Bitcoin BTC$77,853.52 tagged a 12-week high of $79,399 overnight before sellers stepped in during Asian morning hours on Monday, dousing a rally that setup the asset for a run to $80,000 for the first time since January.

Bitcoin traded at $77,705 on Monday morning, down 0.4% over 24 hours after climbing to $79,399 around 09:00 IST and reversing sharply through the Asia session. Ether slipped 2.4% to $2,329, Solana fell 1.9% to $86, and BNB declined 1.2% to $630. The rally that lifted bitcoin to its highest level since January 31 unwound by mid-morning Singapore time.

The push higher came on a report from Axios that Iran offered a new proposal to the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with nuclear talks delayed until after the U.S. naval blockade is lifted.

Asian equities ran with it. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 1.7%, the emerging markets index hit a record, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing surged 6% to its own record. Brent crude pared earlier 2.5% gains to up 1% at $106.50 a barrel.

Bitcoin briefly traded along with the risk-on move and then peeled away. The rejection at $79,399 has a clean technical explanation. Rachael Lucas, an analyst at BTC Markets, said $80,000 is where many recent buyers are approaching breakeven, which historically produces selling pressure as those traders rotate out of positions they were underwater on for weeks.

Bitcoin is up 16% in April, on pace for its first double-digit monthly gain since May 2025. Strategy bought $3.9 billion of bitcoin this month, according to Bloomberg, the firm’s largest monthly accumulation in a year.

Funding rates on perpetual futures across major exchanges remain negative on a seven-day basis at -0.13% per Coinglass, meaning shorts are still paying longs to hold positions, which is the structural setup that produces a squeeze if spot can hold above the recent breakeven cluster.

The Federal Reserve and European Central Bank both have policy decisions this week, and megacap tech earnings include the four largest U.S. companies by market cap.

Either the Fed or a single earnings beat could provide the catalyst the bitcoin tape has been missing. Without one, the third rejection from $79,000 in eight sessions starts to define the range rather than precede the breakout.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are rallying, and to those fixated on rising prices, the market may seem to be booming. Overall activity, however, tells a different story.

Leading the rally are Bored Ape Yacht Club and Pudgy Penguins. Their floor prices, the lowest possible acquisition cost, have climbed double digits in recent weeks, and their tokens have posted double-digit gains. Still, the comeback is unfolding with far fewer buyers.

Pudgy Penguins’ floor has climbed above 5 ETH, up more than 20% on the week, with 201 sales and nearly 1,000 ETH in volume over the past seven days supporting the move. BAYC’s floor is up 81% over the past 30 days, rebounding sharply from depressed levels.

Floor prices are an important metric to follow. In an NFT collection, the floor price is the lowest-priced item currently for sale. If the lowest-priced Pudgy Penguin on the market is listed at 5.38 ether (ETH), that becomes the collection’s floor. A rising floor generally means buyers are willing to pay up to get in. A falling floor usually means holders are rushing for the exit.

But beneath the headline price gains, the market’s structure tells a different story, as broad participation is shrinking.

According to CryptoSlam, global NFT sales fell to roughly $175 million in April from $304 million in February, while total transactions and active users both dropped by nearly half.

Average sale prices, meanwhile, more than doubled month over month, climbing from $30.60 in March to $67.38 in April. Those two data points describe the same phenomenon from opposite ends. A smaller pool of capital is concentrating in high-value trades in blue-chip collections, rather than a broad-based demand returning to the market.

Even within blue chips, demand quality varies. Pudgy Penguins is seeing relatively high transaction counts alongside rising prices, a sign of sustained activity. By contrast, collections like CryptoPunks have recorded similar weekly volume with far fewer trades, implying that a small number of large transactions are having an outsized impact on price.

Broader market signals remain mixed. Wash trading still accounts for roughly 50% of total volume, according to CryptoSlam, and aggregate trading profits remain negative, indicating that many participants are still underwater despite the recent rebound.

Taken together, the data points to a market that is stabilizing but not yet expanding. Prices are rising, but participation is falling, and activity is concentrated in a handful of collections.

At the same time, ETH is up roughly 18% over the past month, and BTC is up nearly as much. Some portion of what looks like an NFT-specific rally is simply beta to a crypto-wide risk-on move, with blue-chip collections priced in ETH catching the updraft alongside everything else.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis has lifted his opposition to Kevin Warsh’s nomination as Federal Reserve chair after a federal investigation into Jerome Powell concluded.

According to a statement shared by Tillis on X, the U.S. Department of Justice has wrapped up its three-month probe into Powell over the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation, clearing a key hurdle that had stalled Warsh’s path forward.

“I have been clear from the start: the U.S. Attorney’s Office criminal investigation into Chair Powell was a serious threat to the Fed’s independence, and it needed to end before I could support Kevin Warsh’s confirmation,” Tillis said. 

“I welcome the inspector general’s investigation. This is a necessary and appropriate measure, and I have confidence it will be conducted thoroughly and professionally.”

Holding a seat on the Senate Banking Committee, Tillis had been in a position to delay the process through a procedural hold or by withholding support, which would have prevented the nomination from advancing to the full Senate. 

With his backing now in place, the committee is set to vote on April 29, while a full Senate vote is expected to follow, potentially during the week of May 11.

Jerome Powell’s current term is scheduled to end on May 15. If confirmed, Warsh is likely to assume the role within days, placing him at the helm of the U.S. central bank at a time when monetary policy remains closely watched across markets.

Policy outlook and crypto exposure

Attention has turned to how Warsh might steer interest rate policy and what that could mean for risk-sensitive assets, including cryptocurrencies. Known for a cautious stance on aggressive rate cuts during his time as a Federal Reserve governor, Warsh has often been viewed as hawkish, a posture that can weigh on speculative markets.

At the same time, political pressure has added another layer to expectations. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged the Federal Reserve to lower rates, prompting questions about whether new leadership could lean in that direction. 

Warsh, however, has indicated that policy decisions would remain insulated from external influence, noting that no such pressure has been directed at him.

Financial disclosures have also drawn interest from the digital asset sector. Warsh reported exposure to more than 30 crypto-related investments, including holdings tied to Solana and activity linked to decentralized exchanges such as dYdX. 

The portfolio has led some market participants to view him as more familiar with the industry than previous candidates, even as his policy stance remains under close scrutiny.

With the confirmation process moving ahead, the focus now rests on the Senate vote and how quickly leadership at the Federal Reserve transitions once Powell’s term concludes.

Western Union is targeting May for the rollout of its USD-backed stablecoin, USDPT, as part of a broader crypto initiative that includes a digital asset network and a US dollar stablecard. During the company’s first-quarter earnings call, President and CEO Devin McGranahan framed the move as a turning point: “It is no longer a question of if Western Union will be active in digital assets, it is now how fast can we scale.” He added that USDPT is in the final stages of readiness and is expected to go live next month.

Industry observers have noted a growing appetite among traditional finance for stablecoins. In Europe, banks and corporations are increasingly selecting infrastructure partners to support stablecoin adoption, a trend underscored by comments from crypto custody provider Taurus’ co-founder about the shifting landscape for settlement and digital-asset rails.

Key takeaways

• Western Union plans the USDPT stablecoin rollout in May, positioning it as a cornerstone of its digital asset strategy alongside the Digital Asset Network (DAN) and a forthcoming US dollar stablecard.
• USDPT is to be issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and built on Solana, with the firm saying it will be accessible via exchange partners and supported by banking and financial institution partners along priority corridors.
• The company says its digital asset network will add its first partner this week, expanding a distribution channel that could reach tens of millions of crypto wallets globally.
• Stablecoins remain a dominant force in the market, with USD-denominated assets accounting for the majority of the roughly $320 billion stablecoin market, led by Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC.
• A stablecard allowing users to hold and spend stablecoins is planned for later this year, signaling Western Union’s intent to embed digital assets deeper into its money-movement platform.

USDPT: a foundation for Western Union’s digital payments strategy

Western Union announced USDPT last year as part of a broader push to integrate digital assets into its payments ecosystem. The company originally said USDPT would be built on Solana and issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, aiming to pair the stablecoin with the firm’s digital asset network to enable seamless use across its rails. In the latest update, McGranahan reiterated that USDPT is nearing live deployment and emphasized the plan to scale through a network of exchange partners that will facilitate access, conversion, and distribution to users, as well as direct settlement for banking and financial institution partners in priority corridors.

The aim, according to Western Union, is for USDPT to serve as a foundational asset that accelerates digital payments and settlement on its platform. By anchoring on a regulated USD-backed token and leveraging established liquidity channels, the company intends to offer an on-ramp for traditional customers into a growing digital-asset ecosystem.

Western Union’s approach reflects a broader industry pattern: a steady move by traditional players to embrace stablecoins as an enabling layer for faster, cross-border settlement and cash access. That backdrop has also been highlighted by industry observers noting that stablecoins are central to accelerating mainstream adoption across financial services and retail use cases.

For context, USD-denominated stablecoins account for the bulk of the current market, which DeFi analytics platform DefiLlama values at roughly $320 billion in total market capitalization. Tether’s USDt remains the largest with a market cap approaching $190 billion, followed by Circle’s USDC near $78 billion, while smaller entrants such as Sky Dollar sit in the low billions. These figures illustrate the scale at which Western Union’s USDPT ambitions will need to compete and coexist with established rails.

DAN and the bridge between crypto and everyday cash

McGranahan also described Western Union’s Digital Asset Network (DAN) as a bridge that will allow stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies to move through the company’s global payment network while providing access to real-world cash. He said the first partner for DAN would be announced in the current week, signaling an expansion of Western Union’s on-ramp and off-ramp capabilities for digital assets on a massive, existing distribution platform.

The DAN initiative is framed as a practical solution to a long-standing industry bottleneck: converting digital dollars into local currency at physical locations. In conjunction with Crossmint’s partnership disclosures, Western Union has previously noted that DAN would enable users to convert digital dollars into local currency at more than 360,000 collection points worldwide, broadening the reach of crypto-based payments for everyday use.

Additionally, Western Union has highlighted a growing ecosystem of partners designed to support USDPT’s adoption. In October, the company announced that USDPT would be built on Solana and issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, and that the arrangement would enable a native, crypto-enabled payments experience across its network. The emphasis on a robust partner pipeline—covering exchanges, custodians, and financial institutions—points to a strategic effort to embed digital assets into Western Union’s core money movement framework.

What to watch next for investors and users

From a market perspective, USDPT’s trajectory will hinge on how smoothly the partner network can scale access and liquidity, and how effectively the DAN can deliver a seamless crypto-to-cash experience for tens of millions of wallets. Western Union’s timeline for the May rollout will be a critical flashpoint to assess the feasibility of integrating a regulated stablecoin into a traditional payment giant’s operations at scale.

Beyond the launch, the eventual stablecard could further accelerate adoption by enabling users to hold stablecoins and spend them directly within Western Union’s infrastructure. The broader regulatory and interoperability questions—such as interoperability across blockchains, compliance controls, and consumer protections—will shape how quickly and widely these rails gain traction.

For readers tracking the evolution of crypto-enabled payments, the coming months will reveal how Western Union’s USDPT and DAN stack up against existing stablecoins and other digital-asset networks in terms of usability, custody, and integration with real-world cash access across a global network.

As Western Union advances its rollout, observers will be watching the partnerships in the DAN pipeline, the pace of USDPT adoption among exchange partners and institutions, and the practical rollout of the stablecard. The company’s next disclosures should clarify the scope of coverage, regional rollouts, and the ability of users to move fluidly between digital assets and cash within a trusted, familiar payments framework.

A new academic study says XRP price moves still depend heavily on Wall Street signals. 

The research found that digital assets have not yet become separate safe havens from traditional finance.

The paper was published in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management in April 2026. It reviewed daily market data from 2018 to early 2026 and studied how information moved across asset classes.

Stocks and bonds lead market direction

Researchers at Yildiz Technical University studied seven major financial segments. These included top cryptocurrencies, G10 stock indices, tech stocks, commodities, government bond yields and sovereign risk measures.

The study found that G10 stock markets, 10-year government bond yields and five-year credit default swaps often send the strongest signals. Cryptocurrencies such as XRP mostly receive those signals rather than lead them.

Moreover, the findings challenge the idea that XRP and other crypto assets move independently from stocks and bonds. The paper said crypto portfolios remain closely linked to traditional markets.

Researchers described this as “information flow” between markets. In simple terms, price pressure from stocks, bonds and risk indicators often reaches crypto before crypto sends signals back to those markets.

Crises can change market order

The study also found that market leadership can shift during sudden crisis periods. In such moments, sovereign risk tools such as credit default swaps can become stronger drivers of stock and crypto prices.

The researchers used Transfer Entropy and Independent Component Analysis to filter market noise and track cleaner links between assets. Their findings suggest that XRP price action still follows broader financial conditions, even as crypto adoption grows.

A new academic working paper says a small group of Polymarket users drives much of the platform’s price discovery. 

The study reviewed every Polymarket transaction from 2023 to 2025. The paper came from researchers at London Business School and Yale. It covered 1.72 million accounts, 210,322 markets, and about $13.76 billion in trading volume.

The researchers found that only 3.14% of accounts qualified as “skilled winners.” These traders had order flows that predicted short-term price moves and final market outcomes.

The paper said skilled traders and market makers captured more than 30% of all gains. Together, they made up less than 3.5% of all accounts on the prediction market platform.

Most losing accounts fund the gains

The study said raw profits did not always prove skill. Researchers tested trader records by randomly changing buy and sell directions 10,000 times across past trades.

The test found that only 12% of top earners overlapped with the skilled group. About 60% of “lucky winners” later moved into losses when tested on another sample of events.

The paper also said 67% of accounts marked as unlucky or unskilled losers absorbed the platform’s total losses. That claim challenges the wider view that prediction markets mainly reflect broad crowd wisdom.

Insider activity remains under review

The researchers also reviewed suspected insider trading activity. They flagged 1,950 accounts that opened shortly before one event and then went inactive after that event ended.

Those accounts moved prices 7 to 12 times more per dollar than skilled traders. However, the paper said this activity was too focused on separate events to explain overall market accuracy.

The paper comes as prediction markets face more attention from regulators and lawmakers. Polymarket is also reportedly in talks to raise $400 million at a $15 billion valuation.

The authors said Polymarket’s accuracy reflects “the wisdom of an informed minority, not the wisdom of the crowd.” Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan previously described the platform as “the most accurate thing we have as mankind right now.”