Novinky

The total market capitalization of cryptocurrencies fell by 20.4% to $2.4 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 45% decline from the peak in October 2025. According to PANews, the stablecoin market capitalization remained steady at $309.9 billion during the same period. Notably, Tether's USDT issuance saw a significant decrease of 1.6% to $184.1 billion, marking its first notable decline since the second quarter of 2022, while Circle's USDC increased by 2.4% to $77.1 billion.

Bitcoin's price dropped by 22% over the quarter, underperforming major U.S. stock indices. Centralized exchange spot trading volumes decreased by 39.1% to $2.7 trillion. In decentralized trading, Solana maintained its leading position with a 30.6% market share. Hyperliquid's perpetual contracts accounted for approximately 30% of the overall open interest, with its 24/7 oil contract trading volume temporarily surpassing expectations.

Arthur Hayes has described the current crypto market as a "no-trade zone," noting that Maelstrom executed minimal trades in the first quarter of this year due to a lack of clear trends. According to NS3.AI, Hayes identified two primary factors that could influence the market's next phase: the impact of AI on employment structures and the uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions.

Ukrainian authorities have apprehended a member of an international cybercrime group, according to Foresight News. The suspect is wanted by the FBI for allegedly causing over $100 million in damages across the United States and Europe. The individual is part of a larger network that deploys malware to steal personal data and corporate records, subsequently extorting victims by demanding ransom for silence or the return of stolen information.

The cybercrime group targets individuals and institutions in the U.S. and Europe. During the investigation, authorities seized assets valued at approximately $11 million, including cash, real estate, vehicles, and around $3 million in cryptocurrency.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released a new consultation paper on the regulation of crypto assets. According to BlockBeats, the consultation seeks opinions on the scope of regulated digital asset activities within the regulatory roadmap framework. Key areas of focus include stablecoin issuance, trading platforms, custody, and staking activities. The consultation is open to individuals, businesses, industry groups, policymakers, and academics, with a deadline of June 3, 2026. Crypto firms can begin applying for FCA authorization from September 30, 2026.

This consultation marks the latest development in the UK's crypto regulatory roadmap. Earlier this year, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Crypto Assets) Regulations 2026 came into effect, bringing new types of crypto asset activities under FCA oversight. The FCA has indicated that substantial work on the future crypto regulatory framework's rules is nearly complete, with related policy statements expected this summer and a final policy statement anticipated in the fall. The FCA emphasized that until the new regulatory framework is fully implemented, cryptocurrencies largely remain in a regulatory void, governed only by financial promotion and financial crime regulations.

Additionally, the FCA plans to conduct another round of consultations later this year on decentralized finance (DeFi), the operational resilience of distributed ledger technology enterprises, and updates to financial crime guidelines.

Meta Platforms has announced an increase in the prices of its Quest VR headsets. According to Jin10, the decision comes as a result of escalating memory costs. The company aims to address the financial pressures caused by these rising expenses. This move reflects broader industry trends where tech companies are adjusting prices in response to supply chain challenges and increased production costs.

Tether has recently transferred 951 BTC to its Bitcoin reserve address, according to CoinDesk. This move increases Tether's total Bitcoin holdings to 97,141 BTC. The address used for this transaction is labeled as 'Tether: BTC Reserve' and aligns with the address previously confirmed by Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino. This acquisition is part of Tether's ongoing strategy since 2023 to allocate up to 15% of its realized operating profits into Bitcoin.

In Episode 1 of Inside the Blockchain 100, “The Mathematics of Crypto,” Binance’s flagship series spotlighting voices shaping the future of Web3, macro analyst and Into The Cryptoverse founder Benjamin Cowen laid out a sober, data-driven view of the crypto market. Drawing on his background in mathematics, physics and nuclear engineering, Cowen argued that Bitcoin is still largely following historical cycle behavior — even if this cycle feels different from previous ones.
His central point: the four-year cycle is not dead. In fact, Cowen said Bitcoin “topped when it always does,” noting that major peaks have historically arrived in “Q4 of 2013, Q4 of 2017, Q4 of 2021, and now Q4 of 2025.” What changed, in his view, was not the timing, but the market psychology. Unlike prior cycle tops driven by retail euphoria, this one “topped on apathy rather than euphoria.”
That distinction matters because, according to Cowen, it helps explain why the market did not get the usual post-Bitcoin rotation into higher-risk altcoins. In previous cycles, strong retail participation helped drive an “alt season” after Bitcoin peaked. This time, social interest and retail momentum were weaker, so that rotation never meaningfully materialized. He compared the current environment to 2019, another period when Bitcoin topped on apathy and did not trigger broad speculative upside in altcoins.
Liquidity, Not Hype, Is Driving the Market
For Cowen, the bigger driver is macroeconomics, not crypto-native storytelling. He tied the current market structure to tight liquidity and a late business-cycle backdrop, arguing that under these conditions “risk rolled down the curve rather than up the curve.” In practical terms, that means capital moved toward relatively safer assets inside crypto, with Bitcoin holding up better than much of the altcoin market.
He also pointed to similarities with 2019 in relation to Federal Reserve policy. Bitcoin, he said, peaked about two months before quantitative tightening ended in both periods. The issue is not that liquidity is absent, but that it is not improving fast enough to quickly reverse the broader downturn. As a result, he sees Bitcoin in a slower, grinding bear phase rather than a sudden post-blowoff collapse.
Even so, Cowen suggested the current drawdown remains broadly consistent with historical mid-cycle patterns. He argued that Bitcoin is “tracking prior midterm years” fairly closely and reiterated that bear markets often involve deceptive rallies. In his words, “in bear markets we spend more time trending up than trending down,” which can trap both overly bullish and overly bearish investors.
Zoom Out: Markets Are Bigger Than Daily Noise
On market method, Cowen strongly pushed back against short-term prediction culture. “Short-term price action is akin to a random walk,” he said, adding that “you cannot hope to predict it.” Instead, he prefers to focus on larger cycles and momentum, which he sees as one of the few forms of technical analysis with real value. His advice was to “zoom out,” rely less on emotional narratives and pay closer attention to longer-term structure.
That skepticism also extends to crypto narratives. Cowen argued repeatedly that “narratives follow price,” not the other way around. ETF launches, macro headlines, oil shocks and institutional adoption stories may dominate discussion in real time, but he believes markets typically price such themes in well before they become popular explanations. In hindsight, he said, people can always invent reasons for a move that was already underway.
Crypto Needs Utility, Not Just Speculation
One of the sharpest parts of the interview came when Cowen discussed the state of crypto itself. He warned that too much capital in this cycle flowed toward speculative sectors, especially meme coins, rather than products with durable utility. “The future of crypto is not, it should not be meme coins,” he said. More broadly, he argued the industry became too focused on “how do we get more money into the market” instead of “how do we make crypto better.”
That critique led to his takeaway: crypto needs real use cases to reach mass adoption. For Cowen, mainstream users do not yet rely on crypto in the way they rely on the internet, smartphones or increasingly AI tools. To change that, the industry must build products people genuinely need, not “create the product and then make up a need for it.”
AI and Stablecoins Could Help Define the Next Phase
Among the sectors he believes could help bridge that gap, AI stood out most clearly. Cowen said crypto could become relevant in an AI-driven economy where autonomous agents transact, pay humans for tasks and use blockchain rails for fast settlement. He also highlighted stablecoins as an already credible example of blockchain utility.
In closing, Cowen struck a cautiously optimistic tone. While he expects many speculative narratives to fail and many altcoins to fade over time, he believes the cleansing effect of a bear market can leave the asset class healthier. His long-term principle for investors was simple: “bears sound smart, but bulls make money.”

Drift Protocol has announced securing financial backing from Tether and other partners to aid in user recovery following an attack on April 1. According to BlockBeats, Tether plans to contribute $127.5 million, while other partners will provide $20 million. This support includes a $100 million revenue-linked credit line, ecosystem grants, and loans to market makers. Drift aims to establish a dedicated user recovery pool to address the $295 million in outstanding user losses as trading revenue grows.

Additionally, Drift will issue independent recovery tokens to affected users, representing claims on the recovery pool and allowing for transferability. The protocol is currently undergoing a restart, with audits conducted by Ottersec and Asymmetric, and is transitioning its settlement layer from USDC to USDT. The attack resulted in the theft of assets valued at approximately $295 million, although insurance fund assets remained unaffected.

Ether (ETH) has shown resilience by maintaining a price above $2,300, distancing itself from the March 29 low of $1,940. According to Cointelegraph, this recent rally has led to an increase in ETH futures open interest, reaching $25.4 billion, signaling a rise in demand for leveraged positions. This movement suggests a potential shift in momentum for ETH bulls after several weeks of unsuccessful attempts to reclaim the $2,400 level.Despite the positive price movement, the ETH perpetual futures funding rate has struggled to remain above 5% since Friday, indicating a lack of confidence among bulls. The metric has dipped below 0% multiple times, reflecting an excess demand for bearish leveraged positions. Under neutral conditions, the indicator should range between 5% and 10% to compensate for the cost of capital. Nevertheless, the recent rally to $2,350 appears to be supported by spot demand, as evidenced by US-listed Ether spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) accumulating $248 million in net inflows over the past 10 days. Additionally, Bitmine Immersion announced the acquisition of $312 million worth of ETH, now holding 4.87 million ETH.However, Bitmine’s ETH holdings are trading 13% below their acquisition cost, and US-listed Ether ETF assets under management have decreased to $13.7 billion from $20.5 billion three months ago. Ether's inability to reclaim the $2,400 mark coincides with the S&P 500 index reaching a new all-time high. Part of the reduced investor appetite for cryptocurrencies can be attributed to declining activity in decentralized applications (DApps). The 2026 bear market has negatively impacted various sectors, including memecoin token launch platforms, synthetic derivatives trading, and decentralized exchanges.Ethereum's weekly DApps revenue has dropped to $11 million per week, down from $24 million in early February. Investors are questioning whether ETH is well-positioned to capture future demand for DApps, given the rise of competing blockchains like Hyperliquid and Plasma. Despite increased demand for ETH futures, derivatives metrics have not turned bullish. Contributing factors include losses in Ethereum strategic reserve companies and heightened competition in the DApps industry. The primary reason for accumulating ETH remains the expectation of higher on-chain processing demand and the burn mechanism, which incentivizes long-term holding.

Web3 losses in the first quarter of 2026 amounted to $482.6 million, according to Hacken's Security & Compliance Report. This figure represents a 20.9% increase from the previous quarter, largely due to an $18.2 million scam on March 31. According to NS3.AI, phishing and social engineering were responsible for $306 million, accounting for 63.4% of the total losses. Additionally, smart contract exploits resulted in $86.2 million in losses across 28 incidents.

Cantor Fitzgerald has made a significant financial contribution to a super PAC aimed at supporting U.S. political candidates who favor cryptocurrency. Bloomberg posted on X that the financial services firm donated $10 million to the political action committee, which is led by its largest client. This move underscores Cantor Fitzgerald's commitment to advancing the interests of the cryptocurrency sector by backing candidates who are likely to support favorable regulations and policies. The donation highlights the growing influence of cryptocurrency in political circles and the increasing efforts by industry stakeholders to shape the legislative landscape in their favor.

Drift is set to relaunch its protocol as a USDT-based perpetuals decentralized exchange (DEX) on Solana following a significant security breach. According to CoinDesk, the platform aims to recover user funds after more than $270 million in client assets were exploited this month. The relaunch is part of Drift's strategy to restore trust and ensure the security of its users' assets.

The decision to transition to a USDT-based platform on Solana comes as Drift seeks to enhance its security measures and provide a more robust trading environment. The move is expected to offer users a seamless trading experience while prioritizing the safety of their investments. By focusing on USDT, a widely used stablecoin, Drift aims to provide stability and reliability to its users in the volatile cryptocurrency market. This strategic shift underscores Drift's commitment to addressing the vulnerabilities exposed by the recent exploit and rebuilding its platform with enhanced security features.

Binance Spot has launched a Plume (PLUME) trading volume tournament with a total prize pool of 20 million PLUME token vouchers, according to a Binance Announcement. The promotion runs April 16–30, 2026 (11:00 UTC), covering PLUME/USDT and PLUME/USDC pairs. Verified users must accumulate a minimum of $500 in cumulative trading volume to qualify; liquidity providers and brokers are excluded. The top prize is 1 million PLUME, with tiered rewards extending to the 1,000th-place finisher and a shared pool capped at 2,000 PLUME per user for all remaining eligible participants. Rewards will be distributed by May 14, 2026.

The White House is reportedly eager to resolve the ongoing dispute between the banking and cryptocurrency sectors, which has hindered Senate negotiations on related legislation since January. According to BlockBeats, key officials within and outside the U.S. government, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt, and former AI and crypto affairs head David Sachs, have recently advocated for the passage of the bill. Additionally, the Council of Economic Advisers has released a report countering concerns raised by the banking industry.However, it remains uncertain whether the White House's efforts will be sufficient to overcome the challenges facing the legislation, which extend beyond the narrow industry dispute that has dominated discussions over the past three months. Christopher Niebuhr, a senior research analyst at Beacon Policy Advisors, noted in an interview, "From a timing perspective, their judgment is reasonable—if Congress has an opportunity to push the market structure bill through, now is the time."

Strategy has introduced a new Bitcoin-per-share metric on its website, indicating 0.00205812 BTC for each MSTR share. According to NS3.AI, this figure is designed to illustrate the company's Bitcoin holdings in relation to its stock. Strategy currently holds a total of 780,897 BTC, as stated by Michael Saylor.

Allbirds has recently made headlines by successfully leveraging an artificial intelligence pivot to boost its stock market performance. Wall Street Journal (Markets) posted on X, highlighting that Allbirds is not alone in this trend, as several other companies have also experienced significant gains by shifting their focus towards AI and digital technologies. This strategic move has proven beneficial for firms across various industries, demonstrating the growing influence and potential of AI in driving business success. As more companies explore AI-driven strategies, the market continues to witness transformative changes, underscoring the importance of innovation in today's competitive landscape.

BNB Chain has announced a scheduled hard fork upgrade, named Osaka/Mendel, set for April 28, 2026, at 10:30. According to Foresight News, this upgrade will incorporate nine BEPs, adopting six Ethereum EIPs and introducing two optimizations unique to BNB Chain. The primary focus of the upgrade is to enhance execution, stabilize performance, and accelerate final confirmation to better accommodate practical usage scenarios. Key improvements include limiting block size caps, optimizing gas fee mechanisms, enhancing the memory voting pool for Fast Finality, and adding the CLZ opcode along with the eth_config JSON-RPC method.

The number of initial jobless claims in the United States for the week ending April 11 was reported at 207,000, according to Jin10. This figure came in below the anticipated 215,000 claims. The previous week's data was revised from 219,000 to 218,000 claims.

The United States is poised to release key economic data shortly, including the initial jobless claims for the week ending April 11 and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index for April. According to Jin10, these figures are expected to provide insights into the current state of the U.S. labor market and manufacturing sector. Analysts are closely watching these indicators to assess economic trends and potential impacts on monetary policy.

South Korean government ministries are set to trial a blockchain-based digital currency for managing business promotion expenses, replacing traditional credit cards. According to NS3.AI, the Ministry of Economy and Finance is spearheading this initiative as part of its ongoing efforts to integrate blockchain technology into national treasury fund management. This marks the ministry's second attempt at utilizing blockchain, following last month's pilot program that distributed government subsidies as deposit tokens to businesses installing electric vehicle charging stations.

Anthropic announced on Thursday that it is expanding its operations in London, with a new office space capable of accommodating 800 employees. According to Jin10, this move comes just days after competitor OpenAI revealed plans to establish its first permanent office in London. Currently, over 200 Anthropic employees are based in the city.

Pip White, Anthropic's Head for Northern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, stated in a release that London has become one of the company's most significant research and commercial hubs outside the United States. The expansion in the knowledge district provides room for future growth. White added that the UK is home to ambitious enterprises and institutions that understand the risks associated with AI safety and boasts an excellent pool of AI talent, which Anthropic aims to be at the center of.

Reports have previously indicated that UK officials attempted to attract Anthropic following a dispute between the company and the U.S. Department of Defense over the use of its AI models.

On April 16, Jin10 reported that the European Union has proposed measures requiring Google to open its search data to competitors, including AI chatbot developers, in an effort to curb the influence of the U.S. tech giant. According to Jin10, the European Commission announced on Thursday that it has sent preliminary investigation results to Google's parent company, Alphabet, demanding compliance with the Digital Markets Act by the end of July. The proposed measures would allow third-party search engines access to data such as rankings and queries to "optimize services and compete with Google Search." If approved, this data could be made available to companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Google's Senior Competition Legal Counsel, Claire Kelly, responded by stating that the company will "defend itself against overreach," arguing that the move "endangers privacy and security." The EU had already initiated a related review in January of this year. Additionally, Google faces potential penalties under the Digital Markets Act for favoring its own services and restricting app developers.

Federal Reserve official John Williams has noted that liquidity conditions have surpassed expectations despite prevailing uncertainties. According to Jin10, Williams emphasized the importance of maintaining robust liquidity in the financial system to navigate potential economic challenges. He highlighted that the current liquidity levels are a positive sign for the stability of financial markets. Williams' remarks come as the Federal Reserve continues to monitor economic indicators closely to ensure a balanced approach to monetary policy.

According to the announcement from Binance, the platform is set to launch the Genius Foundation Trading Competition on Binance Alpha, offering exclusive token rewards to participants. The competition will take place over two distinct promotion periods. The first period is scheduled from 2026-04-16 13:00 (UTC) to 2026-04-23 13:00 (UTC), followed by the second period from 2026-04-23 13:00 (UTC) to 2026-04-30 13:00 (UTC). Participants will be ranked based on their total purchase volume of Genius Foundation (GENIUS) tokens during each period. The top 2,520 users in each period will share 176,400 GENIUS tokens equally, with each eligible participant receiving 70 GENIUS tokens.

Only trades executed via Binance Wallet (Keyless) or Binance Alpha will qualify for this promotion, excluding third-party dApp transactions. The competition focuses solely on cumulative purchases, with selling transactions excluded. There is no cap on trading volume for participants, and token bridging transactions are not eligible. Effective from 2025-06-17 00:00 (UTC), trading volume from Alpha-to-Alpha token pairs will not count toward Alpha Points or impact competition rankings. Rewards will be distributed in GENIUS tokens and will be claimable by eligible users before 2026-05-14 13:00:00 (UTC). Participants must claim their rewards within 14 days of availability, or they will be forfeited.

To participate, users must click [Join] on the Binance App event page, ensuring their trading volume is counted. Participants should update their Binance App to the latest version and create a Binance Wallet (Keyless). Rankings will be automatically calculated after the promotion period ends, and eligible winners can claim rewards via their Binance Alpha accounts or Binance Wallet (Keyless). Terms and conditions apply, and users must maintain an active Binance Account to participate. Binance reserves the right to amend or vary the activity terms without prior notice.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is set to review Anthropic's 'Mythos' project during a call with its executives. According to Jin10, this examination comes as part of the ECB's ongoing efforts to understand and assess the implications of artificial intelligence developments on the financial sector. The 'Mythos' project, developed by Anthropic, is gaining attention for its potential impact on AI technology and its applications. The ECB's review will focus on the project's objectives, technological advancements, and possible effects on the market. This move highlights the increasing importance of AI in financial regulation and the need for central banks to stay informed about technological innovations.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) saw its shares fall by 2.6% in pre-market trading on the U.S. stock exchange. According to Jin10, this decline comes amid broader market movements and investor reactions to recent developments in the semiconductor industry. TSMC, a leading player in chip manufacturing, has been navigating challenges related to global supply chain disruptions and fluctuating demand. The company's performance is closely watched by investors, given its significant role in the technology sector.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that Kevin Warsh is set to face a hearing on the 21st of this month, potentially paving the way for him to assume the role of Federal Reserve Chair as planned. According to NS3.AI, Bessent praised Warsh as an outstanding candidate for the position. He also noted that Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee are in agreement with this assessment.

Federal Reserve official John Williams has noted that the commercial real estate sector has shown improvements beyond initial expectations. According to Jin10, Williams highlighted that the risks associated with this sector have diminished. This development comes as a positive sign for the broader economic landscape, indicating a potential stabilization in an area that had previously been a concern for financial markets. The remarks suggest a more optimistic outlook for commercial real estate, which could have implications for investment and economic growth.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced a new initiative aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran. According to Odaily, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed during a press conference on April 16 that the Treasury Department is initiating an operation named 'Economic Fury.' This move is part of a broader strategy to exert maximum economic pressure on Iran.

U.S. Defense Secretary Hagerthes announced that American forces are prepared to recommence combat operations at any moment. According to NS3.AI, Hagerthes received a briefing from U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper earlier that day regarding the latest updates on Operation 'Epic Fury.' Hagerthes emphasized that the military is maintaining an 'unbreakable blockade mission.'

Federal Reserve official John Williams has indicated that extended economic shocks could lead to higher inflation and suppress economic growth. According to Jin10, Williams emphasized the potential for these prolonged disruptions to create challenges for the economy, highlighting the importance of monitoring inflationary pressures and growth trajectories closely. The statement underscores the Fed's ongoing concerns about maintaining economic stability amid uncertain conditions.

The Federal Reserve's John Williams has projected that the GDP growth rate for 2026 will be between 2% and 2.5%. According to Jin10, Williams emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced approach to monetary policy to support sustainable economic growth. He noted that while the economy is expected to grow steadily, potential challenges such as inflationary pressures and global economic uncertainties could impact this outlook. Williams also highlighted the need for vigilance in monitoring economic indicators to ensure that the growth trajectory remains on track.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced updates on Operation Epic Fury during a press conference on the 16th. According to Odaily, U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper provided the latest developments earlier that day. Hegseth emphasized that the U.S. military is continuing its 'unbreakable blockade mission' to ensure American forces remain in optimal readiness, prepared to resume combat operations at any time.

The U.S. military is ready to resume operations in Iranian territorial and international waters, according to Odaily. Senior U.S. military official, General Kane, stated that enforcement actions will apply to all vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports. The United States will also monitor any ships attempting to provide support to Iran.

HIVE Digital Technologies, a publicly listed Bitcoin mining company, has announced a private placement of $75 million in 0% exchangeable senior notes due in 2031. According to Foresight News, the funds will be used for GPU procurement, data center expansion, and general corporate purposes. The company has also received conditional approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange, with expectations to transition its stock from the TSX Venture Exchange to the TSX Exchange around April 30.

In addition, HIVE is shifting part of its operations towards high-performance computing and artificial intelligence workloads. In March, the company revealed plans to gradually cease ASIC-based Bitcoin mining activities at its facility in Boden, Sweden, due to a tax dispute with the local government. The facility will be upgraded to a Tier 3 high-performance computing data center to support GPU clusters.

Binance Futures will launch three new USDT-margined perpetual contracts on April 20, according to a Binance Announcement. MSFTUSDT, tracking Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: MSFT), goes live at 13:30 UTC; AVGOUSDT, tracking Broadcom Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGO), at 13:40 UTC; and BABAUSDT, tracking Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd ADR (NYSE: BABA), at 13:50 UTC. Each contract offers maximum 10x leverage, settles in USDT, carries a capped funding rate of ±2% per eight-hour interval, trades 24/7, and supports multi-assets mode.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that the United States is reinforcing its military capabilities with unprecedented strength. According to Foresight News, Hegseth stated that if Iran makes a strategic error and refuses to reach an agreement, the U.S. is prepared to resume military operations. He conveyed a clear message to Iran, emphasizing that the U.S. is closely monitoring their activities.

Hegseth highlighted that the U.S. is aware of Iran's military asset movements and noted that Iran is repairing launch devices damaged by bombings. He criticized Iran's claims of controlling the Strait of Hormuz, pointing out that Iran lacks a navy and that threatening commercial vessels is an act of piracy, not control.

Furthermore, Hegseth indicated that the U.S. is ready to target critical infrastructure, including power generation and the energy sector, if necessary.

Six Bitcoin developers and quantum experts have put forward a proposal for a Bitcoin upgrade aimed at addressing vulnerabilities in wallets susceptible to quantum attacks. According to NS3.AI, the proposed upgrade includes a three-year migration period, after which the network would begin rejecting transactions that depend on quantum-vulnerable cryptography. This move could potentially impact approximately $81 billion in Bitcoin, including those associated with Satoshi Nakamoto.

The U.S. military has announced an expansion of its maritime blockade on Iran, broadening the scope to include ammunition, weapons, and other smuggled goods. According to BlockBeats, vessels suspected of transporting prohibited items to Iran will be subject to the right of visit and search by belligerent nations, regardless of their location, and may face seizure. The list of banned items also encompasses oil, refined petroleum products, iron, steel, and aluminum.