Tag: Crypto

Coin Center Says Crypto Developers’ Code Protected Under First Amendment

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Crypto lobby Coin Center has expanded on its argument that software code is free speech and should be protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, amid continued uncertainty over whether crypto developers could be liable for how their inventions are used. In a report published Monday, Coin Center Executive Director Peter Van Valkenburgh and Director of Research Lizandro Pieper said writing and publishing crypto software code is the same as writing a book or publishing a recipe. The pair argued that the First Amendment, which protects individuals’ freedom…

Crypto Funds Post $1.4B Inflows as BTC Almost Touches $78K

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Cryptocurrency investment products logged another week of strong inflows on ceasefire optimism and a Bitcoin price breakout driving investor sentiment. Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) posted $1.4 billion in inflows last week, beating the prior week’s $1.1 billion and marking the second-largest weekly inflows since January, CoinShares reported on Monday. Following the three-week inflow streak totaling $2.7 billion, crypto ETPs now have net year-to-date inflows of around $3.8 billion, with assets under management (AUM) at $154.8 billion — the highest level since early February after dipping to as low as $128…

Kelp Exploit Spread ‘Contagion’ Throughout DeFi Ecosystem: Crypto Execs

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The exploit of the Kelp liquid restaking protocol shows how non-isolated lending and integrations in decentralized finance (DeFi) can cause broader ecosystem contagion, according to crypto industry executives and blockchain security firms. Non-isolated lending on DeFi platforms, including earlier versions of the Aave lending protocol, exposes users to risks from all the various tokens used as collateral on the platforms, according to Michael Egorov, founder of the Curve Finance DeFi protocol. Kelp was the target of a cyber attack on Saturday, causing the platform to pause smart contracts for its…

Poland Parliament Fails Again to Override Crypto Bill Veto

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Poland’s parliament has once again failed to overturn a presidential veto blocking a key crypto regulation bill, extending the political standoff over how the country should oversee digital assets. In a vote held Friday, lawmakers fell short of the 263 votes required to override the veto issued by President Karol Nawrocki, local outlet TVP World reported. A total of 243 MPs voted against the veto, while 191 supported it, per the report. The bill, backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, aims to align Poland with the European Union’s Markets in…

SEC Charges Donald Basile in $16M Crypto Fraud Over “Insured” Token

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The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against crypto executive Donald Basile, accusing him and two companies he controlled of raising about $16 million from investors through false claims tied to a so-called “insured” crypto token known as Bitcoin Latinum. In a complaint filed Friday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the SEC alleged that Basile ran the scheme between March and December 2021 through Monsoon Blockchain Corp. and GIBF GP Inc., offering investors Simple Agreements for Future Tokens (SAFTs) that…

Crypto Fear and Greed Index hits “Greed” for first time since October 2025

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The CMC Crypto Fear and Greed Index has reached “Greed” for the first time since October 2025, while the Polymarket contract for Bitcoin’s price above $62,000 on April 17 sits at 99.9% YES. Market reaction The April 18 market shows similarly high odds at 99.9% YES. US-Iran tensions over the Strait of Hormuz have added volatility, but the index’s shift to “Greed” indicates traders are pricing in a positive outlook despite the geopolitical noise. Combined 24-hour USDC volume on the April 18 market is $356,534. It takes just $800 to…

Russia Introduces Bill To Criminalize Unregistered Crypto Services

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Russia’s government submitted a bill to its parliament’s lower house in an effort to amend the country’s legal code to attach criminal liability for crypto services offered without regulatory approval or licensing. In a draft law sent to the State Duma on Friday, Russian lawmakers proposed that entities “carrying out activities related to the organization of digital currency circulation,” that operate without a license from Russia’s central bank, could be subject to criminal liability. Without registration with the Bank of Russia, individuals could face up to $4,000 in fines and…

Payward To Acquire CFTC-Regulated Crypto Derivatives Platform Bitnomial

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Payward, the parent company of the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, announced on Friday that it has entered into a “definitive agreement” to acquire Bitnomial, a US-licensed cryptocurrency and derivatives exchange; the deal values Bitnomial’s equity at $20 billion. Bitnomial is the “first” crypto-native exchange in the United States to hold all three regulatory licenses from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), including exchange, clearinghouse, and brokerage permits, according to Payward’s announcement. “Settlement mechanics, margin models, and contract structures define what products can exist and who can access them. The US has…

Crypto in Sustained Winter as Q1 CEX Volumes Drop

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The cryptocurrency market has entered a “sustained crypto winter,” according to CoinGecko, as spot trading volumes on centralized crypto exchanges rapidly fell over the first quarter of 2026. Crypto market capitalization fell by more than 20% during the first quarter as “bearish momentum from late 2025 collided with global geopolitical instability,” CoinGecko said in a report on Thursday. That caused the top 10 centralized exchanges by spot volume to record a 39% decrease in trading volume over the quarter ended in March, dropping to $2.7 trillion from $4.5 trillion in…

Sanctioned Crypto Exchange Grinex Pauses Operations After $14 Million Hack

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Sanctioned crypto exchange Grinex said it has suspended trading after losing more than 1 billion Russian rubles ($13.7 million) to an attack bearing signs of involvement by foreign intelligence agencies. The exchange, which is registered in Kyrgyzstan but has been linked to Russia’s crypto ecosystem and alleged sanctions evasion, said on Thursday that the funds were taken from 54 addresses and that the digital footprint and nature of the attack indicate an “unprecedented level of resources and technology available only to entities of hostile states.” “Due to the attack, the…