A South Korean court overturned Bithumb’s six-month partial business suspension Thursday, according to Yonhap News.

The news agency cited legal sources, saying that the 2nd Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court’s Judge Gong Hyeon-jin had accepted Bithumb’s application for a stay of execution on the same day it was presented. There was no clarification on whether a 36.8 billion won ($24.6 million) fine was also suspended. South Korea’s financial watchdog imposed the fine and suspension in March, alleging massive violations of local anti-money laundering rules.

Bithumb, one of South Korea’s largest crypto exchanges, filed a request with the court requesting it end the suspension and fine imposed by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in March along after the regulator said it discovered the exchange had committed millions of violations of the country’s anti-money laundering rules.

The sanctions stemmed from violations of the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information, the Financial Services Commission said in March.

The FIU said Bithumb committed about 6.65 million violations, of which 3.55 million involved failures to carry out required customer identity verification, while 3.04 million were related to cases where the exchange failed to properly block transactions that should have been blocked.

While the court ruling ending the suspension is good news for the exchange, it follows reports that South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission has initiated a probe into Upbit, Bithumb and other platforms regarding the sharing of order books with overseas platforms.

The case against Bithumb is part of South Korean regulators’ increased oversight of the cryptocurrency market. In 2025, the FIU handed Dunamu, the operator of the country’s largest exchange, Upbit, a three-month partial suspension and a 35.2 billion won fine for compliance gaps. Korbit, a rival platform, faced a smaller penalty of 2.73 billion won along with institutional warnings.

Bithumb was established in 2014 and currently ranks among the largest exchanges in South Korea by trading volume, according to CoinGecko data. The end of the suspension comes two months after Bithumb mistakenly distributed billions of dollars worth of bitcoin to users.

Latin American users have increased their reliance on stablecoins, with dollar-pegged tokens now accounting for a larger share of crypto purchases than Bitcoin.

According to Bitso’s 2025 crypto adoption report, 40% of purchases on its platform involved U.S. dollar-linked stablecoins such as Tether’s USDt and Circle’s USDC, while Bitcoin accounted for 18%, the first time stablecoins have overtaken the asset in the region. The exchange based its findings on activity from nearly 10 million retail users across Latin America.

Bitso said the pattern points to rising demand for what it described as “digital dollarization,” as users in inflation-prone economies seek alternatives to weakening local currencies.

Countries dealing with persistent price instability and limited access to banking services have seen users turn to stablecoins to store value, make payments, and send remittances tied to the U.S. dollar.

While the U.S. dollar itself faces inflation, Bitso noted it remains comparatively more stable than many regional currencies and continues to serve as a dominant unit of exchange, making dollar-pegged assets attractive for daily financial use.

Growth in global supply has supported that trend, with the stablecoin market reaching roughly $320 billion, expanding across both emerging and developed markets. Regional use cases continue to centre on payments and cross-border transfers, where access to dollar liquidity often remains restricted through traditional channels.

Developments in local markets have followed. As previously reported by crypto.news, Mercado Libre introduced a cross-border remittance product in early April using its Meli dollar stablecoin across Brazil, Mexico, and Chile. The rollout came after the company discontinued its earlier Mercado Coin issuance this year.

Bitso’s report said Bitcoin still holds a central position in portfolios despite reduced purchase share, with the asset present in 52% of holdings in 2025, compared with 53% a year earlier. The exchange described Bitcoin as the region’s primary long-term digital store of value, even as short-term buying activity has tilted toward stablecoins.

Price movements over the past year have reinforced its mixed profile, with Bitcoin rising above $126,000 in October before retreating to levels in the low $60,000 range.

Research from MarketVector highlighted characteristics such as fixed supply, decentralised structure, and resistance to changes in issuance, placing Bitcoin alongside gold in long-term value-preservation frameworks.

Key Takeaways

• Data from DeFi Llama confirms April 2026 set a record for the highest number of cryptocurrency hacking incidents in a single month
• Security analysts documented over 24 separate breaches resulting in combined losses exceeding $600 million
• Kelp DAO suffered the month’s most devastating attack, losing $292 million in the exploit
• Drift Protocol experienced the second-largest breach at over $280 million, later revealed to be a sophisticated six-month intelligence operation
• Security researchers discovered an active exploit on April 30 targeting inactive Ethereum wallets

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The cryptocurrency industry experienced its darkest chapter in April 2026, setting an unprecedented record for the volume of security breaches. While the total dollar amount stolen didn’t surpass previous record-setting months, the frequency of attacks reached historic levels. Data analytics platform DeFi Llama documented that exploit incidents comfortably exceeded 20 for the first time in cryptocurrency history.

April Crypto Hacks Hit Record High, Exploit Losses Reach 651 Million Dollars

According to DefiLlama, April saw the highest number of crypto hacking incidents on record. CertiK Alert reported that confirmed losses from exploits totaled about $651 million in April, including… pic.twitter.com/rydZC5vVu2

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) May 1, 2026

Industry analyst Stacy Muur identified a minimum of 24 distinct security incidents by month’s end, calculating aggregate losses surpassing $600 million.

The month’s most catastrophic breach targeted Kelp DAO, a decentralized finance platform, resulting in $292 million in stolen assets. This massive exploit raised alarm bells regarding potential bad debt exposure at Aave, considered one of the DeFi ecosystem’s most prominent lending protocols. Multiple entities mobilized with emergency funding and contributions to address the deficit.

Drift Protocol, a perpetuals trading platform built on Solana, experienced the month’s second-most damaging attack with losses exceeding $280 million. Drift’s team later clarified that the breach wasn’t a conventional smart contract vulnerability. They characterized it as a “structured intelligence operation” that attackers had carefully orchestrated over approximately half a year.

Human-Targeted Attacks Overtake Technical Exploits

The attack methodologies employed throughout April have become a focal point for security analysts. A crypto observer using the handle CuriousCrypto on X highlighted that neither Drift nor Kelp DAO fell victim to coding flaws or smart contract vulnerabilities. Rather, malicious actors leveraged social engineering tactics to compromise individuals holding administrative key access.

This represents a critical shift in attack patterns. Enhanced code auditing procedures and technical security measures would have proven ineffective against these human-focused attack vectors.

Hyperbridge, a protocol native to the Polkadot ecosystem, also fell victim to attackers in April, losing $2.5 million. The perpetrator initially extracted roughly 245 ETH before deploying a fabricated cross-chain message to circumvent a critical security validation. This manipulation enabled them to create approximately one billion bridged DOT tokens, which were subsequently liquidated on exchanges.

Long-Dormant Ethereum Wallets Targeted in Mass Drain

Blockchain security analyst Wazz raised the alarm on April 30 regarding what appeared to be an ongoing exploit targeting Ethereum’s mainnet. Hundreds of wallet addresses, many dormant for more than seven years, were systematically emptied by a single attacker address within a compressed timeframe.

Wazz characterized the situation as a “new live exploit, worth flagging,” while acknowledging that comprehensive details remained unverified at that time.

The notorious Lazarus Group, a cybercrime organization with ties to North Korea, was reportedly responsible for approximately 95% of April’s cumulative financial losses, per security reports. This collective had been previously implicated in the massive $1.4 billion Bybit compromise that occurred in February 2025.

While DeFi Llama’s historical data shows three separate months where cryptocurrency losses exceeded $1 billion in total value, April 2026’s significance lies in the unprecedented quantity of individual attacks rather than aggregate dollar amounts.

On April 30, the Arbitrum DAO initiated a governance vote to authorize the release of 30,766 frozen ETH to DeFi United, an action directly related to addressing consequences stemming from the Kelp DAO incident.

April 30, 2026 – THORWallet has partnered with Swiss-regulated provider Unblock to expand global access to non-custodial Mastercard solutions, advancing self-custodial finance adoption. This strategic collaboration enables the issuance of non-custodial cards in over 175 countries, allowing users to leverage digital assets for daily payments within a secure, compliant framework.

Rather than choosing one of the larger established crypto card players such as ether.fi or Kulipa, THORWallet selected Unblock for a very specific reason: flexibility, regulatory alignment, and global reach.

Unblock is headquartered in Switzerland, operates under a Swiss regulatory framework and maintains offices in Panama, Medellin, and Miami. This international setup allows the company to support efficient card issuance and delivery across more than 175 countries, giving THORWallet the ability to serve users in almost every region of the world.Unblock is headquartered in Switzerland, operates under a Swiss regulatory framework and maintains offices in Panama, Medellin, and Miami. This international setup allows the company to support efficient card issuance and delivery across more than 175 countries, giving THORWallet the ability to serve users in almost every region of the world. With this extensive reach, we are uniquely positioned to scale globally with speed and efficiency, reaching users in markets that remain inaccessible to most competitors.

For THORWallet, the partnership is especially strategic because it is Unblock’s first non-custodial wallet partnership. This means both teams can build the product from a clean slate, instead of adapting THORWallet to an existing custodial model. The result is significantly more flexibility around user experience, card functionality, stablecoin rails and future premium features.

THORWallet was among the first wallets to offer a real non-custodial Mastercard experience. With Unblock, the company is now expanding that offering into a much broader global payment and remittance product.

The vision is clear: allow users to hold assets in self-custody, access stablecoin rails and spend through virtual and physical Mastercard products almost anywhere in the world.

For users in emerging markets, freelancers, digital nomads, crypto native teams and global businesses, this combination could become especially powerful. Stablecoins already provide fast global settlement. Mastercard acceptance adds everyday usability. THORWallet’s non-custodial infrastructure keeps users in control of their assets.

Together, THORWallet and Unblock aim to turn crypto from something users hold into something they can actually use daily.

As stablecoin payments continue to gain traction and Web3 neobanks become one of the strongest narratives in crypto, THORWallet’s partnership with Unblock positions the company to become a global payment and remittance powerhouse built on self-custody, stablecoins and real-world card access.

About THORWallet

THORWallet is a Swiss-based non-custodial DeFi wallet built to bring on-chain finance to everyday users.

The platform combines self-custody, cross-chain swaps, DeFi access, stablecoin rails and card-based spending in one mobile-first application. THORWallet allows users to swap native assets across multiple blockchains without relying on wrapped assets, centralized exchanges or traditional bridge infrastructure.

Since launching, THORWallet has positioned itself as one of the leading mobile gateways for cross-chain DeFi, giving users access to protocols such as THORChain, Maya Protocol and other decentralized liquidity networks. The app also offers real-world finance features, including Swiss IBAN account access, crypto card functionality and DeFi yield opportunities.

THORWallet’s long-term vision is to become a self-custodial on-chain finance platform where users can hold, swap, earn and spend digital assets globally while remaining in control of their funds.

About Unblock

Unblock is a Swiss regulated payment infrastructure provider building crypto enabled financial services for users and businesses worldwide.

Headquartered in Switzerland, with offices in Panama, Medellin and Miami, Unblock combines regulatory alignment with international operational reach. Its infrastructure supports fiat and crypto payment flows, card issuance and global distribution across more than 175 countries.

Unblock provides the payment and card infrastructure needed to connect digital assets with real world spending. Through its global setup, Unblock enables partners to launch virtual and physical card products, support stablecoin based payment flows and reach users across both developed and emerging markets.

Through its partnership with THORWallet, Unblock is entering the non custodial wallet sector for the first time, helping build a new generation of payment products where users can access global spending infrastructure while maintaining self custody of their assets.

This publication is provided by the client. The text below is a paid press release that is not part of Cointelegraph.com independent editorial content. The text has undergone editorial review to ensure quality and relevance, it may not reflect the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.com. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the company. Disclosure.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is suing New York, Connecticut, Arizona and Illinois for applying state-level gambling laws to prediction markets. 

The move follows a heated legal argument between states and companies like Kalshi, as they fight over who has jurisdiction to regulate the “prediction” platforms. Other states have issued cease-and-desist letters or sued the prediction markets.

Strategy bought over 56,000 Bitcoin. One of its last purchases in April was funded by a $250 million sale of the company’s common stock. 

In France, prosecutors have charged 88 alleged “wrench attackers” accused of attempting to extort cryptocurrencies from investors through violence.

Here’s April by the numbers:

US federal government sues four states for legal action on prediction markets

On April 24, the CFTC sued the state of New York to stop it from applying state-level gambling laws to prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. 

New York joins Connecticut, Arizona and Illinois as states targeted in federal actions asserting the CFTC’s authority over prediction markets.

States around the US are attempting to rein in gambling markets, namely Kalshi and those offered by Coinbase and Robinhood. States argue that gambling laws should apply to what are essentially sportsbooks, while the prediction markets claim they offer a form of swap contracts regulated solely by the CFTC.

An appellate court in New Jersey has ruled in favor of the CFTC and prediction markets’ interpretation. But a similar case in Nevada could fall in the other direction, making the issue ripe for the Supreme Court.

Strategy stacks 56,325 Bitcoin while STRC sits on sidelines

Strategy, the software company-cum-Bitcoin investment vehicle run by Michael Saylor, acquired 56,325 BTC in April.

The company bought 3,273 BTC (about $249 million) on Monday through common stock (MSTR) sales. According to a filing with the US Securities Exchange Commission, Strategy sold 1,451,601 Class A common shares and used the proceeds to buy Bitcoin.

STRC, Strategy’s perpetual preferred stock, did not raise any capital in that filing. Strategy has become increasingly reliant on the short-duration high-yield credit product for capital raises to buy Bitcoin.

After a lackluster month for Bitcoin in March, when the company’s BTC holdings were briefly in the red, Strategy is showing nearly 1% on its Bitcoin holdings as of Tuesday.

Global tokenized RWAs surpass $30 billion in distributed asset value

The total distributed asset value of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) surpassed $30 billion for the first time in April.

A Chainalysis report on the growing market said that institutions experimenting with tokenized RWAs are moving beyond their pilot programs and beginning to view onchain infrastructure as a practical solution.

This increased institutional participation and liquidity have led trading patterns in RWA markets to more closely mirror traditional finance, including responses to signals such as inflation and geopolitical risk. 

Five wrench attacks in April, French prosecutors charge 88 suspects

The trend of physical attacks on crypto holders continues, with five recorded incidents in April. Four happened in France, while the fifth occurred in England, according to Casa founder Jameson Lopp’s repository. 

The increasing popularity and publicity of crypto traders and executives has led to a surge in kidnappings and ransom attacks on prominent figures in the industry.

There have reportedly been 47 attacks in France alone this year. One executive from crypto wallet firm Ledger, which is based in the country, claims that this is because of the law requiring entrepreneurs to register their names and addresses.

France has cracked down on offenders. On April 24, the National Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office announced that it charged 88 offenders across 12 federal districts. 

Crypto executives are spending more on personal safety, and boutique insurance firms have even begun offering kidnap and ransom policies amid skyrocketing demand. 

Related: Crypto execs ramp up security as wrench attacks increase

Two US states now ban crypto kiosks, more move against Bitcoin ATMs

US states have been cracking down on crypto ATMs and kiosks amid scam and money laundering concerns. In April, Tennessee became the second state to ban them outright.

On April 13, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed House Bill 2505, making the installation of a cryptocurrency kiosk a Class A misdemeanor.

According to Coin ATM Radar, there are 560 crypto ATMs in the state. Operators and businesses hosting them will need to shut them down by July 1, or face up to 11 months and 29 days in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Indiana banned crypto ATMs last month. A number of other states have introduced strict licensing requirements and regulations. Vermont has a moratorium on crypto kiosks, and many cities have issued municipal bans on the devices. 

The American Association of Retired People has particularly supported and lobbied for stricter controls, citing the kiosks proliferation in scams targeting senior citizens.

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Crypto wallet startup Oobit has launched a Visa-supported virtual card for AI agents to make online purchases in USDT on behalf of businesses without human intervention.

The Agent Cards are funded directly from stablecoin issuer Tether’s treasury, meaning no fiat on-ramp or conversions are needed for AI agents to top up USDt (USDT) balances and make online purchases, Oobit said on Thursday.

The Tether-backed startup said the AI agents could use the cards to do anything from renewing a software-as-a-service subscription to topping up an advertising budget or even “spinning up cloud infrastructure at 3am because a workflow told it to.” 

They will also be able to trade crypto and stocks, Oobit advisor Alex Obchakevich added in a post on X.

Source: Oobit

Many crypto executives have shared the view that AI agents could become the dominant users of blockchain-based payments in the coming years.

In April, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong predicted that “There will be more AI agents transacting online than humans very soon,” echoing comments from Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire in January that “literally billions of AI agents” will be transacting onchain in three to five years. 

Oobit took the prediction one step further, stating that the “next trillion users on the internet” would be AI agents.

Agent Cards haven’t launched to the broader public yet

Oobit said Agent Cards launched to a founding group of businesses on Thursday and that onboarding would expand to a limited number of additional companies through June 30.

Businesses must pass a know-your-business compliance check to set up the Agent Cards.

Agent Cards work with AI agent frameworks offered by OpenAI, Claude, AutoGen and LangChain, Oobit added. 

Related: Stablecoins overtake Bitcoin in Latin America crypto purchases — Bitso 

Only one card is issued to each AI agent to ensure a clean identity and audit trail.

The crypto wallet startup said spend limits and merchant restrictions are enforced at the transaction layer to ensure that AI agents operate only within their authorized scope. 

Magazine: AI Eye: Agent wastes 14 hours of scammers’ time, LLMs ‘poisoned’ by Iran

Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Bitcoin (BTC) has flirted with the upper $70,000s as momentum returns, but the latest snapshot of the market suggests a delicate balance between short-term upside and a looming supply wall. With price hovering near $77,000, traders are weighing a potential push toward the $80,000 mark against a sizable resting orderbook and limited spot-volume ignition that could sap momentum if buyers fade.

Data from the perpetuals market and leverage metrics underline a nuanced setup: while the immediate setup paints a bullish tilt, the absence of sustained buying pressure and a clear liquidity absorption path may keep moves short-lived unless new volume arrives. In particular, more than $130 million of ask orders sit between roughly $76,700 and $79,300, implying a meaningful obstacle zone that must be cleared to extend gains beyond the current swing high.

Key takeaways

• Over $130 million in sell orders sit from $76,700 to $79,300, forming a potential hurdle for a continued rally toward $80,000.
• The market currently shows a negative futures funding rate and a small net negative long-short delta of about $1.47 million, suggesting a fragile near-term edge for bulls.
• A notable concentration of short-side risk exists near $76,800, where negative delta estimates span roughly $66.5 million to $189 million—raising the odds of forced liquidations if price dips there.
• Technically, BTC has held $75,000 as support and reclaimed the 20-day moving average around $76,067, after dipping below it earlier in the week.
• For a sustained breakout, traders are watching for a fresh volume impulse—spot or perpetual—rather than a relief rally driven solely by short-covering and liquidations, as recent activity has shown.

Orderbook dynamics: a wall to hurdle the upside

From the perspective of market depth, the current orderbook paints a cautious backdrop for bulls. TRDR’s aggregated data highlights a substantial supply zone spanning roughly $76,700 to $79,300, where more than $130 million awaits sellers. This cluster constitutes a meaningful barrier that must be cleared to push BTC beyond the $79,000 resistance and toward the psychological milestone at $80,000.

The presence of such a wall underscores the risk of a retreat if buyers fail to muster enough conviction or if a wave of profit-taking accelerates near the current high. Traders tracking orderflow emphasize that walls like these often mark battlegrounds where price action becomes choppy and prone to reversals unless a broader liquidity shift occurs.

Derivatives positioning: a tenuous short-term tilt

On the derivatives side, the negative futures funding rate provides a nuanced read on the pulse of the market. While not a definitive signal on its own, a negative funding rate typically indicates prevailing downward pressure from long positions funding shorts, which can be interpreted as a marginal tailwind for bulls in the near term. In conjunction with a small negative long-short delta of −$1.47 million, the immediate tilt remains modest and does not suggest a robust, durable surge rather than a fragile uptick that could reverse with a single catalyst.

Additionally, the liquidity picture tightens near certain price pockets. At around $76,800, the market shows a concentrated negative delta, with estimates ranging from −$66.5 million to −$189 million—implying short positions are heavily exposed and risk of forced liquidations is elevated if price moves into that zone. In practice, this creates a potential short-squeeze dynamic if buyers manage to push through the barrier, but it also raises the risk of sudden pullbacks if the squeeze stalls or fails to gain traction.

Price action, moving averages, and the path to a higher high

From a technical viewpoint, BTC has re-established a foothold above a critical short- to mid-term reference. The price action around $75,000 is being interpreted as a support formation, particularly after a period during which Bitcoin traded under the 20-day moving average. The 20-day moving average sits near $76,067, acting as a fulcrum for near-term traders as BTC tried to reclaim above this line after dipping through it earlier in the week.

Another point of reference is the charted channel and the notion of a support-resistance flip. In recent observations, a bullish scenario includes BTC timely piercing the channel trendline resistance around $79,000, followed by a renewed SR-flip that would establish $80,000 as a new support level. That sequence would be a meaningful signal of a shift in momentum, potentially inviting longer-duration participation from both spot and perpetual traders.

However, even with a potential breakout above $79,000, the market faces a practical hurdle: a genuine sustained move requires fresh participation. The absence of robust spot volume or long-leveraged exposure—despite occasional rallies—has tended to yield pullbacks once price nears the upper end of the current range. This pattern, visible in a 4-hour TRDR view, shows intraday moves often driven by liquidations rather than broad, durable buying support.

Liquidity dynamics: what would move the needle?

The market’s recent history suggests that a meaningful, lasting uptrend requires a surge in buying volume that can absorb downside pressure from sellers and push price into higher territory without a quick reversal. TRDR’s data emphasize that current rallies have often been short-lived, with much of the leg higher powered by liquidations rather than persistent spot buying or fresh long exposure.

Analysts watching the data point to a need for a volume spike in either the spot market or the perpetual futures market to sustain a breakout beyond the $79,000–$80,000 zone. Without that, the price action could revert to range-bound behavior, with the supply wall between $76,700 and $79,300 continuing to cap upside attempts and adding to the risk of chop as traders reassess risk and position sizing.

What to watch next

Market participants should keep a close eye on two intertwined factors: liquidity absorption and price discipline. If BTC can push decisively through the $79,000 threshold and hold above the $80,000 level, that would be interpreted as a meaningful upgrade to the near-term bias, provided volume corroborates the move. Conversely, failure to sustain the move, or a failure to attract fresh demand on dips toward the $76,000–$77,000 region, could invite renewed testing of the supply wall and a risk-off retest of the 20-day moving average.

In practice, the trajectory remains contingent on a balance of orderbook dynamics, derivatives positioning, and the pace of new market participation. As traders weigh risk-reward, the key data points to watch are the orderbook depth around the critical zone, the evolution of the negative funding rate, changes in the long-short delta, and whether spot or perpetual volumes pick up sufficiently to sustain a breakout beyond the current resonant levels.

This analysis reflects ongoing market data and is intended to illuminate what the next price moves might imply for traders and builders navigating Bitcoin’s current phase. For ongoing context, traders may monitor the referenced TRDR and Hyblock indicators, along with related technical analyses highlighting support-resistance dynamics around the $75,000–$80,000 corridor.

The U.S. Senate has approved a resolution banning senators and Senate staff from using prediction markets.

According to Senate proceedings, the resolution passed by unanimous consent on Thursday changed the chamber’s standing rules and took immediate effect.

Lawmakers tied the ban to the risk that officials exposed to sensitive information could profit from event contracts. 

“Engaging in any way in a prediction market or trying to place bets where we might have inside information deteriorates the confidence that our constituents have in us,” Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, who introduced the resolution, said on the Senate floor. 

According to him, the rule change ensures “no member of the United States Senate, no member of the staff of the United States Senate, can ever use that inside information as a way to monetize this job whatsoever.”

Ethics concerns drive Senate action on prediction markets

Recent concerns intensified after a special forces soldier involved in the plan to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was charged on April 23 with using classified information to place bets on Polymarket. 

The soldier has pleaded not guilty, while lawmakers have also raised concerns over well-timed bets tied to the Iran war.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer backed the rule change and framed the issue as a straightforward ethics matter. 

“Of all the issues we debate in Washington, this falls clearly in the category of a ‘no-brainer. We must never allow Congress to turn into a casino where members representing the public can gamble on wars, or economic crises, or elections, “ Schumer said.

“We should go further; this is a good start, but not enough. The administration and its employees must apply these very same rules too, particularly this administration, which shows such a troubling affinity to corruption and self-dealing,” he added.

Reaction from the House followed soon after the Senate vote. Republican Representative Ashley Hinson said in a post on X that she would introduce a similar resolution to ban the use of prediction markets in the House.

Prediction market operators also responded to the Senate action. Polymarket said in a post on X that it fully supported the Senate resolution and noted that its terms of service “already prohibit such conduct, but codifying this into law is a step forward for the industry.” 

Meanwhile, Kalshi’s Tarek Mansour also welcomed the resolution in a post on X and said Kalshi “already proactively blocks members of Congress and enforces against insider trading.”

The Senate ban lands as prediction markets face separate regulatory fights over whether event contracts should be treated as federally regulated financial products or state-regulated gambling activity. 

As previously reported by crypto.news, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued Wisconsin after the state filed complaints against Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood, and Coinbase over prediction market products.

Key Takeaways

• Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott requires unanimous Republican backing before proceeding with CLARITY Act markup
• Sen. John Kennedy refuses to commit support, partially due to grievances over blocked housing legislation
• Sen. Thom Tillis advocates for May committee action but insists on mandatory ethics provisions
• Contentious topics include stablecoin reward structures, DeFi regulatory framework, and presidential crypto business dealings
• Industry analysts estimate passage probability between 15–25%

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A comprehensive cryptocurrency market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act is approaching a potential Senate committee hearing in May, though significant Republican resistance and ongoing policy disagreements threaten to derail its advancement.

Tim Scott, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, has established a requirement for complete Republican consensus among his committee’s 13 GOP members before scheduling a markup session. While he confirmed recent commitments from Sen. Thom Tillis and several colleagues, achieving unanimous party support remains elusive.

In comments to Fox Business, Scott characterized negotiations as approaching the “red zone” for finalizing an agreement. His timeline envisions a bipartisan committee markup during May, potentially followed by floor consideration between June and July.

Tillis, serving as a primary Republican negotiator, has formally requested Scott to calendar a markup session and indicated that revised legislative text should be available several days beforehand. However, Tillis has issued an ultimatum: he will vote against the measure if it advances from the Senate without incorporating ethics safeguards.

John Kennedy stands among the Republicans withholding endorsement. Reporting from Punchbowl News indicates Kennedy’s resistance partially reflects broader dissatisfaction with the House and White House regarding a dormant Senate housing measure — extending beyond cryptocurrency policy itself.

Ethical Standards and Presidential Business Ventures Create Additional Obstacles

Democratic members have positioned ethics requirements as a non-negotiable element. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks stated that achieving bipartisan committee approval necessitates first addressing illicit finance prevention and ethical conduct concerns.

Chair Scott has argued that ethics-related provisions fall outside his committee’s jurisdictional authority. This leaves the matter unaddressed and potentially requiring separate legislative action before any complete Senate vote occurs.

President Trump’s cryptocurrency business activities have amplified scrutiny. Bloomberg analysis determined Trump has generated no less than $1.4 billion through various crypto enterprises, including involvement with DeFi and stablecoin platform World Liberty Financial. The Trump family additionally maintains a 20% ownership position in American Bitcoin, a mining operation.

Trump recently hosted an exclusive Mar-a-Lago event for individuals holding the TRUMP memecoin, triggering sharp criticism from Democratic legislators.

The House-approved version of this legislation, also titled Clarity, contains a prohibition preventing Congressional members and high-ranking executive officials from issuing digital commodities during their tenure. This provision represents an unacceptable condition for the White House.

Stablecoin Compensation Models and Decentralized Finance Remain Contentious

Separate from ethics debates, the legislation has encountered resistance regarding stablecoin reward mechanisms. Public disagreements between a senior White House cryptocurrency adviser and banking institutions have surfaced in open forums.

Decentralized finance provisions face particular examination. Legislators and law enforcement agencies worry that certain developer liability protections could impede financial crime prosecutions.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley is currently engaged in substantive discussions with Sen. Cynthia Lummis to resolve these law enforcement considerations.

The legislation confronts a critical scheduling constraint. The Senate enters a five-week recess period in August preceding midterm elections. Should the bill fail to clear committee and reach floor debate beforehand, its advancement prospects diminish considerably.

A cryptocurrency industry analyst assessed the bill’s 2024 passage likelihood at between 15% and 25%. Research organization Galaxy offered a moderately more optimistic projection, estimating approximately 50% probability.