Circle Unveils USDC Bridge for Native Cross-Chain Stablecoin Transfers
Circle introduced USDC Bridge, a user‑friendly interface built on its Cross‑Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) that enables native burn‑and‑mint transfers of the USDC stablecoin. The bridge supports at least 17 EVM‑compatible blockchains and automatically handles destination‑chain gas while displaying fees up front. By eliminating wrapped USDC and complex routing, Circle aims to make cross‑chain moves more predictable and transparent. The rollout comes as the company faces a class‑action lawsuit alleging it failed to freeze roughly $230 million of USDC tied to the April 1 Drift Protocol exploit.
Worldcoin Tanks 13% as World’s Iris-Scanning Tech Expands to Zoom, Docusign
Worldcoin’s native token WLD fell 13.4% to about $0.28 after the company announced new integrations for its iris‑based identity stack. Zoom will embed World’s Deep Face technology to block deepfakes, while DocuSign will use World ID for secure digital signatures....
Russia Introduces Bill to Criminalize Unregistered Crypto Services
Russia’s lower house has received a draft bill that would criminalize any crypto‑related service operating without a Bank of Russia licence. Violators could face fines up to 1 million rubles (about $13,100) and imprisonment of four years, with harsher penalties –...
Polymarket Odds of Hormuz Strait Traffic Normalizing by End of May Spike to 73%
Polymarket’s prediction market showed odds climbing to 73% that Strait of Hormuz traffic will return to normal by the end of May, after a brief peak of 82% following Iran’s announcement of a temporary reopening. The cease‑fire deal prompted a...
US Senator Asks for Binance Monitor Update Amid Scrutiny of Iran Sanctions
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to the Justice Department and FinCEN demanding an update on Binance’s compliance with the anti‑money‑laundering monitoring program imposed after its 2023 settlement. The settlement required Binance to pay $4.3 billion and subjected the exchange to strict...
Ether Accumulation Wallet Balances Increased by 33%: Is a Rally to $3K Next?
Ethereum (ETH) has seen a 33% jump in balances held by accumulation wallets, reaching 26.16 million ETH (≈ $62.8 billion). Daily active addresses surged 89% to 730,278, while inflows into accumulation addresses average 200,000 ETH per day, spiking to 358,000. Staked ETH climbed to...
Circle CEO Sees ‘Tremendous Opportunity’ for Yuan Stablecoin Despite China Curbs
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire told Reuters that a yuan‑backed stablecoin could be issued within three to five years, presenting a “tremendous opportunity” for China to export its currency. He contrasted this prospect with Beijing’s recent crackdown that declares offshore issuance...
French Minister Says New Measures Are Coming After Crypto Kidnappings
French interior minister delegate Jean‑Didier Berger announced new measures to curb crypto kidnappings, known as wrench attacks, after a recent €400,000 ransom case. Authorities have launched a prevention platform that already has thousands of sign‑ups and are collaborating with Interior...
Study Finds Almost No Crypto Protocols Disclose Market-Maker Terms
A Novora study of over 150 crypto protocols found fewer than 1% disclose market‑maker terms, with only Meteora providing details. The review spanned DEXs, lending, futures, L1/L2, bridges, and CE‑token projects valued $40 million to $45 billion. The same analysis highlighted a...
South Korea to Pilot Tokenized Deposits for Government Spending
South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance announced a pilot that will use tokenized deposits—digital representations of bank deposits on blockchain—to fund government operational expenses, beginning in Sejong City. The sandbox will enforce predefined timing and usage limits, with a...
US Should Scrap Crypto Capital Gains Tax to Fuel Currency Competition: Cato
The Cato Institute is urging Congress to eliminate capital‑gains taxes on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, arguing that the current tax regime discourages everyday use and hampers currency competition. Policy scholar Nicholas Anthony suggests a full repeal or a targeted exemption...
Tech Stocks Push Nasdaq, S&P 500 to Record Highs as Bitcoin Taps $75K
US equities surged on Wednesday as the Nasdaq Composite reached a record 24,016.02 and the S&P 500 hit 7,022.95, propelled by a 2.08% rise in tech stocks. Bitcoin climbed to $75,229, up 1.07% and nearly 10% higher over the past two...
CFTC Probes Oil Futures Trades Tied to Trump's Moves in Iran: Report
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating two sharp spikes in oil‑futures trading that occurred minutes before President Trump announced a postponed strike on Iranian energy assets on March 23 and a cease‑fire on April 7. The probe focuses on activity...
Bitcoin’s Brief Rally to $76K May Have Been a Bull Trap: Here’s the Data
Bitcoin surged past $76,000 on Tuesday, sparking $285 million in leveraged short liquidations and closely tracking the S&P 500. The rally coincided with the Federal Reserve’s shift toward balance‑sheet expansion, which could supply fresh liquidity to risk‑on assets. Geopolitical tension from the...
HYPE Hits 2026 High as Hyperliquid Volumes Soar: Is the Rally Sustainable?
Hyperliquid’s native token HYPE surged back to $45 on Tuesday, marking its highest level since late 2025 and extending a 108% rally from the January low of $21. Despite the price climb, on‑chain metrics show a weakening spot cumulative volume...