Crypto World
Congress sneaks CBDC into housing bill, economist warns 80% of voters opposed
A viral warning from economist Peter St. Onge has spotlighted how an 89–10 Senate housing bill quietly folds in a temporary CBDC ban and reshapes the path for the CLARITY Act.
Summary
- Economist Peter St. Onge’s post warning that a CBDC provision is buried inside a must-pass housing bill drew nearly 196,000 views on X in under three hours.
- The U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on March 12 with an 89–10 vote, embedding a ban on Federal Reserve-issued digital dollars through 2031.
- The bill must still pass the House, where Republican lawmakers are pushing for a permanent CBDC ban rather than the temporary prohibition in the Senate version.
A viral alarm from Heritage Foundation economist Peter St. Onge is reigniting one of crypto’s most contested political fights in Congress: the prospect of a U.S. central bank digital currency. In a post on X that amassed 195,700 views and 3,600 likes by the afternoon of March 26, @profstonge warned that “Congress is trying to sneak a CBDC into their must-pass housing bill,” adding that such a currency “would replace the US dollar with a government-controlled crypto-token that 80% of voters reject.”
The bill in question, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, passed the Senate on March 12 by an overwhelming 89–10 margin. As reported by Yahoo Finance, the legislation is primarily a sweeping housing reform package crafted by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott and Senator Elizabeth Warren, covering everything from FHA loan limits to institutional investor restrictions on single-family homes. Buried within it, however, is Title X — a provision that bars the Federal Reserve and its regional banks from issuing or creating a digital dollar, or any asset substantially resembling one, through 2031.
The inclusion was not accidental. According to Unchained Crypto, House conservatives pushed to embed anti-CBDC language into the legislation as a condition of broader bipartisan compromise, a strategy that allowed digital currency policy to advance without requiring a standalone crypto bill. The White House signaled support for the measure, with advisors recommending the president sign it if presented in its current form.
The CBDC Provision Dividing Washington
The debate cuts across party lines in ways that complicate easy narratives. While the Senate version imposes a ban through 2031, some House Republicans are pushing for a permanent prohibition, arguing that a time-limited restriction simply kicks the problem down the road. At the same time, critics on the left have argued the provision has no place in a housing bill and could muddy what should be a straightforward affordability package.
Wall Street commentator @WallStreetMav added another layer of skepticism in a separate post on X that drew 92,000 views, writing that “Republicans aren’t banning CBDCs, they’re redesigning them. Same surveillance, same control, just routed through banks so Wall Street gets its cut.” The post, which framed the compromise as a “revenue-sharing agreement” rather than genuine reform, accumulated 873 likes and 357 retweets within hours.
The housing bill CBDC fight arrives alongside a parallel battle over the CLARITY Act, the digital asset market structure legislation that has stalled in the Senate over a separate stalemate on stablecoin yield. Coinbase withdrew support for an earlier CLARITY Act draft after proposed language would have banned passive yield on stablecoins — a provision the exchange said was worse than the status quo. Senator Cynthia Lummis has since said sticking points on stablecoin yield and DeFi provisions are “largely reached,” framing April 2026 as a critical legislative window.
A Temporary Ban or a Political Signal?
For CBDC opponents, the housing bill provision is less about the technical details of digital currency design and more about drawing a political line before midterm elections. As Ledger Insights noted, the ban expires at the end of 2030 — after Trump leaves office — leaving the door open for a future administration. The Federal Reserve, for its part, has consistently maintained it would not launch a digital dollar without explicit congressional authorization, framing its existing research as exploratory rather than developmental.
Whether the CBDC provision survives a House-Senate conference process remains uncertain. House leaders have already indicated they are unlikely to accept the Senate version of the housing bill as written and may seek to renegotiate key provisions — including how long, and how broadly, any CBDC ban applies. As crypto.news previously reported, the Senate vote drew rare cross-aisle alignment, but that consensus may face pressure once negotiations with the House begin in earnest.
Better Home & Finance and Coinbase are preparing a new mortgage product tied to Fannie Mae-backed loans, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on March 26.
Summary
- Better and Coinbase plan a mortgage product that lets homebuyers use crypto holdings as collateral.
- The reported structure would combine a standard mortgage with a separate loan backed by crypto.
- Current Fannie Mae rules require crypto conversion to dollars, making this product a policy shift.
The product would let some homebuyers use crypto as collateral instead of selling those holdings before closing.
The report said the new offer would allow buyers to “pledge their crypto holdings” when taking out a mortgage backed by Fannie Mae. Better Home & Finance would act as the lender, while Coinbase would support the crypto side of the product.
The structure would use two loans. One would be a standard Fannie Mae-backed mortgage, while the second would be backed by the borrower’s crypto assets.
Reports said Bitcoin and USDC are expected to be part of the program, but full eligibility details were not available at publication time. The report also said the pledged crypto could not be traded while it secures the loan.
Borrowers would not need to sell their digital assets for a down payment. Reports added that rates on the crypto-backed portion could run above standard mortgage pricing.
Fannie Mae’s current selling guide says virtual currency can count only after it is converted into U.S. dollars and placed in a regulated financial institution. That means this new structure would mark a change from the existing approach.
The move also follows a 2025 FHFA order that told Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to consider crypto holdings in mortgage loan assessments. The new product would take that process further by linking crypto directly to mortgage collateral.
The idea of a sitting U.S. president lending his signature to the nation’s currency is an unprecedented moment in the ongoing relationship between state-backed money and cultural symbolism. According to Reuters, the U.S. Treasury disclosed that President Donald J. Trump’s signature would appear on future U.S. notes as part of a commemorative push tied to the United States’ Semiquincentennial.
The plan would mark the first time a sitting president’s signature appears on U.S. currency, shifting away from the long-standing convention of signatures from the treasurer and the Treasury secretary. Reuters reports that the initial print run of $100 bills bearing Trump’s signature alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s is slated for June, with additional denominations to follow in the months after.
Beyond the currency, the U.S. Mint has reportedly considered issuing $1 coins showing the president’s likeness as part of the same 250th-anniversary effort. In late 2025, the Mint released proposed designs featuring Trump’s image and the motto “In God We Trust.”
Trump’s imprint has already threaded through popular culture in various forms, including into cryptocurrencies and collectibles. In crypto circles, a memecoin named after Trump has drawn attention, alongside multiple NFT projects, including the widely publicized Trump Digital Trading Cards.
The Treasury move comes with controversy. Some lawmakers have argued that altering the signatures on U.S. currency would require congressional authorization, casting doubt on the legality of moving ahead without legislative action. The broader cultural reshaping around Trump’s public persona has also spurred diverse reactions, including debates over the renaming of major U.S. landmarks. Reuters and other outlets documented discussions around the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where reports described a board dominated by Trump appointees voting to rename the venue to the “Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
In parallel coverage from crypto-focused outlets, Trump’s footprint in the space—through memes, cards, and other collectibles—highlights how political branding can spill into the digital asset ecosystem. While a currency signature may seem esoteric to traders, the episode underscores a broader trend: the fusion of political branding, national symbolism, and the evolving culture around crypto assets.
Key takeaways
- The Treasury’s plan would make Trump the first sitting U.S. president to have his signature appear on U.S. currency, tied to the nation’s Semiquincentennial celebration, according to Reuters.
- The first $100 bills bearing Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s signatures are slated for printing in June, with other denominations to follow later in the year.
- There is reported consideration of issuing $1 coins featuring the president’s likeness as part of the same commemorative initiative, supported by proposed 2025 designs.
- Trump’s presence in crypto culture—through a memecoin and NFT projects—illustrates how political branding intersects with digital assets and community storytelling.
- Lawmakers have raised questions about the legality of changing currency signatures without congressional authorization, reflecting governance and constitutional considerations.
Currency symbolism and the timing of a historic shift
By linking a sitting president’s signature to U.S. currency, the narrative expands beyond monetary mechanics into national symbolism. The Reuters coverage situates the move within a broader commemorative framework for the 250th anniversary of the United States, signaling a potential long-term shift in how currency can carry living political branding. The printing schedule for the initial notes—in June—provides a concrete timeline that will test traditional processes around currency design and circulation.
Commemorative design and potential coin additions
The Mint’s exploration of $1 coins featuring the president’s image indicates a multi-denomination approach to the same commemorative moment. The late-2025 designs had already showcased Trump’s likeness and the inscription “In God We Trust,” suggesting a planned, broad-based branding exercise rather than a narrow currency reform. How these designs would interact with existing patriotic and historic themes remains to be seen, particularly given the regulatory and procedural layers involved in issuing new coinage.
Crypto crosscurrents: branding, memes, and market psychology
The intersection of presidential symbolism with crypto culture is not new, but it continues to shape sentiment and participation in digital asset communities. Reports of a Trump-themed memecoin and related NFT ventures illustrate how political narratives can permeate meme economies and collectible markets, sometimes driving attention and liquidity into otherwise niche corners of the crypto ecosystem. This convergence raises questions for traders and builders about how political branding might influence perception, liquidity, and the cultural value of associated digital assets.
Governance questions and the legislative dimension
Amid the excitement, questions about authorization and legality have surged. Some lawmakers contend that altering currency signatures without congressional action could be unlawful or legally ambiguous, foregrounding a governance tension between executive actions and legislative necessity. Separately, the naming controversy surrounding a major cultural institution—spurred by Trump-aligned appointments—has fed a wider debate about presidential influence over public landmarks and the potential implications for fiscal and cultural policy.
The unfolding story sits at the crossroads of monetary history, national symbolism, and the evolving relationship between politics and crypto culture. As authorities prepare for the first run of Trump-signature notes and potential commemorative coins, market observers will be watching not only for the practical rollout but also for any regulatory clarifications and the way communities across crypto and traditional finance interpret this blend of state power and branding.
Readers should watch for official updates from the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. Mint about certification, design finals, and distribution timelines, as well as any legislative action clarifying the authorization requirements for signing changes on currency. The convergence of currency symbolism and crypto branding could set a precedent for how political narratives shape both fiat and digital-asset narratives in the months ahead.
Bitcoin (BTC) sellers resumed their activity on Thursday as the BTC price slipped below the $70,000 mark.
Analysts said that Bitcoin showed signs of a bear market in its last stages, due to extreme fear and elevated realized and unrealized losses.
Key takeaways:
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Bitcoin enters the last stages of the bear market, characterized by extreme fear and most BTC supply in loss.
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High unrealized losses and a 96% drop in realized profits suggest “demand exhaustion.”
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$70,000 remains the main BTC level to watch for now, with $65,000-$60,000 support below.
Bitcoin holder losses increase
Bitcoin’s bear market has seen its price draw down by more than 44% from its $126,000 all-time high, reached on Oct. 6, 2025.
This has pushed its Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL), the difference between total profits and losses currently held by investors, below 0.25, placing it in the “hope/fear zone,” according to data from CryptoQuant.
Related: $18.6B in Bitcoin options expire Friday: Should traders prepare for $75K BTC?
This means, “roughly 40% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply is held at a loss,” CryptoQuant analyst The Enigma Trader said in a Quicktake note.
Coupled with the Fear and Greed Index in the “Extreme Fear” at 15, this “reflects pain and uncertainty,” the analyst said, adding:
“A NUPL recovery above 0.25 would mark a transition into the optimism zone, a shift that has historically aligned with strengthening price momentum.”
This structurally resembles conditions seen in previous bear markets, where the NUPL continued dropping to areas below 0 as Bitcoin found its bottom.
When analysing the volume of coins held at a loss as a fraction of total market capitalization, Glassnode found that the 7-day simple moving average (SMA) of relative unrealized losses has stabilized at 15%.
“This positions the current sentiment as one of elevated fear,” Glassnode said in its latest Week On-chain newsletter, adding:
“Historically, resolving this level of embedded loss requires either time, further price depression, or an extraordinary and sustained influx of fresh capital within a compressed timeframe.”
Bitcoin’s entity-adjusted realized profit has also dropped from a peak of $3 billion per day in July 2025 to below $0.1 billion today.
This is a more than 96% decline, “offering further evidence of demand exhaustion,” Glassnode said, adding:
“Contractions of this magnitude are a textbook characteristic of a bear market transitioning into its later stages, where the pool of profitable sellers has been largely depleted, and on-chain liquidity thins to cycle lows.”
Meanwhile, CryptoQuant analyst Crypto Dan said that while some indicators suggest BTC/USD bottomed at $60,000, “more consistent and decisive confirmation signals” are required to confirm a true bottom.
Watch these Bitcoin price levels next
Since recovering from multi-year lows below $60,000, the BTC/USD pair remains stuck in a range with $64,000 as support and $72,000 as resistance.
Bitcoin is now fighting to hold on to the 1w–1m cohort cost basis at $70,200, “marking the developing support floor,” Glassnode said.
However, the cost basis distribution heatmap shows a modest accumulation cluster at this level, making it “vulnerable.” Glassnode:
“A higher probability of a breakdown below this level cannot be dismissed until a more substantial base of committed buyers is established.”
Below that, the next major level to watch is Bitcoin’s realized price around $54,000. The 2022 bear market bottom was formed after Bitcoin dropped toward its realized price.
On the upside, Glassnode said that the 1m-3m cohort cost basis at $82,200 represented a key overhead resistance, coinciding with a heavy concentration of short-term holder supply above $84,000.
This is a “cohort that could amplify sell pressure whether price stages a recovery toward those levels or faces a renewed episode of market stress,” Glassnode added.
In an X post on Thursday, technical analyst CryptoPatel said Bitcoin’s recent surge to $76,000 was just a lower high, adding that the higher time frame structure points “lower from here,” with the next real area of interest sitting under $50,000.
“Even if $76K breaks, there is another bearish order block between $86,000 and $90,000 waiting right above.”
As Cointelegraph reported, a close below the 20-day exponential moving average at $70,303 could fuel BTC’s price drop toward the $62,500-$60,000 support zone.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.
X has named Benji Taylor as head of design as the company moves closer to the public rollout of X Money.
Summary
- X hired Benji Taylor as design chief ahead of the wider X Money rollout next month.
- Taylor held product and design roles at Aave, Avara and Coinbase’s Base before joining X.
- X Money beta includes wallet services, peer payments and a debit card tied to accounts.
The hire brings in a product designer with experience in crypto wallets, DeFi, and consumer apps at a time when X is building out payments inside the platform.
Taylor said he was “honoured” to join X and said he would work closely with Elon Musk, Nikita Bier, and the rest of the team. Musk also welcomed him publicly after the announcement.
The move adds a designer with direct crypto product experience to X’s leadership team. Recent reports said Taylor will work across X and xAI, which places him inside a broader product push tied to social, AI, and payments.
Taylor founded Los Feliz Engineering, the company behind the self-custody wallet Family. His personal site says Aave Labs acquired that company in September 2023, and he then served as chief product officer there until October 2025.
His site also says he later became head of design at Base, Coinbase’s layer-2 network, before moving to X. That background gives X a design lead who has worked on both crypto infrastructure and user-facing products.
Earlier this month, Musk said X Money would enter early public access next month. Reuters reported that X Money is part of his plan to turn X into an “everything app” with payments added to its social platform.
X already has a payments partnership with Visa. Reuters reported in January 2025 that Visa would become the first partner for X Money, letting users fund an X wallet, connect debit cards, send peer-to-peer payments, and move funds to bank accounts.
Beta details point to broader financial features
Reports on the beta have shown more details about the product. Business Insider reported that early users have posted X Money debit cards and that Musk said the service would offer a 6% annual percentage yield on deposits.
Bier also used strong language when welcoming Taylor, saying X was building the “greatest design team in the industry.” That message links Taylor’s arrival to X’s next product phase as payments move closer to wider release.
The White House has cleared a Department of Labor proposal that could change how 401(k) fiduciaries assess alternative assets, including digital-asset exposure.
Summary
- White House completed review of a Labor proposal tied to crypto access in 401(k) plans.
- The rule follows Trump’s order to expand alternative assets in defined-contribution retirement plans nationwide.
- Indiana lawmakers also advanced a bill requiring crypto options in certain retirement savings plans.
The move brings the rule closer to publication and opens the next stage of the federal process.
The White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs completed its review of the Labor Department proposal on March 24. The action appeared on the OIRA website as “consistent with change” and carried an “economically significant” label.
That completed review removes an interagency step for the proposal. The Labor Department is now expected to publish the rule for a 60-day public comment period before it considers revisions and a final version.
The proposal follows President Donald Trump’s Aug. 7, 2025, executive order on alternative assets in 401(k) plans. The order told federal agencies to expand access to alternative investments, including digital assets through certain investment vehicles.
It also told the Labor Department to revisit limits on alternative assets in defined-contribution plans. The order named digital assets, private equity, and real estate, and it called for coordination with the Treasury Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In addition, the new step follows an earlier federal policy shift. On May 28, 2025, the Labor Department withdrew its 2022 compliance release that had urged fiduciaries to be “extremely cautious” when considering crypto in 401(k) plans.
That change marked a different federal approach to retirement-plan exposure to digital assets. If the proposal advances, fiduciaries may get a wider path to review crypto-linked options alongside other alternative investments.
States also push crypto retirement access
State-level efforts are also moving forward. On Feb. 25, Indiana lawmakers passed a bill that would require certain state retirement and savings plans to offer a self-directed brokerage option with at least one crypto investment option by July 1, 2027.
The broader retirement market remains large as these policy changes develop. According to the Investment Company Institute, US retirement market assets reached a record $48.1 trillion on Sept. 30, 2025.
MemeCore spikes 40% to $2.31 as leverage and sector-wide memecoin rebound push its value above $3 billion.
Summary
- MemeCore is trading around $2.31, up nearly 40% in 24 hours, lifting its market cap above $3.0 billion.
- Spot and derivatives volume in MemeCore exceed $40 million over the last day, pointing to aggressive speculative interest in the BNB Chain‑aligned memecoin.
- The rally comes as the broader memecoin market cap jumps more than 20% in early 2026, extending a sector‑wide rebound from late‑2025 lows.
MemeCore (M), a high‑beta memecoin project focused on on‑chain speculation and community‑driven rewards, is trading at approximately $2.31 today, with a live market cap of about $3.01 billion and 24‑hour trading volume of $33.03 million. According to CoinMarketCap, M’s price has climbed 39.78% over the past 24 hours, with intraday lows and highs at $1.69 and $2.47 respectively as of March 26, 2026. Derivatives data from CoinGlass shows a further $2.21 million in spot volume and roughly $85.7 million in futures volume over the same period, underscoring a heavy speculative footprint in MemeCore’s order books.
CoinMarketCap lists M with a circulating supply near 1.3 billion tokens, a fully diluted valuation around $24.1 billion, and total supply capped at 10 billion M. Those tokenomics position MemeCore firmly within the memecoin vertical rather than as a DeFi, L1, or AI protocol, aligning it with other high‑risk assets like PEPE and BONK that have seen similar liquidity‑driven surges covered by outlets such as crypto.news. Earlier this month, MEXC reported MemeCore’s market cap crossing $3 billion on a 16.6% daily move from $1.47 to $1.72, with 24‑hour volume at just $12.9 million, highlighting thin liquidity relative to its valuation.
CoinGlass data indicate that MemeCore’s futures volume now outpaces spot by more than 38:1, with $85.7 million in futures changing hands versus roughly $2.21 million on spot markets in the last 24 hours. That skew suggests leveraged traders are driving much of the latest leg higher, rather than long‑only spot accumulation. At the same time, CoinGecko reports daily trading volume around $11.4 million and a 12.80% increase from one day ago, signalling a sharp pick‑up in activity alongside the price spike.
The MemeCore move sits inside a broader shift back into the memecoin trade at the start of 2026. MEXC notes that the CoinGecko GMCI Meme Index value recently climbed to about $33.8 billion in total sector market cap, with $5.9 billion traded in 24 hours, marking a 23% rise in memecoin capitalization as speculative appetite returned following a holiday lull. Gate.io’s March overview of “notable memecoins” highlights how names like SIREN and other BNB‑aligned memes have delivered triple‑digit monthly growth, reinforcing a rotation into high‑volatility tokens.
For readers tracking live prices, MemeCore’s latest quote and market cap can be followed on the crypto.news price page for MemeCore, while related profiles of other meme tokens such as PEPE and BONK are available on the same crypto.news market‑cap dashboard for cross‑comparison within the sector. In addition, recent crypto.news coverage of memecoin rallies, BNB Chain ecosystem flows, and speculative leverage in altcoins provides background on how MemeCore’s surge fits into this year’s risk‑on narrative across the meme segment.
Mochi founder Azeem Ahmed sold 550K CVX from a Curve-linked stash as on-chain probes allege over $8M in diverted rewards and $54M in DeFi losses.
Summary
- Mochi Finance founder Azeem Ahmed sold about 550,285 CVX for roughly $946,000, pushing the token down more than 10%.
- The CVX stack traces back to a 2021 Curve pool drain that left liquidity providers with an estimated $54 million in losses.
- Ahmed now faces years of on-chain fraud allegations spanning at least four DeFi projects, with diverted rewards and liquidity drains topping $8 million.
Azeem Ahmed, founder of Mochi Finance and GaiaDAO, has sold approximately 550,285 Convex Finance (CVX) tokens from wallets linked to a 2021 Curve Finance drain, netting around $946,000 and triggering a double‑digit intraday slide in CVX’s price. On March 19, the tokens were liquidated at an average price of about $1.72, sending CVX from roughly $1.88 to $1.68, a drop of more than 10% according to on-chain data reviewed by Crypto Daily. The proceeds were routed to a multisig associated with the Mochi protocol, which held about $864,858 in assets after the sale, while another 500,000 CVX remain locked on Convex Finance.
The CVX position itself originates from Mochi’s controversial November 2021 move to mint its USDM stablecoin against MOCHI and drain roughly $46 million in DAI-equivalent liquidity from the USDM/3CRV pool on Curve. At the time, Mochi used 10 billion MOCHI tokens—assigned a hard‑coded oracle price despite near‑zero market value—to mint 46 million USDM, convert the proceeds into 9,876 ETH, and purchase about 1,050,285 CVX, which were then locked on Convex Finance, according to certified crypto‑trace reports by forensics firm IFW Global. Curve’s Emergency DAO responded by killing Mochi’s gauge and blocking further emissions after characterizing the maneuver as a “clear governance attack,” a clash that became part of the broader “Curve Wars” over CVX and CRV voting power and emissions.
In the aftermath, Ahmed re-emerged through GaiaDAO with a Peg Rebalancing Module (PBM) pitched as a mechanism to distribute CVX staking rewards from the locked position to USDM holders and gradually restore the stablecoin’s peg. The PBM charged a 2% management fee and 20% performance fee payable to Ahmed, but according to Curve governance forum records, he unilaterally hiked the performance fee to 50% before community backlash forced him to reverse the change. By November 2025, reward distributions from the 1,050,285 vlCVX position had stopped entirely, and on-chain data indicates those rewards were rerouted to a wallet that also acts as a signer on the CVX multisig, with the value of diverted staking rewards alone estimated at more than $1.6 million.
Beyond staking flows, investigators allege that about 2,198 ETH—worth roughly $6.67 million at the time—and $471,429 in USDC were drained from Mochi/ETH liquidity pools and never returned to depositors, while airdrops from protocols including Prisma, CNC, VELO, LFT, and YB reportedly remained unclaimed or undistributed. Aggregate investor losses tied to the Mochi ecosystem and its associated pools are now estimated at over $54 million, according to IFW Global’s certified reports.
Ahmed’s track record stretches back to at least 2020 and spans Yieldfarming.insure (SAFE), Armor.fi, Mochi Finance, and GaiaDAO, with repeated accusations of misappropriating community funds. During the original Mochi‑Curve confrontation, Curve alleged that Mochi’s strategy amounted to a governance attack, while Ahmed insisted in an interview with Crypto Briefing that the team had simply taken a “bold approach to gaining voting power in the DAO” and argued that the “DeFi Cartel … feels threatened that a small player on the outskirts” could challenge incumbents. Robert Forster, Ahmed’s former co‑founder at Armor.fi, later accused him publicly of stealing “millions in LP tokens,” a charge Ahmed denied by claiming the funds were “returned in full” and counter‑alleging that Forster had taken money for personal use.
Legal pressure has also followed the on‑chain drama into courts. A prior lawsuit by an Armor.fi user in San Francisco Superior Court (Chen v. Ahmed, Case No. CGC‑21‑589609) ended in an out‑of‑court settlement after a temporary restraining order application, according to filings referenced in IFW Global’s reports. Attorneys now point to potential U.S. claims spanning securities fraud under Section 10(b), racketeering (RICO), common‑law fraud, conversion, and unjust enrichment, and affected investors have been directed to file complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the FBI’s IC3 portal.
Ahmed’s March 19 liquidation is the most aggressive on-chain move from Mochi‑linked wallets since the 2021 Curve incident and is being read by many affected investors as confirmation that the locked CVX will be used for exit liquidity rather than restitution. With roughly 500,000 CVX still locked on Convex Finance and controlled via the same governance structure, any further sales could become major liquidity events for CVX and reignite questions over how DeFi protocols respond when governance power is acquired through exploits rather than open‑market buying. Ahmed, described in IFW documentation as a UK citizen, has not publicly responded to the latest allegations, and his social media profiles have been inactive for months.
US President Donald Trump is set to become the first sitting president in history to have his signature put on US paper currency.
In an announcement on Thursday, the US Department of the Treasury said the move would mark the 250th anniversary of the US. It will put both Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s signatures on future US notes.
“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S. dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial,” Bessent said.
Until now, the tradition has been to put the signatures of the treasurer and the Treasury secretary on US paper currency. This move would mark the first time in history that a sitting president is placing his signature on US currency.
According to a report from Reuters on Thursday, the first $100 bills with Trump and Bessent’s signatures will be printed in June, with other bills following in later months.
Trump’s name and likeness have also made their way to cryptocurrencies, famous landmarks and commemorative coins.
Alongside the Treasury’s plans to put Trump’s signature on US notes, there are also potentially $1 coins with the president’s face on them that could enter circulation as part of the US’s 250th anniversary.
In late 2025, the US Mint released three proposed designs bearing Trump’s face and the caption “In God We Trust.”
Trump has also helped oversee the renaming of major US landmarks such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The board of the Kennedy Center, reportedly filled with Trump appointees, voted in late December to change the name to the “Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Related: SEC is no longer a ‘cop on the beat’ on crypto, says US lawmaker
This has prompted pushback, however, with lawmakers arguing that the move is illegal when done without authorization from Congress.
In the crypto world, Trump has a memecoin named after himself, and also has released multiple NFT projects including the Trump Digital Trading Cards.
Magazine: Clarity Act risks repeat of Europe’s mistakes, crypto lawyer warns
Mezo will stream 2.25% of MEZO supply to Aerodrome’s veAERO voters over 30 days, betting Base’s vote-escrow whales can bootstrap deep MEZO and MUSD liquidity for Bitcoin DeFi.
Summary
- Mezo will route 2.25% of MEZO supply to Aerodrome’s veAERO voters over 30 days to seed MEZO and MUSD liquidity on Base.
- The campaign follows Mezo’s “Bring Bitcoin Home” push, which migrated roughly $23 million in BTC assets and helped lift its TVL to about $76.3 million.
- By plugging into Aerodrome’s vote-escrow flywheel, Mezo is betting Bitcoin can host the same deep, incentive-driven liquidity that has made Base one of DeFi’s fastest-growing hubs.
Mezo, a Bitcoin (BTC)-native lending layer, has struck a strategic deal with Aerodrome Finance, the largest decentralized exchange on Coinbase’s Base network, to make Aerodrome the primary DeFi liquidity hub for the MEZO token. Under the agreement, Mezo will allocate 2.25% of total MEZO supply to veAERO voters over a 30-day period, aiming to bootstrap deep, decentralized liquidity for both MEZO and MUSD, its Bitcoin-backed stablecoin. Aerodrome already anchors Base’s liquidity, having previously pushed its own total value locked (TVL) past $1 billion amid a surge in AERO emissions-driven yield.
Mezo taps Aerodrome’s veAERO to grow MEZO, MUSD
The move is explicitly designed to pull Base’s most sophisticated vote-escrow capital into Bitcoin’s emerging DeFi stack. Aerodrome’s veAERO voter base includes protocols, high-net-worth traders, and institutions such as Coinbase Ventures and Animoca Brands, which have used AERO’s ve(3,3) governance model to direct emissions and fees toward the most productive pools. “Aerodrome’s community wrote the playbook for sustainable DeFi yield through vote-escrow economics,” Mezo founder and CEO Matt Luongo said. “We partnered with them because we wanted that audience to see what happens when you apply those mechanics to Bitcoin. Their users understand the model better than anyone. Now we’re giving them a reason to expand their capital across.”
By directing veAERO voters to MEZO and MUSD pairs, Mezo is effectively importing a proven liquidity engine from Base into Bitcoin DeFi. Mezo’s own “Aerodrome for Bitcoin lending” design channels borrower interest on MUSD loans, origination charges, and DEX swap fees into yield for BTC lockers, who currently earn around 4% APR through incentives and rewards. That sits against a broader DeFi backdrop where sector-wide TVL rebounded to roughly $129 billion in 2024, up 137% year-on-year as rising crypto prices and cheaper Layer-2 infrastructure pulled capital back on-chain.
The Aerodrome Finance tie-up comes on the heels of Mezo’s “Bring Bitcoin Home” campaign, which migrated about $23 million in tBTC, cbBTC, WBTC, and USDT from Ethereum pre-deposit vaults on Mellow Protocol into Mezo’s mainnet, with deposits routed via DeFi yield network Turtle Club. Mezo’s TVL now sits near $76.3 million, with roughly $500 million in lifetime MUSD volume, more than 2,000 loans issued at a fixed 1% APR, and over 43,500 mainnet users. That footprint is still small next to leaders like Aerodrome or top DeFi chains tracked by dashboards such as DeFiLlama, but it signals growing appetite for Bitcoin-first yield strategies as BTC itself becomes a larger share of total DeFi TVL.
Behind the yield mechanics, Mezo has focused heavily on infrastructure, security, and institutional access. Its validator set includes P2P, Chorus One, and Everstake, while smart contracts have been audited by Quantstamp and Thesis Defense. Anchorage Digital provides custody and compliance rails for larger allocators, a piece traditional institutions increasingly prioritize when deploying into DeFi. On the capital side, Mezo has raised $28.5 million in seed funding led by Pantera, with Multicoin, Paradigm, Polychain, Draper, Nascent, a16z, and ParaFi among backers, placing it alongside other BTC-centric projects that venture firms have backed to capture the next leg of on-chain credit markets.
Bitcoin’s role in DeFi expanding
As Bitcoin’s role in DeFi expands, Mezo is positioning itself as the lending and liquidity layer that lets BTC holders borrow, earn, and deploy capital without leaving the Bitcoin economy. Its core products — MUSD, veBTC yield positions, and a native DEX — mirror the stack that has helped Base and Aerodrome dominate liquidity and trading in their own ecosystem. With Aerodrome’s veAERO voters now financially incentivized to seed MEZO and MUSD pools, Mezo is effectively testing whether the same vote-escrow incentives that drove Base’s growth can be replicated atop Bitcoin and its wrapped representations, potentially shifting a larger slice of DeFi’s $100 billion-plus collateral base toward BTC-backed credit.
XDC price is consolidating just above $0.03 as tokenized debt deals, trade-finance pilots and an Ethereum-aligned upgrade deepen its role in enterprise RWA infrastructure.
Summary
- XDC Network is trading around $0.032 per token, with a market cap near $640 million and 24-hour volume in the mid-teens of millions.
- Price has inched higher by roughly 2–3% over the last day, but remains down on the week, reflecting a slow grind after a broader altcoin pullback.
- Recent upgrades, tokenized debt deals and trade-finance pilots signal growing real-world asset usage even as speculative flows stay modest compared with higher-beta altcoins.
XDC Network (XDC), a hybrid Layer-1 focused on enterprise and trade-finance applications, is currently changing hands at about $0.032 per coin, according to both Binance and third-party price aggregators. Binance lists the live XDC price at $0.03206, with a market capitalization of roughly $639.15 million and 24-hour trading volume of $16.29 million, based on a circulating supply of 19.94 billion XDC. A parallel snapshot from 3Commas shows XDC at $0.03214, a 2.8% gain over the last 24 hours, on a $14.73 million trading volume and market cap of $640.9 million.
Historical data from Yahoo Finance place XDC’s recent trading range between $0.0304 and $0.0324 over the past several sessions, underscoring how the token has been consolidating just above $0.03 after earlier weakness in March. CoinMarketCap’s price-history table likewise records daily closes clustered in the $0.031–$0.034 band throughout early March 2026, with no single breakout day but a sequence of tight ranges. That pattern contrasts with the sharp spikes seen in high-volatility memecoins, and instead reflects more measured spot flows into and out of a large-cap infrastructure asset.
Under the hood, XDC Network markets itself as an EVM-compatible, enterprise-grade blockchain for real-world asset tokenization, cross-border payments and trade-finance settlement, placing XDC in the RWA and L1 categories rather than pure DeFi or meme segments. CoinGecko reports a circulating supply of 16 billion XDC in another widely used dataset, with a fully diluted valuation of roughly $3.49 billion assuming a maximum supply of 38 billion tokens. That configuration gives XDC one of the larger RWA/L1 market caps, even if daily volume remains below the most aggressively traded smart-contract platforms.
February’s XDC Network update outlined several major developments that help explain why institutions are watching the chain even as price moves remain subdued. The network completed its v2.6.8 “Cancun” upgrade at block 98,800,200, aligning with Ethereum’s Cancun standard and introducing EIP-1559-style fee mechanics, improved EVM efficiency, and stronger consensus performance on mainnet. Separate to the protocol changes, XDC supported a $75 million tokenized debt issuance in Brazil, expanding its Latin American footprint and positioning the chain as a settlement layer for structured credit in emerging markets.
The combination of hybrid architecture, compliance-by-design tooling and EVM compatibility has led some industry observers to describe XDC as part of a blueprint for institutional-grade blockchain adoption in 2026. At the same time, market data from CoinGecko show 24-hour XDC trading volume around $46.1 million on certain days, a figure that has recently risen by over 11% in a single session, signalling that liquidity is gradually deepening as more venues list the token.
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