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Infini Hacker Returns After Exploit, Buys Ether Dip Worth $13M

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Crypto Breaking News

A wallet tied to Infini’s $50 million breach has re-emerged after nearly a year, showing activity as crypto markets wobbled and Ether was bought during a broad price dip. The exploiter’s address moved to accumulate Ether (CRYPTO: ETH) worth about $13.3 million as the asset traded around $2,109, then shifted the funds into Tornado Cash, a mixing protocol used to obscure transaction paths. Industry observers noted the pattern as a sign that the attacker remains engaged with the proceeds rather than exiting entirely into cash-like assets. The move comes months after the initial breach and subsequent legal actions, underscoring ongoing tensions between on‑chain theft, tracing efforts, and attempts to recover stolen funds.

The revelation comes as the market faced a broad downturn and a string of heavy liquidations. Data from Coinglass showed roughly $2.56 billion in leveraged positions wiped out during a single session, marking one of the largest forced liquidations on record. Ether slid to a multi-month low, briefly dipping to around $1,811—its lowest point since May 2025—before rebounding in the following sessions. The price action provides a unsettled backdrop for the attacker’s re-entry into the market, suggesting a strategy of leveraging recovered funds to pursue additional opportunities rather than an immediate exit into non-volatile assets.

Infini exploiter buys ETH dip after massive liquidations

The renewed on-chain activity has drawn renewed scrutiny from analysts monitoring the Infini case. Lookonchain captured a comment noting the attacker’s apparent skill at buying low and selling high, a paraphrase of the on-chain behavior that has characterized the flow of funds since the breach. The exchange of value aligns with a broader pattern where the attacker, after swapping stolen holdings into stablecoins, previously used market volatility to maximize returns on the remaining balance. The latest tranche—an ETH purchase in a period of heavy selling—illustrates the continuing dynamic between negative price pressure and opportunistic trading by the exploiter.

The Infini breach, disclosed earlier in 2025, involved the withdrawal of stablecoins from the project’s treasury and a disruption that led to tens of millions of dollars in losses. The stolen USDC (CRYPTO: USDC) was promptly swapped for Dai (CRYPTO: DAI), a step often seen in breach scenarios where attackers convert into assets perceived as less likely to be frozen. The latest transactions, observed on public blockchain data, indicate that the attacker still holds a substantial balance and remains active, using market conditions to optimize the remaining capital rather than fully unwinding the position.

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The attacker’s path after the exploit has included legal action from Infini. In March, Infini filed a Hong Kong lawsuit against a developer and several unidentified individuals believed to have ties to wallets involved in the breach. An injunction was issued in conjunction with the case, illustrating a concerted legal effort to restrain further transfers and to pressure the attackers for restitution. The litigation underscores a broader trend of cross-border legal strategies in crypto hacks, where on-chain evidence is used to deter further misappropriation and to seek accountability from individuals and entities linked to the breach.

The case also reveals prior incentives offered by Infini. Early in the dispute, the protocol circulated a 20% bounty for the return of the stolen funds, arguing that it had gathered signals about the attackers’ identities and devices. While this approach has drawn mixed reception in the security community, it reflected a pragmatic attempt to recover assets without resorting to more aggressive measures. Commentators note that the on-chain trail remains complex, with multiple wallets and cross-chain moves complicating the path to recovery.

Alongside the legal push, the market backdrop continues to shape the risk environment for asset holders and developers. Ether’s weakness during the recent sell-off and its subsequent stabilization highlight how liquidity and macro sentiment can influence on-chain theft dynamics. The combination of a high-profile breach, ongoing legal proceedings, and a volatile price environment creates a difficult operating landscape for projects like Infini and for the broader ecosystem attempting to deter and resolve similar incidents.

Why it matters

The Infini case is a clarion call for the industry on several fronts. First, it illustrates how attack proceeds can remain active long after the initial breach, with stolen funds used to participate in ongoing trading activity rather than simply being moved to stable storage. This persistence complicates both asset tracing and potential recovery efforts. Second, the Hong Kong action demonstrates that cross-border litigation is increasingly a tool in crypto security, aiming to secure injunctions, identify defendants, and gather evidence that could inform civil remedies or facilitate asset recovery.

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For users and developers, the episode underscores the importance of robust fund-flow controls and post-incident transparency. As exchanges and analytics providers document new on-chain moves, the industry benefits from improved visibility into attacker behavior, which can inform both security posture and policy discussions around prosecutorial reach and asset recovery mechanisms. In parallel, communities tracking on-chain activity must balance privacy considerations with the public interest in preventing and deterring theft, especially when attackers exploit high-volatility markets to maximize gains.

From a broader market perspective, the Infini developments come during a period of heightened liquidity risk and liquidity-driven price swings. The sensitivity of prices to large liquidations and the speed at which funds can be redistributed through mixing services highlight the ongoing tension between openness and resilience in the crypto economy. Regulators and industry participants alike are watching how enforcement actions, court interventions, and improved traceability capabilities will shape future breach responses and the recovery prospects for victims.

What to watch next

  • Progress in Infini’s Hong Kong lawsuit: judicial rulings, expedited actions, and any further injunctions or writs related to the attackers’ wallets.
  • On-chain developments: additional movements of the exploited funds, including any new transfers to or from mixing services and potential attempts to skirt tracing.
  • Regulatory and enforcement updates: any statements or actions from authorities that could influence asset recovery or cross-border cooperation in similar cases.
  • Updates from Arkham, Lookonchain, and other analytics firms on attacker behavior and new wallet activity tied to the event.
  • Market implications: how ongoing investigations and legal actions interact with liquidity dynamics and risk sentiment in the wake of the recent large-scale liquidations.

Sources & verification

  • Arkham data on the exploiter’s wallet activity linked to the Infini breach and its transfer route to Tornado Cash.
  • Coinglass data detailing the 10th-largest liquidation event and the roughly $2.56 billion in leveraged position wipes.
  • Historical reports on Infini’s $50 million hack, including the early swap from USDC to DAI and the subsequent legal actions.
  • Infini’s Hong Kong lawsuit filing and the court injunction related to the attacker’s wallets.
  • On-chain messages naming individuals connected to wallets involved in the breach and related court communications.

Infini exploit activity and legal action

The renewed on-chain activity around Infini’s breach illustrates how recovered proceeds continue to fuel trading activity, even as legal actions aim to hold attackers accountable. The ETH purchases executed during periods of downturn demonstrate that the attacker remains engaged with the funds, seeking upside in a choppy market rather than exiting entirely. The involvement of Tornado Cash as a mixer emphasizes the ongoing tension between privacy-focused tooling and the enforcement dimension of asset recovery. As Arkham’s traces and Lookonchain’s analyses show, such patterns can persist for months, complicating both tracing efforts and the prospect of fund recovery for the victim project.

Analysts caution that while the attacker’s continued activity may offer opportunities for investigators to piece together more of the provenance, it also poses ongoing risks to market integrity. The Infini case remains a touchstone for discussions about post-breach governance, the viability of bounty programs, and the role of regulatory frameworks in accelerating resolution. The absence of a definitive recovery creates a chilling effect for projects contemplating similar incidents, underscoring the need for robust incident response, transparent reporting, and effective collaboration with on-chain analytics providers.

Looking ahead, observers will be watching for any policy shifts that could affect cross-border litigation in crypto hacks, as well as the evolution of on-chain tracing technologies designed to unmask illicit fund flows even when mixers are deployed. The Infini case, while a single incident, captures a broader arc of risk in the crypto sector—where high-profile breaches test the interplay between market dynamics, legal instruments, and the evolving toolkit of investigators.

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In sum, the Infini hack continues to cast a long shadow over the sector, serving as a live case study in asset tracing, legal recourse, and the resilience of decentralized finance ecosystems in the face of sophisticated exploitation.

Tickers mentioned: $ETH, $USDC, $DAI

Sentiment: Neutral

Price impact: Neutral. While Ether moved lower amid the market sell-off, the report indicates no immediate, identifiable price correction tied solely to the on-chain activity linked to the Infini exploit.

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Market context: The incident unfolds amid a broader cycle of high volatility, record liquidations, and ongoing enforcement activity shaping liquidity, risk appetite, and asset-tracing capabilities across crypto markets.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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eToro wins New York BitLicense, expands crypto access to 48 US states

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eToro wins New York BitLicense, expands crypto access to 48 US states

eToro has secured a New York BitLicense and money transmission license, reopening crypto trading to New Yorkers and extending its US coverage to 48 states after a 2024 SEC settlement.

Summary

  • eToro has secured both a New York BitLicense and a money transmission license, opening its crypto platform to residents of New York.
  • The approvals mean eToro now offers cryptocurrency trading in 48 US states, following a $1.5 million settlement with the SEC in 2024.
  • The company calls New York “the heart of the financial markets” and frames the move as a strategic milestone in its US expansion.

Online brokerage and social trading platform eToro has obtained a coveted New York BitLicense and a parallel money transmission license, clearing the way for residents of the state to trade cryptocurrencies on its platform for the first time. The twin approvals from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) mean eToro’s crypto offering now reaches 48 US states, according to a report from Crowdfund Insider cited by ChainCatcher.

Announcing the launch, Andrew McCormick, head of eToro’s US division, said that “New York is the heart of the financial markets and a hub of innovation,” describing the expansion as “both a strategic milestone and a reflection of our commitment to responsibly advancing the next generation of financial market accessibility.” NYDFS’s BitLicense regime, introduced in 2015, remains one of the strictest state-level crypto frameworks in the US, with only a limited number of exchanges and custodians approved over the past decade, as repeatedly highlighted by outlets such as Bloomberg and the Financial Times.finance.

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The New York green light comes roughly two years after eToro resolved an enforcement action with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2024, the company agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty to settle charges that it operated as an unregistered broker and clearing agency, and subsequently delisted most crypto assets from its US platform while it overhauled its compliance controls. That retrenchment mirrored a broader regulatory crackdown on offshore-style token menus, with major venues trimming their listings in response to SEC and CFTC pressure, as detailed in earlier reporting by Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal on post-2022 enforcement trends.finance.

Since then, eToro has adopted a more conservative US stance, focusing on a narrower range of assets and building out its compliance and surveillance stack to meet NYDFS standards. By securing the BitLicense, the firm joins a small club of global exchanges able to serve New York retail customers, preserving a regulatory moat that rivals without state approval cannot easily cross. For US users, the expansion means a familiar social-trading interface will now sit alongside licensed incumbents in the country’s most tightly regulated crypto market, while for the industry it offers a template for how post-enforcement platforms can re-enter New York — provided they accept heavier oversight and a slimmer token set.

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Bitcoin’s (BTC) parabolic era may be over as old peaks are tested

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BTC's price swings in candlestick format. (TradingView)

Since its inception, bitcoin has been like a daredevil climber scaling new heights, rarely looking back at the ledges it left behind. Its price seldom retraced to previous bull-market peaks, even during long, grueling bear markets.

But that pattern seems to have changed, suggesting that the market has matured, and the era of runaway, parabolic gains is behind us.

BTC trades near old peak

Bitcoin has been hovering around $70,000 since early February – well below the $126,000 peak of the 2023-2025 bull run.

That $70,000 mark is important because it was the record high in the 2019–2022 market cycle. In other words, this bear market has retraced all the way back to a previous summit.

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This is unusual. In earlier bear markets, such as those in 2014 and 2018, bitcoin never returned to prior cycle highs. The exception was 2022, when prices dipped under the 2017 high of $20,000. At the time, analysts dismissed it as an anomaly, blaming crypto scams and massive deleveraging.

What makes the current retrace remarkable is that it’s happening without any extreme catalysts. The market has simply returned to a prior peak as part of the natural ebb of a bear cycle.

BTC's price swings in candlestick format. (TradingView)

Slowing growth and the law of diminishing returns

Each new bull run isn’t generating the parabolic gains of the past. Pushing prices far beyond previous peaks is getting harder, which makes retraces to old highs more natural. In other words, previous peaks are no longer untouchable.

This is a clear example of the law of diminishing returns. As bitcoin becomes more expensive, moving prices higher requires ever-larger sums of capital. The days when modest inflows could trigger massive rallies are largely behind us, making price movements more measured and predictable.

Looking at historical growth highlights this trend:

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  • The 2013 peak was 38 times higher than 2011.
  • The 2017 peak was 16 times higher than 2013.
  • By 2021, the increase slowed to just 3 times the 2017 level.
  • The 2025 peak of over $126K was less than twice the 2021 peak.

While prices are still rising, the pace of growth is steadily slowing.

Institutionalization and broader market participation

Part of this slowdown comes from the institutionalization of Bitcoin and the growth of the derivatives market. Traders now have structured ways to bet on volatility, timing, and market direction, not just price increases. This broader participation has tempered extreme swings.

This is very different from the pre-2020 era, when trading was largely limited to buying and selling on the spot market. Back then, only bullish believers of bitcoin actively participated, often jumping in at the first sign of a dip.

Behavioral patterns and what’s next

Old peaks often act as strong support levels due to a behavioral concept called anchoring bias, where traders fixate on previous highs as reference points.

Many who missed the initial breakout tend to buy when prices return to these familiar levels, fueling the next leg of a bull run. This behavioral tendency, combined with the self-reinforcing nature of support and resistance, helps explain why the recent downtrend has stalled around $70,000.

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A strong bounce from this level could signal that the bear market has run its course, similar to late 2022, when the downtrend ended around $20,000.

However, if the law of diminishing returns is any guide, the next uptrend may be more measured and “tradfi-like,” rather than the frenzied rallies of the old speculative days.

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Shiba Inu Price Prediction: Time to Say Goodbye To Millionaire Dreams?

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Shiba Inu is consolidating below $0.000006 price level, a line that has flipped from support to resistance, dragging any bullish prediction.

Shiba Inu is trading at $0.00000597, up 0.93% in the last 24 hours, a modest price bounce that masks a bruising -4.4% seven-day slide, and the prediction is not looking good. The dog coin that minted actual millionaires in 2021 is now fighting to hold a six-zero price handle.

The 24-hour rebound followed a technical defense of the $0.0000056 support zone after six consecutive red sessions. Trading activity surged 70%, accompanied by a positive buy-sell delta of 27.4 billion SHIB.

On-chain data confirmed net exchange outflows of 112–125 billion SHIB, stripping near-term selling pressure from the order book. That confluence, volume spike, positive delta, and exchange drain are historically the setup SHIB needs before a short-term leg higher.

But can SHIB print more millionaires at this level? Are memecoins’ communities no longer able to catapult a coin?

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Shiba Inu Price Prediction: Reclaim $0.000007 Before April Ends, or Dream Shattered?

Shiba Inu is consolidating just below the $0.000006 price resistance level, a line that has flipped from support to resistance over multiple sessions, dragging down bullish sentiment.

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Key levels to track: support clusters at $0.0000056–$0.0000059, with resistance stacked at $0.0000060–$0.0000065 and a more meaningful ceiling near the historical $0.000018–$0.000020 range.

Three scenarios are currently in play:

Shiba Inu is consolidating below $0.000006 price level, a line that has flipped from support to resistance, dragging any bullish prediction.
SHIB USD, Tradingview
  • Bull case: SHIB flips $0.000006 with sustained volume, targets $0.0000065–$0.000007 within days. Exchange outflows accelerating would confirm this path.
  • Base case: Price consolidates between $0.0000057–$0.0000062, grinding sideways as macro uncertainty limits conviction.
  • Bear case: Failure to hold $0.0000056 opens a drop toward $0.0000050, invalidating the current rebound thesis entirely.

The 589 trillion SHIB still in circulation remains the structural ceiling on any millionaire-making moon run. People have noted SHIB’s sensitivity to external catalysts. The October 2024 Elon Musk effect pushed volume to $145 million in 48 hours, but that event is, by definition, unpredictable.

SHIB could deliver decent returns. Delivering millionaire returns from this market cap? That math gets harder every cycle.

Discover: The best crypto to diversify your portfolio with

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Maxi Doge Targets Early Mover Upside as Shiba Inu Tests Key Levels

Here’s the uncomfortable reality SHIB holders face: at today’s price, the multiplier required to turn a $1,000 stake into a million dollars simply doesn’t exist at current valuations without a market cap that would rival entire national economies. It’s arithmetic.

Traders chasing the next generational meme coin trade are increasingly looking at earlier-stage projects where the supply-to-price math still works in their favor.

Maxi Doge ($MAXI) is one presale capturing that rotation. The project has raised more than $4.7 million at a current price of just $0.0002811. The concept leans hard into gym-bro meme culture with holder-only trading competitions, leaderboard rewards, and a Maxi Fund treasury dedicated to liquidity and partnerships.

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Recent capital flows into the presale have drawn comparisons to early-stage SHIB momentum. Staking is live with a 66% APY bonus. For traders weighing SHIB’s structural ceiling against earlier-stage upside, researching Maxi Doge is worth the ten minutes.

This article is not financial advice. Crypto investments are highly volatile and speculative. Always conduct your own research before investing.

The post Shiba Inu Price Prediction: Time to Say Goodbye To Millionaire Dreams? appeared first on Cryptonews.

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Gold Price Prediction: Worst Month in 17 Years fo Save Haven Rock

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Gold price climbed 2.2%, but the bounce barely registers against a 12% monthly collapse, which resulted in a more grim-looking prediction.

Gold is hemorrhaging value. Spot gold price climbed 2.2% to $4,687/oz, but that bounce barely registers against a 12% monthly collapse that has the metal on track for its worst monthly performance since October 2008, which resulted in a more grim-looking prediction.

The safe-haven narrative is cracking.

The catalyst yesterday was a Wall Street Journal report that President Donald Trump signaled willingness to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains partially closed.

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“Gold prices are bouncing in early Asia-Pacific trade after U.S. President Donald Trump told aides he is willing to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran… That triggered a risk-on response from financial markets,” said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.

U.S. gold futures for April delivery gained 1.2% to $4,611.30 in tandem. The dollar eased, providing additional tailwind to greenback-denominated bullion.

Despite the daily reprieve, the macro structure driving gold’s rout remains intact, and Fed policy signals from Powell continue pointing toward a higher-for-longer rate environment that structurally penalizes non-yielding assets.

Discover: The best crypto to diversify your portfolio with

Gold Price Prediction: Can XAU Reclaim $5,000 Before the Fed Blinks?

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Today’s relief rally puts spot gold close to $4,700, up 1.5% intraday. This figure looks strong in isolation against March’s 13% drawdown from prior highs above $5,000.

Spivak flagged a critical technical signal: “Gold has been stabilizing for about a week now, with a rally last Friday a particular standout. That came alongside a drop in Treasury yields that seems to suggest the markets are starting to see the Iran war as a recession risk.”

Falling yields reduce the opportunity cost of holding gold, that’s the bull mechanism. Quarterly gains still hold at approximately 5%, confirming the longer-term trend hasn’t broken.

Gold price climbed 2.2%, but the bounce barely registers against a 12% monthly collapse, which resulted in a more grim-looking prediction.
XAU USD, Tradingview

For the gold price, if de-escalation holds, Treasury yields slide further, Fed language softens on inflation, gold can re-targets $4,800–$5,000 resistance recovery. Goldman Sachs maintains a $5,400/oz end-2026 target anchored by central bank accumulation and eventual easing.

However, if energy prices re-accelerate, the Fed signals no cuts through year-end, and Hormuz disruption deepens, a break below $4,300 opens the door to the low $4,000s.

Discover: The best pre-launch token sales

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LiquidChain Targets Early Mover Upside as Gold Tests Key Resistance

Gold’s struggle to reclaim $5,000 raises an uncomfortable question for capital allocators: if the canonical safe haven is down 13% in a month, where does risk-adjusted opportunity actually live?

For us, watching macro dysfunction erode established stores of value, early-stage infrastructure plays with asymmetric upside are drawing renewed attention, particularly those solving real structural problems across fragmented liquidity markets.

LiquidChain ($LIQUID) is a Layer 3 infrastructure project positioning itself as the cross-chain liquidity layer — fusing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana liquidity into a single execution environment. The architecture centers on four components: Unified Liquidity Layer, Single-Step Execution, Verifiable Settlement, and Deploy-Once Architecture, letting developers deploy once and access all three ecosystems simultaneously.

The presale is currently priced at $0.01445, with more than $630K raised to date, with more than 1700% APY in staking bonus.

For those looking for a gold alternative, research LiquidChain’s presale structure here.

This article is not financial advice. Conduct your own research before investing.

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The post Gold Price Prediction: Worst Month in 17 Years fo Save Haven Rock appeared first on Cryptonews.

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Pro-Crypto PAC to be Headed by Tether Executive ahead of US Midterms

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Pro-Crypto PAC to be Headed by Tether Executive ahead of US Midterms

Jesse Spiro, the head of government affairs at stablecoin issuer Tether, will be chairing the organization of a crypto-backed Super political action committee (PAC) to “actively support candidates” in the 2026 US midterm elections and beyond.

In a Wednesday announcement, the Fellowship PAC, a committee that launched in August 2025 and later claimed to have raised “over $100 million” from undisclosed backers aligned with the crypto industry, said that Spiro would become chair ahead of its first political endorsements for the 2026 elections.

The PAC said that it would support candidates in favor of innovation, regulatory clarity for digital assets, and open markets.

”We have an opportunity to ensure the United States remains the global hub for builders, entrepreneurs, and technological progress,” said Spiro. “Fellowship PAC is committed to supporting leaders who understand what’s at stake and are willing to act.”

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Source: Fellowship PAC

The addition of a crypto-aligned Super PAC with potentially hundreds of millions of dollars could be used to influence US elections. The Fairshake PAC, backed by Ripple Labs and Coinbase, spent more than $130 million on media buys in the 2024 elections, and reported having $193 million ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Related: Crypto awareness tops 80% among young people in UK: Coinbase survey

Fellowship filed a statement of organization with the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Aug. 7 and had reported no contributions or expenditures as of Dec. 31. Although the PAC has claimed to have more than $100 million in its war chest, it was unclear at the time of publication who may be responsible for funding the committee.

Cointelegraph did not receive an immediate response to requests for comment by the PAC.

Money from the crypto industry may already have been a factor in US state primaries, which kicked off in March. Although some of the industry-aligned candidates did not win their races in Illinois, there are more than seven months before the 2026 general election, giving PACs like Fairshake, Fellowship, and others the opportunity to sway voters.

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A debate on stablecoin yield is still shadowing a congressional crypto bill

Tether, the issuer behind the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, USDt (USDT), is likely to be affected by legislation being considered by US lawmakers in the Senate.

The House of Representatives passed a digital asset market structure bill in July 2025 called the CLARITY Act, which has effectively been stalled in the Senate amid debate over stablecoin rewards, tokenized equities, ethics and other issues.

As of Wednesday, the Senate Banking Committee had not rescheduled a markup on the bill which it postponed in January. It’s unclear if or when the bill could head to the full chamber for a vote.

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Magazine: A newbie’s guide to surviving crypto winter