Lummis Says CLARITY Act Offers Strong DeFi Protections

US Senator Cynthia Lummis has dismissed claims that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act fails to protect decentralized finance innovators from legal repercussions, rebutting that recent changes to the draft will make it the “strongest protection for DeFi and developers ever enacted.” Her comments on Friday came in direct response to crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky, who argued that Title 3 of the current draft undermines the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act — another crypto bill focused on developer protections — by subjecting non-custodial software developers to know-your-customer obligations. “Don’t believe the…

Stablecoins Will Be Crypto’s “ChatGPT Moment,” Says Ripple

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said stablecoins will be the crypto sector’s “ChatGPT moment” for businesses in search of faster, more efficient payments, and that many companies are already discussing and strategizing how to implement stablecoins into their operations. “You have boards of directors and CEOs of companies, whether it’s Fortune 500 or Fortune 2000, they’re asking their treasurers, they’re asking their CFOs, hey, what are we doing with stablecoins,” Garlinghouse told FOX Business on Friday. “Giving the treasurer and the CFO that option is the unlock,” he said.  Garlinghouse said…

XRP At Key Transition Zone, And History Says Move Is Near

XRP is currently sitting at a key transition zone where market structure is being tested, and direction is about to be decided. Historical patterns suggest that periods like this don’t last long, often leading to significant moves once the price breaks out of consolidation. With both bullish and bearish scenarios still in play, the next move could set the tone for what comes next. XRP Enters Critical Decision Zone In a recent XRP analysis, EGRAG CRYPTO highlighted that price is currently sitting at a highly sensitive level, one that could…

Morgan Stanley Sets Bitcoin ETF Fee at Ultra-Low 0.14%

Investment bank Morgan Stanley is seeking to launch its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund at a 0.14% fee, which would make it the cheapest in the US market and potentially force rivals to cut fees to stay competitive. The 0.14% fee, proposed in Morgan Stanley’s latest S-1 registration statement on Friday, would be one basis point below the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF (BTC), currently the cheapest in the US market, and 11 basis points below the BlackRock-issued iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT). “Big move here. They are not messing around,”…

Bitcoin Traders Bet On Sub-$66K BTC In April Due To Rising Fear

Key takeaways: Bearish sentiment is rising as Bitcoin options professional traders lose confidence that the $66,000 level will hold for long. The exit of David Sacks as the Crypto and AI czar and a lack of a clear US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve plan added to investors’ doubts. Bitcoin (BTC) fell to $65,530 on Friday, an 8% decline from the $71,300 level seen on Thursday. This move wiped out over $210 million in leveraged bullish Bitcoin futures and left most call (buy) options worthless during the $18.6 billion monthly expiry. Traders…

California Governor Newsom Signs Prediction Market Insider Trading Order

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Friday, expanding rules to curb public servants and those close to them from benefiting from insider trading on prediction markets tied to political or economic events they can influence or are privy to. The order prohibits “gubernatorial appointees,” public officials appointed to office by the governor of the state, from using “confidential or non-public information” gleaned from performing their duties to profit from related prediction markets. Newsom’s executive order also extends the prohibition to include spouses, family members or former business…

Stablecoin Jitters, AI Micropayments Reshape Crypto

Stablecoins are once again at the center of the crypto business narrative — but for very different reasons. Circle’s sharp sell-off this week highlights how sensitive crypto equities remain to regulatory headlines, even when the underlying business fundamentals appear unchanged. At the same time, developments in Canada show institutions are moving in the opposite direction, quietly laying the groundwork for stablecoin integration into traditional finance. Elsewhere, prediction markets are facing growing pressure to clean up their act as regulators zero in on manipulation risks, while a new thesis from Forrester…

Kalshi moves toward margin trading with new regulatory approval

Kalshi has secured regulatory approval that clears the way for margin trading, giving the prediction market platform a product that could make it more attractive to hedge funds and other institutional investors as the sector races deeper into mainstream finance. The approval covers a futures commission merchant license through affiliate Kinetic Markets LLC, according to a March 24 National Futures Association filing. Kalshi Chief Executive Officer Tarek Mansour said this week that a margin product is coming soon and described capital efficiency for institutions as a key priority. The move…

P2P.me Team Discloses Polymarket Bets Tied to Funding Round

The team behind the P2P.me decentralized trading platform disclosed that it opened positions on the Polymarket prediction market related to its recent capital raise. The team opened the positions 10 days before the raise went live, wagering whether the project would hit its $6 million fundraising target, according to a disclosure published on the X social media platform. At the time the positions were opened, P2P.me had only one “oral commitment” from venture firm Multicoin Capital for $3 million in funding, “no signed term sheets” and “no guaranteed allocations,” the…

Bitcoin, Altcoins Give Back March Gains As Investors Cut Risk

Key points: Bitcoin’s fall below the $66,000 support heightens the risk of a drop to the $62,500 level. Select major altcoins have broken below their immediate support levels, opening the gates for further downside. Bitcoin (BTC) is under pressure from the bears, who are attempting to sustain the price below the $66,000 level. The uncertainty regarding the US and Israel-Iran war is capping the upside and putting downside pressure. US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded $171 million in outflows on Thursday, the biggest since the $348 million in redemptions on…