Crypto World
DeFi plays the blame game
For all its talk of decentralized, autonomous, permissionless finance, the DeFi sector’s response to Saturday’s $290 million Kelp DAO hack tells a different story.
The firms involved are playing a messy, very human blame game over responsibility for the $14 billion fallout.
While the projects shirk responsibility, users have funds stuck in what had been considered the safe, reassuringly boring side of DeFi, and are potentially facing haircuts to cover bad debt.
Meanwhile, amid the uncertainty, the industry as a whole bleeds credibility.
Influential voices are urging the three key parties involved to get together and come up with a path forward. But, so far, it seems the firms are determined to play hardball.
LayerZero blames Kelp DAO’s choice of validator setup, while Kelp DAO says it followed LayerZero’s defaults. Aave stays out of it, hoping to get back to business as usual while avoiding its own role in driving rsETH’s deep integration.
Let’s take a look at the case against each of the projects involved.
Read more: Resolv hack shows DeFi learned nothing from last contagion
Kelp DAO
Kicking off with Kelp DAO, whose rsETH token was hacked on Saturday, there’s not an awful lot to go on.
The firm kept quiet for 48 hours after its initial acknowledgement of Saturday’s hack.
Users waiting to hear how losses might be distributed were finally presented with a brief statement that provided no new information.
It merely confirmed the mechanics of the exploit, congratulated, highlighted that Kelp DAO’s 1/1 DVN configuration is “the default for any new OFT deployment,” and congratulated itself on blocking a further $95 million hack attempt.
Read more: Hyperbridge exploited less than two weeks after April Fools’ day hack prank
It even came off as rather tame, given the potential attack of LayerZero which had been teased the previous day.
As for loss distribution, the firm says it’s “concurrently assessing the potential next steps.”
In praising Arbitrum’s decision to seize stolen ether (ETH), it didn’t give much more away, saying it’s “pursuing all available avenues to… mitigate the impact of the incident across the Defi ecosystem.”
We’ll keep waiting, then.
LayerZero
LayerZero has faced plenty of criticism, not just from Kelp DAO, that its architecture passes off the burden of security onto individual project teams, or ““empowers each application and asset issuer to define their own security posture,” as LayerZero puts it.
While the firm claims it recommends individual asset issuers to choose a secure setup, analysis from Dune suggests that almost half of over 2,500 OApp bridging contracts use a 1/1 DVN configuration.
One example, highlighted by blockchain security expert Taylor Monahan, explicitly states “use the LZ defaults” in its code comments.
Read more: Inside the $280M Drift hack: weeks of setup, minutes to drain
Indeed, in the wake of Saturday’s incident, many well-known crypto and DeFi projects paused bridging of their assets through LayerZero, including Ethena, EtherFi, WBTC, Tron and Curve.
Another point of contention is the lack of disclosure of the specific attack vector which granted access to its infrastructure leading to manipulation of the DVN, operated by Layer Zero itself.
Aave
Despite being furthest from the actual theft, DeFi’s former number-one protocol (now knocked off the top spot due to recent outflows) created the conditions for such widespread damage.
The use of rsETH as collateral in e-mode with targeted total value locked by allowing highly leveraged looping of ETH-correlated liquid (re)staking tokens, one of Aave’s key uses.
The risk assessments for these setups focused on “market and liquidity risk”, with bridging configurations deemed “a structural feature of composability rather than a scope question.”
Bridged rsETH had the same parameters as on mainnet, discounting any cross-chain risk entirely.
It appears likely that rsETH was specifically targeted for its deep liquidity, a feat achieved thanks to these decisions.
Aave appeared untouchable just a few months ago, but recent turmoil, hindsight on past hubris, and contributors lashing out at competitors, paints a different picture altogether.
Read more: Oracle error adds to turmoil at DeFi giant Aave
Arbitrum’s silver lining
Earlier today, Arbitrum’s security council pulled off a rescue of over 30,000 ETH ($71 million) of the hacker’s proceeds in the nick of time.
Shortly after, laundering of funds began on Ethereum. On-chain analysts confirmed DPRK involvement, spotting links to other TraderTraitor-related hacks, BTC Turk and ByBit.
While some of DeFi’s decentralization zealots may have an issue with the move, having the ability to seize illicit funds and not doing so would be the worst of both worlds, argued Curve Finance’s Michael Egorov.
Such a move is not without precedent, after all. In 2023, proceeds from the preceding year’s Wormhole hack were recovered with the help of Oasis, and in 2024, Blast seized $97 million from a rogue developer.
Yearn’s banteg also hopes that Arbitrum will have now scared off future attempts by Lazarus.
Important questions remain over the potential for similar actions in the future, centering on the need for a court order or a defined threshold above which to step in.
More pressingly, though, the question of how to redistribute the seized funds also remains to be answered.
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Crypto World
3 Top Trending Crypto Coins: Ethereum Forms Bullish Triangle and XRP Hits Record ETF Week as Pepeto Targets 150x
The 3 top trending crypto coins conversation gained a new dimension today as spot Ethereum ETFs recorded $276 million in inflows over seven consecutive days, and XRP products recorded $55.39 million, their strongest weekly total of 2026, according to CoinDesk. That capital is moving into assets with real utility for the next stage of the cycle.
The 3 top trending crypto coins list is clear right now. Ethereum is forming an ascending triangle targeting $3,076 and XRP is holding $1.43 on record ETF demand, yet a third name is attracting fresh capital faster than either. That name is Pepeto, which has raised $9.29 million at $0.0000001865 with the Binance listing date already set.
How 3 Top Trending Crypto Coins Absorbed $331M in Fresh ETF Capital This Week
Ethereum ETFs recorded $276 million in net inflows between April 13 and April 17, consistent with the ascending triangle forming on the daily chart, according to crypto.news. A breakout from the pattern targets $3,076, a level calculated from the triangle height projected above the breakout point. The SuperTrend indicator turned positive on April 20 and MACD is now above the neutral line.
XRP ETFs recorded $55.39 million during the same week, the highest weekly total of 2026, according to The Crypto Basic. Cumulative flows now exceed $1.27 billion. All three assets benefit from institutional demand, but a 3% to 4% yield on blue chip tokens cannot compete with the return a presale buyer sees when a Binance listing date is weeks away.
Which Name on the 3 Top Trending Crypto Coins List Delivers the Sharpest Entry Right Now?
Why Pepeto Is Attracting More Capital Than ETH and XRP Combined Right Now
Every major return in crypto has begun with investors buying an asset the broader market has not yet noticed, at a price that appears unreasonable. Pepeto is currently at that stage, with operational infrastructure and a presale price that will change once trading begins on Binance.
The built-in contract scanner reviews every token for honeypot structures and exploit code before a single dollar is transferred. PepetoSwap processes trades across Ethereum, BNB, and Solana at zero cost, and the bridge transfers tokens across all three networks without gas fees.
SolidProof and Coinsult have completed full audits of the codebase, and a former Binance developer is overseeing the exchange through its final pre-launch testing phase.
A $5,400 position at $0.0000001865 secures close to 29 billion tokens, and if Pepeto reaches the market cap Pepe achieved, the calculation produces over 150x and turns that $5,400 into approximately $810,000. Pepe reached an $11 billion market cap on 420 trillion supply with no bridge or exchange in place. Pepeto has every one of those tools operational, the same cofounder leading the project, and analysts project 150x as the base case.
Once Binance opens trading, the presale will close. Every entry that later delivered life changing returns shared three characteristics, which are a working product, a price the market did not take seriously, and a catalyst that could not be prevented. Pepeto at $0.0000001865 meets all three criteria, and the locked position reward system continues to reduce available supply.
Is Ethereum a Good Buy at $2,305 With ETF Flows on a Seven Day Streak?
Ethereum (ETH) trades at $2,305 on April 21, up from $2,078 at the start of the month, according to CoinMarketCap. A $90.9 million 20x leveraged long position was opened against ETH on April 20, indicating strong whale conviction in the ascending triangle setup.
A breakout above $2,378 would open the path to $3,076, a 33% move based on the triangle geometry. ETH is a valid choice among the 3 top trending crypto coins for long term exposure, but a breakout produces 33% over a period of weeks that the presale compresses into a single listing event.
Can XRP Break Past $1.45 With ETF Inflows at Record Levels?
XRP (XRP) trades at $1.43 on April 21, up 6% on the week after Swiss exchange-traded products drove most of the fresh capital, according to 24/7 Wall St. Analysts target $1.60 if the CLARITY Act Senate markup takes place in late April, a 13% gain from current levels.
The $1.45 level is the main resistance, with approximately 1.24 billion XRP held in breakeven wallets between $1.45 and $1.47. If that resistance is cleared, the path opens toward $1.60. XRP qualifies on the 3 top trending crypto coins list for its ETF demand and enterprise positioning, but a 13% target plays out over weeks that the Pepeto listing concentrates into a single day.
Conclusion
The 3 top trending crypto coins each serve a different role. ETH and XRP are institutional investments with breakout math that plays out over weeks, while Pepeto reduces the distance from entry to listing to a matter of days. The large wallets accumulating this presale understand where the Binance date will take the price, and the working exchange tools resolve the issue every prior meme coin has struggled with.
Ethereum itself rose from $0.31 at its 2014 ICO to an all-time high above $4,800, delivering over 15,000x to the earliest buyers on a ledger that very few market participants believed in. Pepeto has stronger viral appeal in a larger market, is led by the same cofounder who previously delivered Pepe into an eleven-figure valuation, and a Binance listing with a price target consistent with the analyst calculations.
Click to Lock Your Pepeto Tokens Before the Binance Listing Closes This Stage
FAQs
How does Pepeto compare to Ethereum and XRP among the 3 top trending crypto coins?
Pepeto offers 150x presale-to-listing math from $0.0000001865 with five exchange tools already operational. ETH requires a triangle breakout for 33% toward $3,076 and XRP targets 13% toward $1.60 on a CLARITY Act vote.
What are the 3 top trending crypto coins worth watching in April 2026?
Pepeto, Ethereum, and XRP lead the list for different reasons. Pepeto targets 150x from presale pricing, Ethereum ETFs recorded $276 million over a seven day streak, and XRP funds recorded $55.39 million, the highest week of 2026.
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New York sued Coinbase and Gemini on Tuesday, becoming the latest state to argue that prediction market contracts dealing with sports, entertainment and elections are violating state gambling laws.
According to the lawsuits, Coinbase and Gemini’s prediction market offerings are really unlicensed gambling products, pointing to how the companies advertised their prediction markets and their role as bookmakers on the platforms. The NYAG’s office also described the actual behavior of the prediction market platforms, describing users as “bettors” and saying that “each contract is a bet.” The suits also argued that the platforms allow people to place bets between the ages of 18 and 21, when New York bars anyone under 21 from gambling on mobile apps.
“As described above, what Respondent offers through its platform is quintessentially gambling: It allows a bettor to stake or risk money upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under the bettor’s control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome,” the suit against Coinbase said.
New York is just the latest state to sue prediction market providers over their sports and entertainment products. Nevada, Washington and a host of other states have similarly filed suit, arguing that at least the sports-related bets are, indeed, bets, and not federally regulated swaps. It’s an issue that now sits before multiple appeals courts, and is likely to wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “prediction markets are federally regulated national exchanges” and that Coinbase would fight for federal oversight.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Mike Selig, for his part, has argued that prediction markets — including the sports-related contracts — fall under his agency’s “exclusive jurisdiction.” The CFTC has filed suit against Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois to block them from bringing charges against prediction market providers, and it filed to join another case out of Nevada to defend the prediction market providers.
Kalshi, one of the biggest prediction market providers, was not named as a defendant on Tuesday. The company preemptively sued the New York State Gaming Commission last fall, asking a federal court to rule that state gambling laws do not apply to its platform. That case is still working its way through the Southern District of New York courthouse.
In a statement, New York State Attorney General Letitia James said both Gemini and Coinbase’s products were “illegal gambling operations.”
“Gambling by another name is still gambling, and it is not exempt from regulation under our state laws and Constitution,” she said.
US election news from Texas arrived Monday as Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in Tarrant County district court against ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, alleging it violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by continuing to accept gift card donations it had publicly claimed to ban.
Summary
- Texas investigators made three donations to ActBlue in February 2026 using false identities and prepaid gift cards and successfully reached the DNC and two Texas officials’ campaign accounts, directly contradicting ActBlue’s representations to Congress.
- The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction barring ActBlue from accepting gift card and prepaid debit card donations, $10,000 in civil penalties per violation, and attorneys’ fees on claims totaling more than $1 million.
- ActBlue called the suit “a thinly veiled attempt to distract from Ken Paxton’s numerous legal and ethical issues ahead of next month’s runoff” against Senator John Cornyn.
US election news sharpened Monday around campaign finance integrity as Paxton accused ActBlue of deceiving Congress and the public about its safeguards against fraudulent and foreign donations. ActBlue has processed more than $16 billion for Democratic candidates and causes since 2004 and processed $1.78 billion in small-dollar donations in 2025 alone.
“ActBlue lied to Congress and to the American people, and I will ensure justice is served,” Paxton said in a statement. “Fair elections are the foundation of our democracy, and I will work to ensure no illegal campaign donation flies under the radar.”
The lawsuit rests on a core factual allegation: ActBlue’s own outside counsel at Covington and Burling acknowledged in early 2025 that the organization’s representations about its donation safeguards to Congress were not true. The New York Times had previously reported that acknowledgment. Despite that, ActBlue did not correct its public statements or inform Congress of the discrepancy.
What Texas Investigators Found and When
The Office of the Attorney General opened its ActBlue investigation in December 2023. In February 2026, investigators made three test donations using false identities and prepaid gift cards. All three cleared the platform and landed in the accounts of the Democratic National Committee and two Texas state officials’ campaigns. The investigation also found that ActBlue made its fraud prevention rules “more lenient” twice during the 2024 election cycle despite documented fraud on the platform.
The lawsuit alleges seven counts against ActBlue, centering on false, misleading, and deceptive business practices under Texas consumer protection law. The state seeks an injunction prohibiting gift card and prepaid debit card donations, civil penalties of $10,000 per violation paid to the state, and full recovery of litigation costs. The complaint states the monetary relief sought exceeds $1 million.
ActBlue’s Response and the Political Context
ActBlue denied wrongdoing through spokesperson De’Andra Roberts-LaBoo, calling the filing politically motivated. “This is a thinly veiled attempt to distract from Ken Paxton’s numerous legal and ethical issues ahead of next month’s runoff,” she said, referencing Paxton’s GOP Senate primary runoff against incumbent Senator John Cornyn. “Our platform has done more than any other, regardless of party, to prevent improper donations and protect donors.”
The timing is notable. Paxton is in an active Senate primary runoff. House Administration, Judiciary, and Oversight Committees have been investigating ActBlue separately for nearly two years over its 2024 practices. A House Republican aide has indicated that all options remain on the table for compelling ActBlue’s cooperation, including hauling its CEO before the panels or initiating contempt proceedings.
What the Lawsuit Means for Crypto and Campaign Finance
The ActBlue case is part of a broader federal and state-level pressure campaign on digital fundraising infrastructure heading into the 2026 midterms. The midterm pressure already compressing the congressional calendar for crypto legislation is compounded by each new political conflict that draws attention and legal resources away from the legislative agenda. Stablecoin regulation, the CLARITY Act, and crypto reform more broadly all depend on a Senate majority that can focus on substantive legislation rather than managing compounding political and legal crises through a midterm election cycle.
Prediction market exchange Kalshi is reportedly preparing to expand into cryptocurrency trading by introducing perpetual futures contracts, marking a major shift beyond its core event-based derivatives business.
In a Tuesday report, The Information cited people familiar with the matter as saying Kalshi plans to offer perpetual futures — commonly known as “perps” — on cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC).
Perpetual futures are a type of derivative contract that allows traders to speculate on price movements without an expiration date.
Unlike traditional futures, which must be rolled over periodically, perps enable continuous exposure and are typically paired with leverage. The structure was popularized in crypto markets by BitMEX, helping fuel the rapid growth of derivatives trading.
Kalshi’s planned launch would signal a move away from binary event contracts toward continuous financial markets, potentially broadening its appeal to both retail and institutional traders.
Kalshi is regulated in the United States by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a distinction that could position it as a compliant alternative to offshore crypto derivatives platforms.
CFTC Chair Michael Selig has indicated that these products could become available in the United States in the near future, as regulators seek to bring more trading volume onshore.
Related: Onchain real-world perps surge, while altcoin rout drags on: Report
Competition for perps is gaining traction
The reported move comes amid intensifying competition across both prediction markets and the fast-growing perpetual futures segment, with US platforms increasingly seeking to offer this trading to non-US residents.
Crypto exchanges have been drawn in this direction, with Coinbase recently launching round-the-clock perpetual-style futures tied to equities for non-US traders, expanding beyond its traditional crypto derivatives offering.
Kraken has also rolled out tokenized stock perpetual futures for users outside the United States, targeting exposure to US stock indexes, precious metals and individual stocks.
Related: S&P Dow Jones licenses S&P 500 perpetual futures for Hyperliquid
The push to advance the CLARITY Act gained fresh momentum after a key industry group urged swift Senate action. Lawmakers now face tighter timelines as unresolved issues continue to slow progress. The development highlights growing pressure to finalise a clear regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States.
Senate Banking Committee Faces Renewed Pressure
The Digital Chamber increased pressure on the Senate Banking Committee to move the CLARITY Act forward. It sent a formal letter urging lawmakers to begin the markup phase without further delay. The group stressed urgency due to limited legislative time remaining.
The committee leadership, including Chairman Tim Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, received the request directly. The letter emphasised that the House already passed the bill with bipartisan backing months ago. As a result, industry leaders expect the Senate to act without prolonged delays.
Lawmakers now operate within a narrowing window before the upcoming congressional recess. If the committee delays further, the bill risks losing momentum. Therefore, stakeholders continue pushing for immediate procedural progress.
Timeline Constraints Increase Legislative Pressure
The legislative calendar continues to tighten as Congress moves deeper into its current session. Lawmakers have already passed significant time without advancing the CLARITY Act in the Senate. This delay creates urgency among both policymakers and industry participants.
The bill missed a recent markup opportunity, which added pressure on the next available schedule. The upcoming week presents another chance to move the process forward. However, failure to act before the May recess could stall progress for an extended period.
Industry advocates argue that continued delays undermine regulatory certainty for millions of users. They point to the rapid growth of digital asset adoption across the country. Consequently, they maintain that clear legislation remains essential for market stability and innovation.
Stablecoin Yield Debate Remains Key Obstacle
The ongoing disagreement over stablecoin yield provisions continues to block legislative progress. Banking groups and crypto firms have not reached a consensus on how to regulate yield-bearing stablecoins. This disagreement remains the central issue delaying the markup phase.
Some lawmakers have proposed extending discussions to allow more time for negotiation. Senator Thom Tillis supported delaying the markup to allow further dialogue between stakeholders. This approach aims to produce a balanced framework acceptable to both sides.
Meanwhile, the absence of a finalised draft complicates negotiations and slows progress further. Banking representatives have also introduced new concerns about the proposed provisions. As a result, lawmakers must address these issues before moving the bill forward.
Industry Signals Strong Support for Immediate Action
The Digital Chamber continues to advocate for immediate legislative movement despite unresolved issues. The organisation believes that the markup process can proceed while discussions continue. This approach would allow lawmakers to refine details during later stages.
Industry representatives highlight the scale of digital asset adoption across the United States. Millions of users rely on clear rules to guide participation in the market. Therefore, they argue that delaying action creates unnecessary uncertainty.
At the same time, policymakers recognise the importance of balancing innovation with financial stability. The Senate Banking Committee has engaged with stakeholders to gather input. However, pressure continues to build for decisive action in the coming weeks.
The big picture: The film Finding Satoshi aims to solve what its creators call one of the biggest financial mysteries ever.
- Director Tucker Tooley said the project blends investigative reporting with storytelling about “a human being” behind Bitcoin.
- The team deliberately avoided conspiracy tropes, instead focusing on Satoshi’s motivations, struggles, and context.
- The mystery itself, why someone created Bitcoin and vanished, drives the narrative.
How they investigated: The team shifted tactics after early resistance from crypto insiders.
- Investigative journalist Bill Cohan said major crypto figures often dismissed the question as irrelevant or a “waste of time.”
- That resistance pushed the team to bring in private investigator Tyler Maroney and dig deeper.
- They narrowed suspects to a small group of cryptographers with specific technical skills and early involvement in Bitcoin’s origins.
Behind the scenes: The reporting relied on years of relationship-building and technical analysis.
- Maroney said the team focused on cryptographers, mathematicians, and early “cypherpunks,” not investors or executives.
- Sources included pioneers like Whitfield Diffie, who helped invent public-key cryptography and industry veterans such as Joseph Lubin and Katie Haun.
Why it matters: The film reframes Bitcoin’s origin story and challenges how people think about it today.
- Maroney said Bitcoin began as a privacy tool, not a store of wealth, rooted in fears of “surveillance capitalism.”
- The creators argue understanding that context is key to understanding Bitcoin’s purpose.
- The mystery also raises stakes: Satoshi is believed to hold about 1.1 million Bitcoin that have never moved.
What’s driving the mystery: Not everyone wants the answer.
- Cohan said some major investors may prefer the myth to remain intact, fearing reputational risk if Satoshi were controversial.
- Others argue it simply doesn’t matter, comparing it to not knowing who invented the internet.
- The filmmakers reject that view, saying the identity and intent behind Bitcoin are central to its story.
What comes next: The film promises a definitive conclusion and a broader takeaway.
- The team says it reached a clear answer, though they won’t reveal it outside the documentary.
- They emphasize the journey: understanding the people and ideas that led to Bitcoin’s creation.
- Tooley said the goal is to make a complex, technical subject accessible and entertaining for a broad audience.
- The documentary comes out April 22, 2026 at findingsatoshi.com
MicroStrategy has recorded a sharp turnaround as Bitcoin surged in April and lifted its treasury back into profit. The company generated significant gains within weeks after months of unrealized losses. Consequently, the rebound highlights the impact of sustained accumulation during volatile market conditions.
MicroStrategy benefited from Bitcoin’s strong price recovery, which reversed earlier drawdowns seen during the year. As a result, its treasury performance improved rapidly and moved out of loss territory. The shift reflects a broader market recovery that supported long-term holders.
Additionally, the company maintained consistent buying activity despite prior market pressure and declining valuations. This approach strengthened its position during the rebound phase. Therefore, the firm now reports notable gains tied directly to Bitcoin’s upward movement.
Bitcoin Gains Drive Treasury Performance Higher
Bitcoin continued its upward trend in April and restored profitability for major holders. As a result, MicroStrategy recorded a 6.2% Bitcoin yield within three weeks. The company added 47,078 BTC in gains, valued at approximately $3.6 billion.
Moreover, Michael Saylor classified this BTC gain as a key performance measure under its Bitcoin-focused strategy. This metric reflects operational success within a Bitcoin standard framework. Consequently, it offers a direct comparison to traditional net income.
Strategy has generated 6.2% BTC Yield and ₿47,079 of BTC Gain in the first three weeks of April, worth approximately $3.6 billion. BTC Gain is the closest analog to Net Income on the Bitcoin Standard. $MSTR pic.twitter.com/dDKr5KfEFl
— Michael Saylor (@saylor) April 21, 2026
The company also reported year-to-date gains of 64,191 BTC, valued at nearly $4.9 billion. These figures show stronger performance compared to earlier periods marked by price declines. Therefore, sustained accumulation continues to support long-term returns as Bitcoin stabilizes.
Holdings Expand as Accumulation Strategy Continues
MicroStrategy continued to increase its Bitcoin holdings despite earlier unrealized losses during market downturns. This approach strengthened its overall position during the recovery period. As a result, the firm now holds 815,065 BTC.
The company’s holdings represent more than 4% of Bitcoin’s total supply, which highlights its scale in the market. Additionally, this accumulation places it ahead of BlackRock in Bitcoin reserves. BlackRock currently holds approximately 802,823 BTC.
Furthermore, the aggressive accumulation strategy reflects confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term growth potential. The company maintained purchases during weak price phases and benefited during the rebound. Therefore, its treasury structure remains closely tied to Bitcoin’s price trajectory.
Bitcoin faced repeated downturns earlier in the year due to macroeconomic pressure and reduced market activity. However, recent gains have restored confidence across the market. Consequently, MicroStrategy’s performance reflects the broader recovery trend and continued reliance on Bitcoin exposure.
DoorDash is moving to wire in stablecoins as a core part of its payments infrastructure, tapping Tempo to enable faster, cross-border-friendly settlements for its workforce of dashers, its merchants, and its vast user base. The collaboration aims to bring a stablecoin-enabled payment rail to more than 40 countries, with Tempo describing the project as a step toward broader, faster digital-dollar style settlements within everyday commerce.
Tempo announced the initiative in a Tuesday notice, framing it as a mutual advance for the delivery platform and the broader crypto-enabled payments ecosystem. In the message, Tempo said it is collaborating with DoorDash to build stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure that can streamline payouts to dashers, merchants, and users while reducing cross-border costs and increasing transaction flexibility. “If we can get merchants and Dashers their money faster, and do that in a way that’s affordable for them, that’s a no-brainer for the entire ecosystem,” DoorDash co-founder Andy Wang said in reference to the plan.
The stablecoin framework represents a notable milestone for a mainstream on-demand platform that previously leaned into other AI-driven enhancements but has not yet integrated digital assets into its core payout flows at scale. Tempo highlighted the payout speed, cost efficiency, and transactional flexibility as the primary benefits behind the integration, underscoring the potential for a smoother, cheaper experience for participants across the delivery chain.
Tempo’s announcement situates the DoorDash integration within a broader push into stablecoins, backed by a coalition that includes Stripe, investment firm Paradigm, Coastal Bank, and fintech ARQ. The aim is to establish a robust, cross-border, scalable payment rails that can support large-volume commerce while offering the stability users expect from fiat-backed digital currencies.
DoorDash’s transactional footprint provides a useful backdrop for context. The company reported delivering 903 million orders in its fourth quarter of 2025, with a total order value of approximately $29.7 billion. The firm is slated to disclose its Q1 2026 results on May 6, providing a fuller picture of growth, profitability, and unit economics as it pushes into new payment modalities.
Key takeaways
- DoorDash will enable stablecoin payments across its platform for dashers, merchants, and users in more than 40 countries, via Tempo’s infrastructure.
- The move prioritizes faster payouts and lower cross-border costs, aiming to improve liquidity and flexibility for gig workers and merchants.
- Tempo frames the collaboration as part of a wider push into stablecoins among major fintech and payments players, with Stripe, Paradigm, Coastal Bank, and ARQ also involved.
- Broader market momentum includes traditional payment giants pursuing stablecoin rails, as shown by related moves from Stripe, Mastercard, and Visa.
- DoorDash’s recent activity comes against a backdrop of strong Q4 2025 performance and an upcoming Q1 2026 earnings release, which will shed light on the quarterly impact of any new payments infrastructure.
Tempo, DoorDash and a broader industry shift toward stablecoin rails
The DoorDash–Tempo collaboration is a clear signal that mainstream consumer platforms are testing the practicality of stablecoins as a payments backbone for everyday commerce. Tempo’s framing centers on three benefits: higher payout velocity, lower fees for cross-border settlements, and the flexibility to settle in digital currency types that can be converted or routed to recipients with relative ease. If deployed at scale, the initiative could meaningfully shorten the time between a sale and a cash-out for dashers and gig workers, reducing friction in the creator economy model that underpins DoorDash’s network.
In addition to Tempo’s partnership with DoorDash, the broader payments ecosystem has been quietly building stablecoin rails. Stripe has already integrated stablecoins into its payments stack, a continuation of its 2024 deal to acquire the stablecoin platform Bridge for about $1.1 billion. The strategic rationale, according to Stripe, has been to expand the reach and reliability of digital-dollar settlements across its merchant base and partner networks.
Meanwhile, traditional payment networks are pursuing stablecoin-enabled settlement capabilities more aggressively. Mastercard disclosed a roughly $1.8 billion deal in early 2024 to acquire stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK, underscoring the strategic value of on-chain settlement capabilities in mainstream card networks. Visa has also advanced its stablecoin offerings, expanding support for additional stablecoins and broadening its on-ramp to crypto-enabled commerce in mid-2024.
These moves reflect a trend: major financial and payments players view stablecoins as a practical bridge between traditional fiat rails and digital asset ecosystems. The DoorDash initiative with Tempo adds a real-world consumer app into the mix, demonstrating how stablecoins could move from pilot programs or pilot-market experiments into full-scale operations that touch millions of daily transactions.
What this means for workers, merchants and the wider market
For dashers and merchants, a stablecoin-enabled payout system could unlock several practical advantages. Greater payout speed means workers could receive earnings sooner, while lower cross-border costs could expand the geographic reach of DoorDash’s network and improve the economics of international or cross-border orders for merchants. For users, the prospect of optional stablecoin payments could simplify international purchases or tipping in a digital asset that remains tightly pegged to a fiat reference, reducing price volatility during the settlement window.
However, the deployment will hinge on several factors beyond the technology itself. Regulatory clarity around stablecoins, consumer protections, KYC/AML compliance, and the integration of wallet infrastructure into consumer apps all play a crucial role in whether such rails achieve durable, scalable adoption. The timing also matters: DoorDash is poised to present its Q1 2026 results in May, which will provide fresh insight into how well the new payment rails are performing against the backdrop of overall platform growth and profitability.
Looking ahead, investors and builders will want to watch three areas closely: first, user and merchant onboarding to stablecoin payouts and how wallets, exchanges, and custodians manage liquidity; second, how regulators define permissible stablecoin use in consumer platforms across diverse jurisdictions; and third, how the interplay between fiat and crypto rails impacts platform economics and consumer trust.
As DoorDash and Tempo begin piloting a stablecoin-enabled workflow, the broader market is watching to see whether this approach can translate into measurable improvements in payout speed and cost, while maintaining strict controls around compliance and risk. The coming quarters will indicate whether stablecoins transition from a novelty in fintech discussions to a dependable, everyday tool for gig economies and large consumer platforms alike.
For readers keeping an eye on the next chapter of crypto-enabled payments, the DoorDash–Tempo collaboration provides a tangible milestone: a mainstream app seeking to embed a digital asset payment rail into its core operations, alongside the broader industry push by Stripe, Mastercard, and Visa toward more robust, scalable stablecoin settlement capabilities.
Ripple Labs has introduced a four-phase plan to upgrade XRP Ledger security. The roadmap targets full post-quantum readiness by 2028. Meanwhile, XRP traded near $1.43, gaining over 4.6% in one week.
The company designed the plan to address risks from future quantum computing breakthroughs. It aims to maintain network stability during the transition. At the same time, it prepares for unexpected cryptographic failures.
Ripple confirmed that current protections cannot withstand advanced quantum machines. Therefore, it plans a gradual upgrade instead of abrupt changes. The approach balances security needs with network performance.
Emergency Response and Risk Evaluation Phases
Ripple has created a contingency plan for a sudden cryptographic failure event. The network could stop accepting traditional signatures during such a scenario. It would require users to migrate to quantum-secure keys.
The company plans to use zero-knowledge proofs for secure migration. This method allows users to prove ownership without exposing private keys. As a result, it reduces risk during emergency transitions.
Ripple has started testing post-quantum algorithms in early 2026. The tests focus on performance under real network conditions. They also measure impacts on storage, bandwidth, and transaction speed.
Development Testing and Full Network Transition
Ripple will introduce hybrid signature systems in the next phase. These systems combine existing elliptic-curve signatures with post-quantum alternatives. Developers will test them on Devnet during the second half of 2026.
The company will also explore advanced cryptographic tools. These include zero-knowledge systems and homomorphic encryption methods. Such tools may improve security without reducing efficiency.
Ripple plans to propose a network amendment for full deployment. Validators must approve the upgrade before activation on the main network. This step will complete the transition to quantum-resistant signatures.
Structural Advantages and Broader Industry Context
Ripple stated that XRPL offers built-in key rotation capabilities. Users can update keys without changing account addresses. This feature supports gradual migration to stronger cryptography.
Other networks require asset transfers to new accounts. This process can disrupt applications and user balances. XRPL’s design simplifies the transition process.
Ripple acknowledged that key rotation alone does not solve quantum risks. The network still needs full cryptographic upgrades. Therefore, the roadmap focuses on both infrastructure and protocol changes.
Timeline Risks and Ongoing Development Work
Ripple confirmed that no changes have reached the main network yet. The roadmap depends on testing, coordination, and validator approval. Each step introduces potential delays.
The development team has already started early prototypes. Engineers are testing new signature schemes on internal networks. These tests will guide future implementation decisions.
Industry estimates suggest quantum threats may emerge between 2029 and 2035. However, attackers may already collect data for future decryption. Ripple’s plan addresses this long-term risk.
Blockchain.com has rolled out perpetual futures trading in its non-custodial DeFi wallet, allowing users to open leveraged positions directly from self-custodied Bitcoin used as collateral without transferring funds to an exchange.
According to Tuesday’s announcement, the feature is routed through decentralized derivatives exchange Hyperliquid and gives users access to more than 190 crypto markets with up to 40x leverage.
Perpetual futures are derivative contracts that allow traders to take leveraged positions on an asset’s price without an expiration date. Michael Selig, chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said last month that the derivatives regulator plans to allow the contracts in the coming weeks.
Trades are executed while assets remain in the wallet, allowing users to open, manage and close positions without relinquishing control of private keys or relying on a custodial intermediary.
Blockchain.com said the product also allows accounts to be funded directly with Bitcoin (BTC) from the user’s wallet in a single transaction, avoiding conversions or transfers across platforms. The company said it expects to expand the offering with additional asset classes, including foreign exchange, stocks and commodities, in the near future.
Blockchain.com, launched in 2011 and based in Malta, is a crypto services platform offering wallets, trading and infrastructure tools for retail and institutional users.
Related: HYPE hits 2026 high as Hyperliquid volumes soar: Is the rally sustainable?
Perpetual futures expand beyond crypto into multi-asset trading
Perpetual futures trading is expanding beyond cryptocurrencies into equities, commodities and other asset classes, as centralized and decentralized exchanges continue to broaden their offerings beyond digital assets.
In February, crypto exchange Kraken launched tokenized equity perpetual futures for non-US clients, offering 24/7 leveraged exposure to US stocks, indexes and commodities through crypto-based derivatives.
The following month, Coinbase launched stock-based perpetual futures for non-US users, offering leveraged, cash-settled exposure to major US equities as part of its push to expand 24/7 multi-asset trading.
On Tuesday, website The Information reported that prediction market platform Kalshi is exploring entry into crypto derivatives, with plans to offer perpetual futures trading in the United States.
Hyperliquid has also expanded beyond crypto-native markets. Data from the platform shows that commodity- and index-linked perpetual contracts, including oil, the S&P 500 and silver, rank among its most actively traded markets by volume, alongside major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether.
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