CryptoBreaking is excited to announce a brand-new giveaway for our community in partnership with The Bitcoin Conference.

We are giving away 3 free General Admission passes to Bitcoin 2026, taking place at The Venetian in Las Vegas from April 27 to April 29, 2026.

This is your chance to be part of the world’s largest and most influential Bitcoin event, completely free.

Bitcoin 2026 will bring together builders, investors, entrepreneurs, developers, and Bitcoin believers from around the world for three days of networking, innovation, and the future of sound money.

According to the organizers, this year’s event will once again continue the momentum of what has already become the biggest Bitcoin gathering in the world, following the success of previous editions that attracted tens of thousands of attendees.

If you want a chance to attend, all you need to do is register through the form embedded on this page.

How to Enter the Giveaway

Entering is simple.

Just fill out the registration form below with your:

• First name

• Last name

• Email address

Once you complete the form, you will be officially entered into the draw for one of the 3 General Admission passes.

Important: registration through this page is the only valid way to enter the giveaway.

What the Winners Will Receive

The three selected winners will each receive one Bitcoin 2026 General Admission pass.

The GA Pass is designed for newcomers and the Bitcoin-curious, and includes:

• Access on Days 2 and 3 only: April 28 and April 29, 2026

• Entry to the Main Stage

• Entry to the Genesis Stage

• Access to the Expo Hall

Please note that the giveaway covers the General Admission ticket only. Travel, accommodation, and any upgrades are not included.

Upgrade Option and Hotel Benefit

The giveaway tickets are GA passes, which also give winners the option to upgrade separately if they wish.

According to the organizers, GA ticket holders who upgrade may be eligible for a significant hotel discount package, with savings of up to $800.

This makes the GA option especially attractive for attendees who may want flexibility while still keeping costs lower.

Special Discount for CryptoBreaking Readers

Prefer to secure your spot right away instead of waiting for the giveaway results?

CryptoBreaking readers can use the promo code CryptoBreaking10 at checkout to receive an exclusive 10% discount on tickets for Bitcoin 2026.

If you already know you want to attend, this is a great way to lock in your place early and save on your purchase.

For full event details and tickets, visit the official website:
https://2026.b.tc/

Why Attend Bitcoin 2026

Bitcoin 2026 is being presented as more than just a conference. It is a global meeting point for the Bitcoin ecosystem, where ideas, innovation, and opportunity come together.

As described by the organizers:

Bitcoin 2026 is where the global Bitcoin community comes alive, uniting builders, thinkers, and believers to push the boundaries of sound money and financial freedom.

The event will take place at The Venetian, Las Vegas, one of the city’s most iconic venues, and is expected to attract major names, companies, media, and Bitcoin leaders from across the industry.

Giveaway Rules

• The giveaway is open to anyone

• Entry is valid only through the form embedded on this page

• Only one entry per person is allowed

• Three winners will be selected at random

• Each winner will receive one Bitcoin 2026 General Admission pass

• Winners will be contacted by email

• If a selected winner does not respond in time, another winner may be chosen

• By entering, participants agree to subscribe to the CryptoBreaking newsletter

• Travel, hotel, visa, and personal expenses are not included

Privacy and Email Registration

By entering this giveaway, you agree to subscribe to the CryptoBreaking newsletter, which is required in order to participate.

Your information will be used only for giveaway-related communications, winner notification, and future CryptoBreaking updates. Winner details may be shared with the event organizers only for the purpose of ticket registration and delivery.

You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.

Register Now

If you want a chance to attend Bitcoin 2026 in Las Vegas for free, make sure to register as soon as possible.

The earlier you enter, the better, so winners can be selected in time and begin planning their trip.

Complete the form below now and secure your chance to win one of the 3 free GA passes.

TLDR

• Stock futures for the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq posted gains Friday morning following a sharp decline the previous day, supported by a modest retreat in oil prices.
• Brent crude momentarily breached the $100 per barrel mark for the first time since August 2022, subsequently falling back to approximately $99.
• Analysts describe the current oil supply disruption, linked to the Iran conflict entering its second week with the Strait of Hormuz remaining blocked, as historically unprecedented.
• Bitcoin climbed above $70,000, with market observers pointing to a social media message from Trump as a potential catalyst for the cryptocurrency’s advance.
• Market expectations for Federal Reserve policy have shifted dramatically, with traders now pricing in a 47% probability of no rate cuts in 2026, compared to merely 3% four weeks earlier, amid mounting inflation concerns.

Friday morning brought relief to US equity markets as stock futures posted modest gains after Thursday’s bruising session pushed all three primary indices to their 2026 lows. Futures contracts for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 each advanced between 0.3% and 0.4% during early trading hours.

The upward movement came after an Axios report suggested a potential breakthrough in the Middle East crisis. According to the report, President Donald Trump informed fellow world leaders during a Wednesday virtual summit that Iran was on the verge of capitulation. However, official White House confirmation of these statements has not been forthcoming.

Contradicting any notion of imminent surrender, Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, doubled down on Thursday with pledges to continue hostilities. He explicitly stated Iran’s intention to maintain the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global petroleum shipments.

As the confrontation between Iran and Israel stretches into its second week, military operations continue to intensify. Fresh Israeli strikes targeted Tehran, while evidence suggests Iranian involvement in missile attacks affecting Dubai and Turkey. The United States military also reported the tragic loss of four service members in a refueling aircraft accident.

Oil Pulls Back But Stays Elevated

Oil prices experienced a modest decline Friday following days of turbulent trading. West Texas Intermediate crude futures dropped approximately 2% to trade beneath $94 per barrel. Brent crude, the global pricing benchmark, retreated from the psychologically significant $100 threshold after closing above that level Thursday for the first time in over two years.

Energy market experts characterize the current supply disruption as unparalleled in scope and severity. Washington responded by issuing its second exemption permitting purchases of previously sanctioned Russian petroleum, attempting to alleviate supply constraints.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Indian government representatives are engaged in intensive negotiations with Tehran to secure passage for no fewer than 23 oil tankers currently stranded due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Indian officials suggest initial transit approvals could materialize within days.

Fed Rate Cut Bets Fall Sharply

The petroleum-fueled inflation anxiety is fundamentally altering market projections for Federal Reserve monetary policy. CME FedWatch data reveals traders now assign a 47% likelihood to the scenario where the central bank implements zero interest rate reductions throughout 2026. This represents a dramatic shift from the 3% probability assigned to this outcome just one month prior.

Friday morning saw the 10-year Treasury yield holding at 4.28%. Meanwhile, the US dollar index gained 0.3%, reaching its strongest position in three and a half months.

Market participants eagerly awaited Friday’s release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve’s favored inflation measurement tool. Additional economic data including fourth quarter GDP figures and the January JOLTS employment openings report were also on the calendar.

Bitcoin broke through the $70,000 barrier in early Friday trading. Market commentators suggested a social media message from former President Trump may have contributed to the cryptocurrency’s upward momentum. Gold was tracking toward a weekly decline, pressured by dollar strength.

Thursday witnessed Brent crude’s most substantial single-session percentage increase since May 2020, highlighting the extraordinary volatility characterizing this week’s energy market trading.

• Bitcoin is charging toward $73,000 amid a fresh decoupling from the stock market.
• The surge in BTC price comes despite fears around escalating oil prices.
• Ethereum, XRP, and Solana are also eyeing momentum as traditional assets falter.

Bitcoin climbed past $72,500 on Friday, extending gains ahead of the Wall Street open.

The cryptocurrency had earlier broken above $72,000 after buyers pushed it out of a consolidation range below $70,000.

The move came as digital assets appeared to shrug off a broader sell-off in equities.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading around $72,518, up roughly 4% over the past 24 hours.

The rally to intraday highs came even as Asian stocks declined and S&P 500 futures slipped amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

Ethereum followed Bitcoin higher, touching intraday highs near $2,157.

Other major altcoins, including XRP, Solana, and BNB, also posted gains around key price levels.

BTC eyes $73k

Analysts attribute BTC’s uptick to crypto’s resilience in recent weeks despite the slump in sentiment following Israel and the United States’ attack on Iran.

While the war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have stoked fears of inflation amid soaring oil prices, on-chain data suggests whales have used the dip for accumulation.

The crypto market has largely weathered the initial storm of the Iran war, and analysts are pointing to fresh decoupling from broader risk asset sentiment.

Amid this potential momentum buildup, Bitcoin is targeting its highest level in nearly two weeks.

After dipping to lows of $63,000 on February 28, BTC pumped to above $74,000 on March 4.

Four consecutive red days saw bears push the bellwether crypto asset to lows of $65,000.

Since then, it’s been up on the daily chart as bulls target a fifth green candle.

If this happens, a breakout above $73,000 could bring the $75k-$78k region into play.

The 100-day simple moving average could offer the next resistance zone around $81,162.

Why could BTC see a sharp pullback?

This downside outlook aligns with potential fragility catalysed by geopolitical uncertainty and global oil pressures.

According to analysts, higher prices reinforce inflation risks and constrain risk appetite as yields rise and the US dollar strengthens.

Meanwhile, BTC and crypto may also face a downturn in momentum as investors slash odds of immediate Fed rate cuts.

Glassnode highlighted this picture via X:

“An accumulation cluster is forming in the $62k–$72k range. However, its intensity is modest relative to prior phases that preceded sustained expansions. Conviction is building, but the foundation for a mid-term breakout remains thin so far.”

Investors could thus go for profit-taking.

On the downside, immediate support lies at the psychological support level at $70,000. A stronger floor could be at prior lows near $66,250.

Banking giants HSBC and Standard Chartered are expected to be among the first institutions to receive stablecoin issuer licenses in Hong Kong, marking a major step in the city’s effort to build a regulated digital-asset ecosystem.

Hong Kong poised to grant first stablecoin licenses to HSBC, Standard Chartered

The approvals, which could come within weeks, would allow banks to issue stablecoins under Hong Kong’s new regulatory regime overseen by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), according to Bloomberg sources.

Hong Kong introduced its stablecoin licensing framework through the Stablecoin Ordinance, which took effect in 2025 and requires issuers of fiat-referenced stablecoins to obtain regulatory approval. The law is part of the city’s broader push to position itself as a global hub for digital assets while ensuring financial stability and investor protection.

Officials have said only a limited number of licenses will be granted in the first round after regulators reviewed dozens of applications. Sources said as many as 36 firms initially expressed interest in obtaining stablecoin issuer permits.

Standard Chartered has already signaled plans to issue a Hong Kong dollar-pegged stablecoin through a joint venture, while HSBC’s potential approval is notable because the bank did not participate in the HKMA’s earlier stablecoin sandbox program used to test prospective issuers.

The move highlights Hong Kong’s attempt to strike a balance between innovation and regulation as traditional financial institutions increasingly explore blockchain-based payment systems.

Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to fiat currencies or other assets, are widely used in digital-asset markets and are increasingly being considered for cross-border payments and financial settlements.

Hong Kong’s regulatory push comes amid intensifying competition among global financial centers to attract crypto firms and digital-asset investment.

Opinion by: David Azubike, lead analyst at Blocksquare

Prediction markets are no longer an experimental corner of crypto. Data now shows something durable: a financial category with sustained volume, diversified participation and increasing institutional attention. Prediction markets are emerging as a new “arbitrage arena” for crypto traders.

Monthly notional volume in prediction markets scaled to more than $13 billion by late 2025 from less than $100 million in early 2024 as markets diversified across verticals, according to a joint research report from Dune and Keyrock. 

The implication is straightforward: Prediction markets have scaled beyond their breakout moment. Despite recent regulatory action seeking to restrict prediction markets, trading volumes have continued to rise.

As the category matures, the primary risk is shifting. Liquidity and user acquisition are no longer the binding constraints; trust is.

An important layer of trust, separate from regulation and custody, is resolution.

Resolution becomes the bottleneck

Resolution architecture matters because the category is expanding into increasingly contentious domains.

Sports markets routinely involve edge cases around officiating, timing and data sources. Political markets hinge on definitions, certification procedures and legal interpretation. Macro markets depend on methodology changes and release schedules.

As the surface area grows, so does the frequency of contested outcomes.

When resolution is opaque or discretionary, engagement declines quietly. When resolution is adversarial and economically secured, users begin to treat it as financial infrastructure.

This mirrors earlier transitions in crypto. Custody, execution and liquidation were once product features. Over time, they became system properties that institutions expected to be predictable and auditable.

Resolution is undergoing the same transition in prediction markets.

Resolution as infrastructure

Every prediction market makes the same promise. Traders buy conditional claims on a future outcome, and the system must deterministically convert those claims into redeemable value once the event has occurred. If that conversion is slow, ambiguous or discretionary, traders price in resolution risk. When resolution risk becomes material, serious capital concentrates in only a handful of headline markets and avoids the rest of the venue.

This is why resolution architecture is becoming a very important layer in the modern prediction stack.

In most designs, a market is created and linked to a specific oracle question with explicit resolution criteria. Users trade YES or NO outcome tokens that represent conditional claims. These claims are typically implemented using conditional token standards that can only be redeemed after the oracle finalizes an outcome.

Related: Crypto.com launches standalone prediction market app ‘OG’

Once the event has occurred, an answer is proposed to the oracle. Optimistic oracle designs assume correctness by default, but require the proposer to post a bond. This bond creates a financial cost to submitting an incorrect answer.

A fixed challenge window then opens. During this period, anyone can dispute the proposed outcome by posting a larger bond. Each challenge increases the bond size, raising the economic cost of manipulation.

If no dispute occurs, the oracle finalizes the answer and the market settles. If a dispute does occur, the case escalates to arbitration, where decentralized jurors rule on the outcome and the decision is enforced back into the oracle state.

From product feature to trust anchor

As prediction markets mature into information infrastructure, trust shifts away from interfaces and incentives toward resolution as architecture: the set of rules, bonds, challenge windows and arbitrage paths that deterministically convert outcomes into enforceable settlement.

The next wave of growth will not be won by whoever acquires the most first-time traders during a single headline event. It will be won by whoever builds infrastructure where resolution is as reliable as execution.

For builders, this changes the core engineering and governance priorities. Resolution rules must be explicit before markets go live, not retrofitted after disputes emerge. Question design must minimize ambiguity at creation, not rely on discretionary judgment at settlement. Bond sizes and challenge windows must scale with open interest, not remain static as markets grow. Arbitration paths must be predictable and enforceable. And resolution latency must be treated as a core product metric, not an operational afterthought.

When these properties are engineered deliberately, prediction markets stop behaving like speculative products and begin functioning as financial systems people rely on.

Opinion by: David Azubike, lead analyst at Blocksquare