that improved...
DeFi Users Pull $10 Billion Out of the Market as $292 Million Exploit Sparks Bank-Run Optics
A $292 million exploit of KelpDAO's cross‑chain bridge drained roughly $10 billion from DeFi markets, prompting a cascade of withdrawals. The attacker siphoned 116,500 rsETH, a liquid restaking token, and moved the funds through Tornado Cash before targeting lending platforms. Aave suffered...
BingX Reports Strong Q1 2026 Growth as AI Users Surpass 5 Million and TradFi Hits 50% of Volume
BingX launched its TradFi Market in Q1 2026, offering over 100 traditional assets and capturing 50% of the platform’s trading volume. The exchange’s AI suite expanded with AI Claw and the AI Skills Hub, driving AI user numbers past 5 million...
AAVE Walkthrough (Kelp DAO Hack) and Market Update
The post walks through the recent Kelp DAO hack that exploited Aave’s lending protocol, detailing how attackers siphoned funds from the platform. It frames the incident as part of a broader uptick in crypto‑related crime during the second half of...
Three Major Japanese Financial Institutions Tap Canton to Bring Government Bonds On-Chain
Mizuho Financial Group, Nomura Holdings and Japan Securities Clearing Corporation have launched a joint proof‑of‑concept with Digital Asset’s Canton Network to manage Japanese Government Bond (JGB) collateral on‑chain. The initiative, backed by the Financial Services Agency’s Payment Innovation Project, aims...
Is This Hot New AI Crypto a Millionaire-Maker?
Venice (VVV) has surged 460% this year, lifting its market cap to roughly $413 million and placing it among the top‑100 cryptocurrencies. The token’s price spiked from $0.50 to $22.45 in early 2025 before crashing back to the $3‑range, illustrating the...
Schwab Expands Into Crypto and Prediction Markets
Charles Schwab is making moves. Getting into the crypto markets. Getting into the predictions markets 👀. Plus a world class trading platform in TOS.
ESMA Reminds Crypto Firms of End of Transitional Periods Under MiCA
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) warned that the MiCA transitional period ends on 1 July 2026, after which any crypto‑asset service provider operating in the EU without a MiCA licence will be illegal. ESMA expects all unauthorised crypto‑asset service providers...
Local Risk Fuels Market Vitality, Socialized Burdens Stagnate
In crypto and defi (ie in honest markets), when a component fails, those closest to the component—whether wildly negligent or innocent victim—suffer the loss, and are burdened with that responsibility. Unequal, but proper. In tradfi and banking (ie in coercively...
Big Wins Require Accepting Losses
Down $150K+ in crypto since Q4 2025. Loaded up on PayPal $PYPL the past few years for it to go nowhere. Plenty of other losers too. But I also made $300K+ in crypto in 2024. And scooped up Palantir $PLTR under $10. Sold most...
Aave's $180M Reckoning: When the Weakest Link Breaks DeFi
Aave’s lending platform now carries roughly $180 million in bad debt after the KelpDAO bridge exploit caused a 20% price drop in its AAVE‑USDT market. The shock slashed total value locked from a recent $26 billion peak to $18 billion, erasing months of...
Massive 30x BTC Short Risks $53M on 7% Pump
🚨 TRUMP’S INSIDER IS SHORTING $53M IN BTC AT 30X LEVERAGE Trump’s insider just placed a massive $53M Bitcoin short at 30x leverage and his track record is perfect, 10 trades, 10 wins. But one 7% pump wipes him out completely....
CoinDCX March 2026 Transparency Report Highlights Reserves & Volume
1/CoinDCX Monthly Transparency Report: March 2026 🧵👇 As we have done since November 2024, I'm happy to share @CoinDCX's latest transparency report. This month's highlights include: >Proof of Reserves (PoR) >Crypto Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) >Compliance & TDS Deposited >Monthly Spot Trading Volume >Top Traded Tokens &...
Could This Under-the-Radar Cryptocurrency Set You Up for Life?
Hyperliquid, a performance‑grade decentralized exchange for perpetual futures, launched its HYPE token in November 2024 and has amassed a $10.6 billion market cap without any venture‑capital funding. The platform routes roughly 99% of its trading fees to buy and permanently burn...
SBI Remit Adds Tottori Bank, Reaches 26 Partners
BIG: 🇯🇵 Ripple-powered SBI Remit partners with Tottori Bank to expand remittance and payroll services for foreign workers in Japan, bringing total bank partnerships to 26 https://t.co/g3IvnOMAH9
Over 20 iOS Crypto Wallets Hijacked by FakeWallet
More than 20 malicious crypto-wallets for iOS: how the FakeWallet crypto-stealer is spreading through the App Store: https://t.co/SSkqda8UH5 https://t.co/efDIdCmpRh
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Bitcoin Repeats Historic Pattern—Watch for Similar Move
🚨 PAY ATTENTION 🚨 $BTC has done this before… and is it happening again now? 👀 Don’t lose sight of this. https://t.co/QwQgp5n7Wd
DeFi Lending’s Trust in Custodians Fuels Systemic Risk
The Defi lending protocols(and lenders) rejecting cryptographic proof and relying on RPCs, custodian wrapped assets, small quorums is a big part of how we got here.
Base Security Lies in RPC/DNS, Not Consensus
If the stack above consensus won’t pay for trust-minimization, then base-layer security is irrelevant. Users touch RPCs and DNS, not validators and that’s the layer that’s exposed
ETH CME Gap Likely to Fill Again, 95% History
🚨 MONDAY VOLATILITY INCOMING 🚨 An $ETH CME GAP has formed Historically, these gaps are filled 95% of the time. Will the market close it again? 👀 Be ready. https://t.co/FE9TXvsQ4Q
Are Smarter AI Models Fueling Recent DeFi Hacks?
Is there any reason to believe recent DeFi hacks are directly a result of smarter models?
Sophisticated Attack Exploits KelpDAO Laxity on LayerZero
The attack was way more sophisticated than I expected and aimed at LayerZero infrastructure taking advantage of KelpDAO laziness.
Single-Validator Bridge Breach Highlights Need for Decentralization
tldr KelpDAO made the decision to use a 1 of 1 validator for the entire bridge and their 1 got breached. How could this have been avoided?
Doubts Over Collateral May Trigger Broad Asset Haircut
An asset is not fully collateralized if there's serious doubts whether the supposed backing will actually be used to back the asset, and I think an across the board haircut is not unlikely.
NFTs Still Falling Short for Artists
NFTs may have a little run but they still aren’t where they need to be for artists.
Adam Back Predicts Bitcoin Soaring to $500K‑$1M
🚨 LATEST Adam Back says: “$100,000 is way too cheap. Bitcoin goes between $500K and $1M this cycle.”🚀 https://t.co/WZlVyWyahm
Urgent Request: Need Figment Contact for Phishing Victim
Hey can someone connect me to someone at @Figment_io ? An emergency about a friends wallet that got phished