Crypto World
Coin Center Urges Senate to Save Crypto Developer Protection Bill
A prominent US crypto-policy group is urging lawmakers to press ahead with a bill designed to protect developers from criminal exposure as the industry seeks a clearer regulatory path. Coin Center sent a letter to the Senate Banking Committee in support of the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA). The measure, first introduced in September 2018 by Rep. Tom Emmer, would be refined in a new draft authored by Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ron Wyden to clarify that software developers and infrastructure providers who do not handle user funds are not money transmitters under federal law. The advocacy comes as several developers faced legal action last year, underscoring the tension between innovation and enforcement. The letter, circulated publicly last week, argues that a robust, predictable framework is essential for the next wave of crypto engineering to thrive in the United States.
Key takeaways
- The BRCA aims to shield non-custodial software developers and infrastructure providers from money-transmitter penalties, reducing chilling effects on innovation.
- The latest BRCA draft, authored by Senators Lummis and Wyden, seeks alignment with existing internet-era protections by treating non-custodial actors as outside the money transmitter regime.
- Coin Center argues that prosecutorial risk without clarity deters builders and pushes talent offshore, threatening domestic development of blockchain technologies.
- The Senate Banking Committee is reviewing the BRCA draft but has not yet marked it up or advanced it to a vote, keeping the proposal in a transitional stage.
- High-profile convictions of crypto developers last year—spanning Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet-related cases—underscore the urgency of predictable, legislative safeguards.
Sentiment: Neutral
Price impact: Neutral. The policy discussion does not present an immediate price move, though clearer rules could influence risk sentiment and capital flows over time.
Market context: The BRCA debate sits within a broader regulatory framework taking shape in Washington, where lawmakers balance innovation incentives with consumer protection, enforcement precedence, and the evolving stance on decentralized technologies amid ongoing CLARITY Act discussions.
Why it matters
For the crypto ecosystem, the central question is whether the United States can provide a stable, predictable environment that encourages experimentation without inviting endless prosecutions against developers. The Coin Center letter frames BRCA as a legal shield for the “invisible engine” of blockchain innovation—the developers who build protocols, tooling, wallets, and infrastructure without directly controlling users’ funds. If enacted with clear limitations, BRCA could prevent well-intentioned creators from facing criminal exposure merely for building software that operates on open networks.
From a policy perspective, the tension is palpable. Proponents argue that clear exemptions are necessary to prevent a chilling effect on innovation and to maintain the United States as a hub for software development and crypto entrepreneurship. Opponents, and some lawmakers, worry that broad protections might erode consumer protections and create loopholes for illicit activity. The CLARITY Act framework referenced in the discourse adds another layer to the conversation, signaling that congressional interest in crypto regulation remains active and multi-faceted.
The heightened attention to BRCA also comes against the backdrop of a handful of courtroom outcomes tied to crypto activity. The conviction of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, along with Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and Will Lonergan Hill, illustrates how prosecutors are approaching unhosted or non-custodial ecosystems. Those cases—concerning conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business—have prompted industry voices to call for clearer, legislature-backed guardrails rather than relying solely on prosecutorial discretion. The outcomes to date, including prison sentences for Rodriguez (five years) and Lonergan Hill (four years), with Storm awaiting sentencing, have become reference points for lawmakers debating BRCA and related initiatives.
In practical terms, BRCA seeks to harmonize crypto development with mainstream internet policy norms, where service providers, cloud hosts, and developer ecosystems enjoy certain shielding protections as long as they do not exert direct control over user funds. As policymakers assess the BRCA draft, the central question remains: can non-custodial innovation be safeguarded without compromising accountability and legitimate enforcement? The discussions reflect a broader global trend toward regulatory clarity, with other jurisdictions pursuing similar guardrails for open networks and decentralized tooling, and the U.S. now weighing where to draw the line between risk and opportunity for builders.
Looking ahead, the dynamic between enforcement actions and legislative safeguards will likely continue shaping the posture of developers, exchanges, wallet providers, and infrastructure projects. The BRCA debate is not occurring in a vacuum; it sits at the intersection of evolving governance, enforcement clarity, and the practical needs of teams building on top of open networks that increasingly underpin real-world financial ecosystems.
As the narrative evolves, the crypto industry will monitor whether the BRCA language will be refined to balance innovation with risk controls, and whether the Senate will move from committee review toward a formal vote that could set a precedent for how future blockchain-led technologies are treated under federal law. In the meantime, the industry remains watchful of parallel legislative efforts, including ongoing discussions around the CLARITY Act framework and related regulatory initiatives, which could influence how developers and service providers plan and deploy new products in the months ahead.
What to watch next
- Keep an eye on whether the Senate Banking Committee marks up and votes on the BRCA draft in the near term.
- Monitor any amendments that define the scope of “non-custodial” roles and whether certain infrastructure providers receive wider exemptions.
- Watch for any official statements from lawmakers about the CLARITY Act framework and potential alignment with BRCA protections.
- Track outcomes of related enforcement actions and how they influence legislative tempo or sentiment among policymakers.
Sources & verification
- Coin Center’s letter to the Senate Banking Committee outlining the case for BRCA protections. View the letter
- The BRCA’s revised framework discussed by Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ron Wyden (new version of the bill).
- Convictions in 2025 related to Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet founders, including sentencing details.
- Context on the CLARITY Act and ongoing crypto-law discussions in the United States.
Regulatory push for blockchain developer protections advances amid prosecutions
The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA) is at the center of a renewed dialogue about how to safeguard the people who write the software and build the networks that power crypto ecosystems. The latest iteration, crafted by Senators Cynthia Lummis and Ron Wyden, seeks to codify a clear exemption for developers and infrastructure providers who do not control user funds, positioning them outside the federal money-transmitter framework. The argument is that such protections would not only align with the way other internet-era actors operate but also ensure that the United States remains a leading hub for blockchain innovation and engineering.
Coin Center’s policy director, Jason Somensatto, emphasized in the letter that the same logic used to shield everyday internet service providers—routers, browsers, hosting services—should apply to blockchain developers. He argued that granting these protections would foster a healthy environment for experimentation, enabling future builders to pursue ambitious projects without the constant shadow of criminal liability. The letter’s tone reflects a broader desire to avoid the “chilling effect” that a lack of regulatory clarity can produce, especially for small teams and startups that frequently operate with limited legal certainty.
The discussions occur as a pair of converging realities shape the regulatory landscape. On one hand, professional risk management and consumer protection remain priorities for lawmakers. On the other, a number of developers have already faced serious penalties in high-profile cases, underscoring the need for a stable policy framework that distinguishes core technology development from illicit misuse. The BRCA proposal, and the CLARITY Act framework that informs many conversations around this topic, aim to create a predictable baseline that reduces ambiguity for builders while preserving guardrails for behavior that breaches the law.
In markets terms, this is not a direct price catalyst but a policy stance with potential longer-term implications for liquidity and risk sentiment. If BRCA provides a credible shield for legitimate development, it could alleviate some regulatory risk concerns that have weighed on ambitious blockchain projects seeking to deploy on U.S. soil. Conversely, if lawmakers pare back protections or push for tighter controls, the calculus for new projects may shift toward offshore jurisdictions or alternative engineering partnerships, influencing where teams choose to locate their operations and how they allocate capital and talent.
As the Senate continues to vet the BRCA draft, industry observers will be watching for two key signals: (1) whether non-custodial definitions are sharpened to prevent circumvention, and (2) whether the bill coexists with, or diverges from, existing enforcement precedents. The outcomes will likely inform not only domestic innovation pipelines but also how international developers view the United States as a base of operations. With major debates ongoing and high-stakes enforcement cases fresh in the public narrative, the push for regulatory clarity remains a defining feature of the current crypto policy environment.
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Crypto World
XRP Price Prediction: Ripple’s 5B Token Reserve Hits Record as Pepeto Presale Goes Viral With $8.68M Raised
The xrp price prediction just absorbed its most significant supply event in months after Ripple unlocked 1 billion XRP worth $1.34 billion from escrow on April 1 and relocked 700 million the following day, pushing spendable reserves to 5 billion tokens for the first time, surpassing every monthly average from 2025, according to U.Today. With 300 million XRP now free to enter circulation, the supply overhang adds weight to a token already stuck in a tight range near $1.31.
But while XRP builds a case that could take years to fully play out, a different project has pulled $8.68 million in presale capital from wallets that recognized something the wider market has not priced in yet, and the fundamentals behind that conviction deserve attention before the listing reprices everything.
Ripple Pushes Spendable XRP to Record 5 Billion as Supply Pressure Builds
Ripple executed its scheduled escrow release on April 1 in two transactions of 500 million XRP each, then relocked 700 million on April 2, leaving approximately 300 million tokens available for distribution, according to CoinMarketCap. The company’s spendable reserves climbed from 4.968 billion in January to 5.08 billion by March, and the April unlock extends that trend further.
The xrp price prediction gets stronger on institutional timelines, but even aggressive analyst targets place XRP at $3, roughly a 2x from $1.31, and the wallets that created real portfolios in crypto understand that a slow double over years is not where generational returns live.
XRP Price Prediction Builds a Long Term Case While Pepeto Delivers the Entry That Creates the Stories People Remember
Pepeto: The Entry Where Every Signal Points in the Same Direction at the Same Time
The xrp price prediction carries real weight and the escrow dynamics add serious context, but the wallets that turned crypto into generational wealth did not get there by watching large caps grind higher over years. They identified the moment where a proven team, working infrastructure, and presale pricing all existed simultaneously, and they committed before the listing repriced everything. Pepeto is that moment right now.
The cofounder who grew Pepe into an $11 billion success now leads an exchange where AI screens every contract for risk before it goes live, where tokens move freely between Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana at zero cost, and where trading fees simply do not exist.
A former Binance executive shapes the exchange architecture while SolidProof verified every contract before the first dollar entered. The xrp price prediction to $3 requires years of institutional settlement volume to materialize. Pepeto operates on its own clock because its exchange model generates demand from the first trade, and BNB proved what that model produces by climbing from its own presale to a $90 billion valuation purely on platform activity.
$8.68 million entered during a correction because the wallets behind it calculated what exchange volume does to a token priced at six zeros. This is the setup that produced BNB millionaires, that rewarded early DOGE holders, that every cycle delivers exactly once. Once Pepeto’s Binance listing goes live, this presale price vanishes and every multiple attached to it closes permanently.
XRP Price Prediction After Escrow Unlock: Constructive Long Term but Timeline Stretches Forward
XRP trades near $1.31 according to CoinMarketCap with the xrp price prediction targeting $1.47, $1.61, and $2.40 on technical completions. The CLARITY Act faces its binary Senate markup in late April.
The escrow unlock and RLUSD’s $1.3 billion market cap reinforce the long-term thesis, but analysts note that scaling requires the CLARITY Act to pass and institutional settlement to grow, placing the largest gains in the 2027 to 2030 window.
Conclusion
Ripple’s treasury strategy is legitimate and the xrp price prediction has earned its constructive case, but the wallets that captured the biggest returns in every cycle did not do it by holding large caps through slow climbs. They locked in the window where a proven founder, live infrastructure, and presale pricing all overlapped before the listing closed it permanently.
Pepeto is that alignment right now with a cofounder behind $11 billion, an exchange verified and approaching launch, and $8.68 million from wallets that studied the fundamentals and acted while fear kept others frozen.
Skipping Pepeto at presale stage most likely means buying after listing at whatever price the early wallets decide to sell at, and watching the returns every trader dreams about belong to someone else. Visit the Pepeto official website while the presale window remains open.
Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale
FAQs
How does Ripple’s April escrow unlock affect the xrp price prediction?
The April 1 unlock added 300M XRP to circulation, creating short-term supply pressure while long-term fundamentals remain constructive.
Is $3 a realistic xrp price prediction target for 2026?
XRP needs BTC past $100K and the CLARITY Act signed into law. Without both, it stays rangebound near $1.30 to $1.50.
Why are XRP investors also entering the Pepeto presale?
The xrp price prediction offers roughly 2x while Pepeto at presale pricing with a $7B cofounder and verified exchange offers multiples XRP cannot match.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
TLDR:
- Japan’s 2Y, 3Y, 5Y bond yields hit all-time highs while the 10Y yield reached its highest since 1999.
- The US-Iran conflict has blocked 90–95% of Japan’s oil route, driving inflation fears and BOJ pressure.
- There is currently a 55% probability of a 25BPS BOJ rate hike this month, unsettling crypto markets.
- Each BOJ rate hike since 2024 has caused Bitcoin to drop between 20% and 35% within weeks of the move.
Japan’s bond market crisis is drawing renewed attention from crypto investors worldwide. Bond yields across Japan’s 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year tenors have reached all-time highs.
The 10-year yield also climbed to its highest point since 1999. These shifts are raising concerns about a potential Bank of Japan rate hike. Analysts warn this could trigger a crypto market selloff similar to Q1 2026.
Rising Yields and the Strait of Hormuz Connection
Japan’s bond yields are climbing primarily because of growing inflation expectations. The ongoing US-Iran conflict has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Nearly 90 to 95 percent of Japan’s oil supply passes through that route. With the strait largely blocked, energy prices for Japan are under significant upward pressure.
Higher energy costs feed directly into Japan’s broader inflation outlook. As a result, investors are pricing in the possibility of a hawkish shift from the Bank of Japan.
Crypto analyst Crypto Rover pointed to this connection on X. He noted that rising yields this week coincided with the shipping disruption.
When inflation expectations rise, bond yields typically follow. Japan is particularly vulnerable because of its heavy reliance on imported oil.
That dependence makes any disruption in Middle Eastern shipping a direct economic concern. Investors are now watching BOJ closely for any policy response.
Market data currently shows a 55 percent probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike by the BOJ this month. If the US-Iran situation remains unresolved, that probability is expected to climb further.
A confirmed rate hike could accelerate capital flows out of risk assets. Crypto markets would likely feel that pressure quickly.
BOJ Rate Hikes and Bitcoin’s Crash Pattern
Historical data shows a clear pattern between BOJ rate hikes and Bitcoin price drops. In March 2024, Bitcoin peaked near $74,000 and then fell roughly 20 percent.
In July 2024, it dropped 30 percent within a single week following a BOJ move. January 2025 saw Bitcoin fall 35 percent over several months after another hike.
The most recent example came in December 2025, when Bitcoin lost 34 percent in just six weeks. Crypto Rover attributed these drops to the unwinding of yen carry trades.
Traders who borrowed cheap yen are forced to sell assets when borrowing costs rise. That selling pressure then strengthens the yen and creates further liquidation.
The cycle tends to feed on itself once it starts. Asset prices fall, triggering more margin calls and further selling. Crypto markets, being highly liquid and volatile, often absorb the sharpest drops. Bitcoin and altcoins become exit routes for traders covering yen-denominated positions.
If the BOJ holds off on a hike, markets may stabilize in the near term. However, the bond market crisis in Japan remains an active risk for crypto investors globally.
The Iranian government’s bid to shutter Telegram in the country appears to have backfired, as millions of users find workarounds to stay online through privacy-centric tools and VPNs, according to Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
In a post on X, Durov said Tehran’s attempt to clamp down on the messaging app “years ago” has instead fueled a broader wave of circumvention. He noted that tens of millions of Iranians remain connected via VPNs and similar technologies, and he highlighted a cross-border effect as VPN-driven connectivity accelerates in Russia as well.
“The government hoped for mass adoption of its surveillance messaging apps, but got mass adoption of VPNs instead. Now, 50 million members of the digital resistance in Iran are joined by over 50 million more in Russia.”
Decentralized technologies—ranging from blockchain-based messaging to encrypted, distributed networks—are increasingly pitched as a way to counter state-imposed online restrictions and surveillance, offering users a path to private communications even when central authorities exert control.
Key takeaways
- Iran’s Telegram ban did not end use; tens of millions continue to access the service via VPNs and related tools, per Pavel Durov.
- The stance has produced a broader migration toward privacy-preserving and decentralized messaging technologies beyond a single app.
- Even as governments restrict access, parallel connectivity channels such as Starlink and device-to-device mesh networks emerge as potential backstops for communication.
- Evidence from protests in Nepal and Madagascar shows spikes in downloads of decentralized messaging apps during periods of social unrest, underscoring demand for censorship-resistant tools.
- For investors and builders, the episode highlights a growing divergence between regulatory attempts to control information flow and a user base willing to adopt privacy-native infrastructure at scale.
Regulatory push, user resilience
Iran’s January 2026 nationwide internet blackout, enacted amid escalating protests and ongoing regional tensions, marked a decisive move to curb online mobilization. While the blackout remains in effect, residents retain some access through alternative means—most notably satellite-backed networks such as Starlink, which the government has not fully blocked—and through local, privacy-forward apps capable of wading through censorship filters.
Among the most discussed workarounds is BitChat, a messaging application built to operate over Bluetooth and mesh networks. BitChat turns each participating device into a relay node, effectively stitching a communications mesh that can bypass traditional networks and satellite backbones. Its decentralized design aims to keep conversations flowing even when centralized infrastructure is restricted.
The broader ecosystem around decentralized technologies is also expanding to address similar scenarios elsewhere. BitChat’s architecture has drawn attention for its potential to offer an alternative communication channel when internet access is compromised. The project’s technical approach and practical uses were detailed in public repositories and whitepapers, illustrating how mesh networking can complement or substitute conventional connectivity in crisis conditions.
Decentralized messaging in the crucible of unrest
The wave of protests that swept across Nepal in 2025 and 2026 brought a notable surge in interest for censorship-evading communication tools. Cointelegraph reported a sharp uptick in BitChat downloads in Nepal during the social-media crackdown, described as a period when the government’s grip on information intensified. In the same breath, Nepalese protests were described as having a transformative political effect within the month, with the government reportedly toppled by demonstrators in that period.
Similar dynamics were observed in Madagascar, where a related surge in decentralized messaging adoption accompanied political turbulence. These patterns illustrate a practical use case for privacy-preserving and distributed communications during periods of blackout and unrest, rather than a speculative tech experiment.
Proponents argue that the trend signals more than isolated incidents. As governments seek to regulate or disable centralized platforms, users appear to gravitate toward tools that improve resilience, privacy, and autonomy. This shift aligns with a broader discourse in the crypto and decentralized tech communities about building communications layers that remain accessible despite state-level interference.
What this means for markets, users, and builders
The episode offers a tangible case study in how regulatory pressure can inadvertently accelerate adoption of decentralized and privacy-first technologies. For traders and investors, the takeaway is not a call for quick price moves but a recognition that demand for censorship-resistant communications could expand alongside ongoing geopolitical frictions and regulatory crackdowns in various regions.
For developers and infrastructure builders, the narrative underscores several priorities: enhancing the reliability of offline and mesh-based communications, improving the security and usability of decentralized messaging, and developing interoperable layers that can bridge traditional networks with privacy-focused protocols. The convergence of encrypted messaging with crypto-inspired incentives and governance mechanisms could shape new kinds of platforms that prioritize user sovereignty and resilience over centralized control.
While the exact regulatory responses and technological adoption timelines remain uncertain, the Iranian case—paired with parallel developments in Nepal and Madagascar—highlights a clear, growing demand for alternatives that keep people connected when conventional networks falter.
As the situation evolves, watchers should monitor how governments respond to a populace that increasingly expects and deploys private, censorship-resistant channels. The next developments could redefine how citizens, developers, and policymakers think about online rights, access, and the role of decentralized technology in everyday communication.
Source references and ongoing reporting from Cointelegraph and related coverage underscore the continuity of this trend as it unfolds across regions facing varying degrees of internet control and regulatory pressure.
The Iranian government’s attempt to block the Telegram messaging application in the country has backfired, as users find ways to circumvent national firewalls and online controls, according to Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov.
“Iran banned Telegram years ago,” Durov said on Friday; however, tens of millions of users in the country have managed to access the application via virtual private networks (VPNs) and other similar tools, he added.
VPNs route web traffic through servers distributed around the globe to mask the true Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of users and obscure their locations. This allows individuals with VPN access to bypass national online restrictions. Durov said:
“The government hoped for mass adoption of its surveillance messaging apps, but got mass adoption of VPNs instead. Now, 50 million members of the digital resistance in Iran are joined by over 50 million more in Russia.”
Decentralized technologies like blockchain, crypto and encrypted messaging applications can mitigate or neutralize state-imposed online restrictions and surveillance infrastructure, promoting individual liberty, proponents of decentralized technology say.
Related: Global turmoil pushes uptake of decentralized messengers, social media
Users turn to decentralized alternatives amid online blackouts
The government of Iran imposed a nationwide internet blackout in January 2026, amid growing protests and civil unrest, which is still in effect due to the ongoing war between Israel, the United States and Iran.
Residents in the country can still access the internet through Starlink, a satellite-based network, or communicate via BitChat, a messaging application that uses Bluetooth radio waves to form a mesh network between devices.
BitChat’s mesh network transforms each device into a relay node that transfers data to other devices running the application within range, bypassing online and satellite-based systems entirely.
The government of Nepal imposed a social media ban in September 2025 amid growing protests, causing a spike in BitChat downloads.
Bitchat was downloaded over 48,000 times in Nepal the week of the social media ban, and the government of Nepal was toppled by protestors that same month.
The application recorded a similar download spike in Madagascar amid protests, which also occurred around the same time as the political revolution in Nepal.
Magazine: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit a crime? Crypto lawyers weigh in
Bitcoin leverage rises as spot demand weakens across markets. Negative funding rates reflect stronger short positioning pressure. Institutional accumulation offsets declining retail spot activity.
Bitcoin traded near $67,150 as derivatives activity shaped short-term price behavior. Market data showed declining spot volume alongside rising leverage metrics. The trend pointed to increased reliance on futures positioning rather than direct buying.
Falling Spot Volume Signals Weak Market Participation
Bitcoin recorded a steady drop in daily spot volume over recent weeks. Activity declined from 42,026 BTC on March 17 to 35,590 BTC on April 2. The contraction reflected weaker participation in direct market transactions.
At the same time, open interest declined from $23.33 billion to $21.26 billion. However, the drop remained smaller compared to spot volume losses. This difference suggested that derivatives exposure stayed relatively elevated.
The estimated leverage ratio increased from 0.2207 to around 0.225. The shift indicated that traders relied more on leveraged positions. As a result, price action became less dependent on organic spot demand.
Rising Short Pressure and Liquidation Risk Build
Funding rates remained mostly negative across perpetual futures markets. This pattern showed that short positions dominated trader sentiment. It also indicated persistent pressure against upward price movement.
Liquidity zones below the current price appeared closer than those above. This structure increased the probability of downward moves in the short term. Long positions faced a higher risk of forced liquidations under such conditions.
At the same time, analysts highlighted that leverage-driven markets tend to amplify volatility. Price swings often accelerate when liquidation cascades begin. Therefore, short-term direction remained sensitive to derivatives positioning.
Institutional Demand Contrasts with Weak Spot Activity
Despite weaker spot demand, institutional buying activity continued to absorb supply. Exchange reserves dropped by 66.3K BTC over the past 30 days. The decline reflected ongoing accumulation outside public trading venues.
Over-the-counter transactions accounted for 92.1% of recent flows. In contrast, regular market volume contributed only 7.9% during the same period. This imbalance showed that large buyers dominated current demand trends.
Broader macroeconomic uncertainty still influenced market stability. External shocks could quickly push assets back onto exchanges. Such shifts may increase available supply and trigger rapid price adjustments.
Market Structure Reflects Mixed Signals
Bitcoin’s current structure combined strong institutional accumulation with weak retail participation. This mix created uneven support across different market segments. It also increased reliance on leveraged trading activity.
At the same time, declining spot demand limited organic price growth potential. Derivatives markets continued to play a larger role in price discovery. This dynamic added complexity to short-term market direction.
Overall, the market showed signs of fragility despite ongoing accumulation. Liquidity positioning and leverage trends suggested elevated risk levels. As a result, near-term movements remained vulnerable to sudden shifts.
Solana-based perpetual futures exchange Drift Protocol is facing mounting scrutiny following the catastrophic $285 million exploit it suffered this week.
The backlash is being driven by a highly speculative recovery strategy and suspicious post-hack token movements.
Drift Team Linked Wallet Shifts Over $2 Million Tokens
On April 4, blockchain analysis platform Onchain Lens reported that a wallet linked to the Drift team deposited 56.25 million DRIFT tokens into centralized exchanges Bybit and Gate after the hacking incident. The tokens were valued at $2.44 million.
Transfers to exchanges are typically interpreted as a sign of potential selling activity. The timing has added to the concern, with the token falling to an all-time low of $0.03343 over the past 24 hours.
The move has drawn significant scrutiny from the community because it comes while the project is still dealing with the fallout from the hack.
That has made the transfer of internal funds to secondary markets during a severe liquidity crisis especially contentious. It has also raised fresh concerns about possible asset flight and complicated efforts to rebuild user trust.
On April 1, North Korean attackers hacked Drift Protocol, draining around $280 million. This slashed the platform’s total value locked from $550 million to about $230 million as of press time.
The April 1 attack ranks as the largest decentralized finance hack of 2026 so far. The fallout has continued to spread, with reports indicating that the number of affected projects has now risen to 20.
The breach also stands as the second-largest hack in Solana’s history, behind only the $326 million Wormhole exploit in 2022.
Solana Co-Founder Proposed Recovery Strategy
Amid the ongoing crisis, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko publicly suggested that Drift could survive by executing an “airdrop” of IOU tokens.
This mirrors the strategy employed by the centralized exchange Bitfinex following its $72 million hack in 2016.
Yakovenko said a core engineering team could rebuild the platform and use the IOU tokens to eventually make affected users whole.
Market analysts, however, point to major structural differences between the two cases.
Bitfinex benefited from a dominant position in centralized trading and recurring fee revenue during a historic crypto bull market. This allowed the exchange to gradually buy back its debt tokens at a 1:1 ratio.
Drift, by contrast, operates as a decentralized exchange in a highly competitive and fragmented market. With user confidence damaged and liquidity cut roughly in half, the protocol lacks the predictable revenue base needed to support an unsecured debt instrument.
Analysts have also argued that describing such an issuance as an “airdrop” risks obscuring the core issue. Without a solvent protocol and a viable path to repayment, the tokens would carry no intrinsic value beyond speculation on a future recovery.
The post Solana’s Drift Floats Airdrop After $285 Million Hack, Faces Backlash appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
Ripple (XRP) Down 7% This Month, Investors Move to Taurox (TAUX) as Pre-KYA Opening Might Start a Rally
XRP trades near $1.32 with growing optimism. April has historically been XRP’s strongest month, posting average returns of 24.8% since 2014, driven by the upcoming CLARITY Act Senate Banking Committee markup scheduled for the second half of the month.
Taurox, an AI-driven trading protocol, positions itself to harness this momentum through autonomous agents that deliver diversified, risk-managed yields to stakers in the evolving crypto landscape.
Navigating XRP Volatility with Taurox’s Structured Edge
XRP’s recent price action remains choppy despite partnerships and regulatory progress, with escrow unlocks adding supply pressure and exposing holders to frequent 20-30% whipsaws. Taurox counters this by pooling deposits of USDT, BTC, or XRP into a shared trading pool. Global developers, quants, and AI engineers build the agents that generate proportional net profits.
Each agent is capped at 2% of pool AUM, while KYA tiers enforce conservative, moderate, or aggressive risk levels. Enforced Sharpe ratios ≥1.5 and maximum drawdowns below 15% deliver smoother returns than direct exposure or traditional 2% management-fee hedge funds.
Pre-KYA Registration Now Open: Accelerating the Agent Pipeline
Taurox has hit a major roadmap milestone ahead of schedule by opening the Pre-KYA Registration Table. This early entry point allows developers, quants, and AI builders to pre-register their trading agents before the full Know Your Agent (KYA) system goes live. Pre-registered agents receive priority Proving Ground access, jumping the queue for faster entry and earlier capital allocation.
They also qualify for bonus incentives from the dedicated Agent Creator Fund, which represents 10% of total TAUX supply. Anyone with a working trading strategy can now position their agent among the first wave in the Taurox ecosystem.
Taurox Mechanics: On-Chain AI Trading with Rigorous Controls
Taurox aggregates staker deposits into a central trading pool and mints txTokens at the prevailing NAV per share, starting at $1.00. The protocol maintains a 15% stablecoin reserve buffer and directs the remainder to agents through a performance-weighted algorithm. Agents execute strategies like statistical arbitrage via on-chain vaults or CEX sub-accounts.
Every agent must complete the Proving Ground until achieving statistical significance, such as ≥500 trades. Risk controls include 2% daily stop-losses, 5% single-trade limits, and 5% pool-wide drawdown halts. KYA tiers enforce strategy fidelity in a fully verifiable decentralized quant framework.
TAUX Tokenomics: Fixed Supply and Burn-Driven Scarcity
TAUX has a fixed 2 billion non-mintable supply. Unlike traditional hedge funds, Taurox charges no upfront fees and takes only 5% of gross profits, purchased as TAUX on-market. Of this revenue, 30% is permanently burned, while 70% supports the DAO treasury.
The remaining 95% distributes progressively to stakers and creators, with stakers receiving 80% at 0-20% returns, tapering to 43% above 300%, based on high-water mark net profits. Allocations include 40% for presale, 15% for staking rewards, 10% for agent incentives, and 5% for the team with 6-month cliff vesting.
Taurox Presale: Asymmetric Entry with Strong Fundamentals
Taurox Presale has entered Phase 4 and surpassed $950K raised. TAUX currently trades at $0.018. Phase 4 investors stand to gain almost 4.5x at listing when TAUX launches at $0.08. If Taurox reaches its $1B target pool, these investors could see up to 103x returns as TAUX reaches $1.85. A $500 investment today would grow to about $2,220 at listing and nearly $28,000 when TAUX hits $1 valuation.
The presale features a 1-month cliff and 20% monthly unlocks from months 2-5, enabling immediate staking while limiting early sell pressure. Combined with 30% fee burns and progressive splits, it offers strong upside for short and long-term horizons.
Taurox as the Decentralized Quant Layer
Taurox blends AI autonomy, strict on-chain risk controls, and deflationary mechanics into next-generation DeFi. Its global agent ecosystem and burn-driven scarcity position it for sustainable growth as the crypto space evolves.
Learn More
Buy TAUX: https://taurox.io
Whitepaper: https://docs.taurox.io/
Official Telegram: https://t.me/tauroxlabs
Official X/Twitter: https://x.com/TauroxProtocol
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Bitcoin tends to outperform traditional safe haven assets like gold in the two months following major global crises, according to new analysis from Brazilian crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin.
The study, led by Rony Szuster, head of research at the Latin American crypto platform, examined 60-day windows after economic or geopolitical shocks such as the COVID-19 outbreak and U.S. tariff escalations. Bitcoin posted stronger returns than both gold and the S&P 500 in each of the periods analyzed.
In April last year, after the Trump administration announced sweeping tariffs, the price of bitcoin jumped 24% over the following 60 days. Gold rose 8%, and the S&P 500 gained 4%, the firm found.
A similar pattern emerged at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when BTC rose 21%, while the other assets trailed.
Szuster cautioned that judging bitcoin’s performance too soon after a crisis can be misleading.
“It’s like watching the first few minutes of a movie and thinking you already know how it ends,” he said. “In moments like this, investors sell positions to reduce risk or raise cash, and even defensive assets can fall.”
That happens as investors scramble for liquidity, yet bitcoin has consistently bounced back, the firm found. The pattern appears to be repeating in the current U.S.-Iran conflict, where bitcoin is the only one of the three assets in positive territory so far, according to Szuster.
Data backs this up. Since the war started, bitcoin has risen by more than 2.2%, from around $65,800 to $67,300 at the time of writing. Gold, the traditional safe haven, has meanwhile dropped around 11%, while the S&P lost 4.4% of its value in the index’s steepest monthly drop since 2022.
Despite its volatility, bitcoin was the best-performing asset over the past decade, he added.
Read more: Bitcoin’s recent crash to $60,000 warned stocks first – now they’re following
The Bitcoin (BTC) network needs a “conservative” Bitcoin client node software implementation to preserve its monetary properties and strengthen network decentralization, according to Jimmy Song, co-founder of ProductionReady, a non-profit organization funding open source Bitcoin node software development and education.
The organization has a “bias” against significant code changes, unless there is “overwhelming” community support for the change, Song told Cointelegraph.
“The general principle is: if you’re not sure a change makes the money better, don’t make it,” he said.
ProductionReady expects to restore the 83-byte OP_Return data limit for arbitrary, non-monetary information in Bitcoin transactions, he said, adding that keeping node storage costs down by limiting arbitrary data is essential to network decentralization. He said:
“The more self-sovereign Bitcoin users are, the more decentralized and resilient the network becomes. That means keeping the cost of running a node low enough for ordinary people to do it.
“When storage and bandwidth requirements grow, fewer people verify for themselves, and the network centralizes by default. A conservative client takes that tradeoff seriously,” Song continued.
Maximizing nodes and making them accessible to the average user hardens the Bitcoin network, reducing the chances of cheating by submitting false transactions or a few actors colluding to centralize the network.
Related: 72% of subsea cables would need to fail to impact Bitcoin, study shows
Bitcoin Core 30 removes the OP_Return data limit, sparking major pushback
Node storage and onchain spam became hot-button topics in 2025 after Bitcoin Core developers unilaterally changed the 83-Byte data limit in Bitcoin Core version 30, the latest major upgrade to the reference implementation for Bitcoin node software.
The limit was changed to 100,000 bytes despite significant pushback from the Bitcoin community. For context, the proposal to change the limit received about 4 times as many downvotes as it did upvotes, according to the proposal’s GitHub pull request page.
Bitcoin Core 30 went live in October 2025, triggering a historic surge in the number of Bitcoin nodes running Bitcoin Knots, an alternative implementation of the node client software.
There are 4,746 Bitcoin Knots nodes, representing over 21.7% of nodes on the network, according to Coin Dance.
Only about 1% of the network was running the Knots software in 2024 before the decision to remove the OP_Return function was announced.
Magazine: Bitcoin may face hard fork over any attempt to freeze Satoshi’s coins
Crypto World
XRP Price Prediction: Can XRP Price Ever Reach The $100 Dream ? While Pepeto Delivers the True 150x Entry
The xrp price prediction crowd has chased the $100 target for years. Goldman Sachs just revealed a $153.8 million position spread across four XRP ETFs, making it the largest institutional holder by a factor of six, according to 24/7 Wall St. The CLARITY Act faces its make-or-break Senate markup in late April, and if it passes, Standard Chartered projects $4 to $8 billion in fresh ETF inflows that could push XRP toward $3.50 to $6, according to Yahoo Finance.
Yet XRP sits at $1.30, and reaching $100 still demands a $5.7 trillion market cap, larger than the entire crypto market combined. While XRP holders wait for a target that math alone cannot justify, one presale built by the team behind a $7 billion token is offering 150x at a price most investors have never seen this low. This piece breaks down the xrp price prediction reality and where the return math actually lives.
Goldman Sachs Loads XRP ETFs as CLARITY Act Approaches Binary Vote
24/7 Wall St reported that Goldman Sachs holds $153.8 million across Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, and 21Shares XRP ETFs, while CoinMarketCap confirmed $11.4 billion in XRP left Binance on April 2, tightening exchange supply to multi-month lows. The partnership validates XRP’s institutional case, but a validated use case and a profitable entry from $1.30 remain entirely different calculations.
The XRP Price Prediction Ceiling vs the Pepeto Floor: Where Returns Actually Live
Pepeto: The Presale That Converts XRP’s Validation Into Actual Holder Wealth
Finding a presale that combined meme token pricing with functional exchange infrastructure used to be nearly impossible. Most projects offered dashboards, chatbots, or lending tools that thousands of competitors already shipped. Pepeto changed the equation by delivering a full exchange ecosystem with zero-fee trading, a cross-chain bridge spanning Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana, and 188% APY staking that compounds daily.
These tools are not placeholder features on a roadmap. The exchange processes volume across three blockchains simultaneously, and every component runs on smart contracts verified through a SolidProof audit. That foundation keeps Pepeto in structural demand regardless of whether the market trends up or down, because utility drives volume in every condition.
At $0.0000001862, a $1,000 entry secures billions of tokens. The original Pepe shares the same 420 trillion total supply and peaked at an $11 billion market cap with zero products behind it. Reaching that valuation turns a $1,000 position into approximately $150,000, a 150x return that analysts treat as conservative because Pepeto has the audited exchange, the cross-chain bridge, and the working infrastructure Pepe never built. The cofounder who took Pepe from zero to $7 billion architects this project, and a former Binance executive shapes the listing strategy.
With the Binance listing approaching, these projections mirror BNB’s trajectory from $0.15 at ICO to over $700 once real trading activity powered the token. Staking at 188% APY grows every position daily before listing day. The wealth that changed lives in every prior cycle was captured by wallets that entered infrastructure presales while others hesitated, and Pepeto’s confirmed Binance listing will permanently eliminate this entry along with the 150x math attached to it.
XRP Price Prediction: Why $100 Demands More Capital Than Crypto Has Ever Seen
XRP trades at $1.30 according to CoinMarketCap with an $80 billion market cap. Hitting $100 would require a valuation above $5.7 trillion, exceeding the entire crypto market’s current $2.38 trillion capitalization by more than two times. The bullish xrp price prediction from ChatGPT targets $3.50 to $6 if the CLARITY Act passes in late April, delivering 160% to 340% from current levels, according to 24/7 Wall St.
Even reaching $10 demands a $570 billion valuation that rivals Ethereum at its historic peak. The xrp price prediction is constructive long term, but the math confirms the largest percentage returns already happened for holders who entered under $0.20. From $1.30, the upside is measured in percentages while Pepeto measures it in multiples.
Conclusion
Goldman Sachs loaded $153.8 million into XRP ETFs and the token barely moved. That is the ceiling of an $80 billion asset. Pepeto sits at $0.0000001862 with a SolidProof audited exchange, 188% APY staking, and a Binance listing approaching.
A $1,000 entry targets $150,000 at a fraction of what Pepe achieved with nothing. XRP needs $5.7 trillion for $100. Pepeto needs a sliver of what Pepe reached for 150x. The gap is not close. Visit the Pepeto official website and secure the entry that the xrp price prediction will never offer you at this stage.
Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale
FAQs
Is $100 a realistic target for the xrp price prediction?
Reaching $100 requires a $5.7 trillion market cap. Most analysts see $3.50 to $6 as realistic if the CLARITY Act passes.
Why does Pepeto offer stronger return math than XRP from here?
At $0.0000001862 with 420 trillion supply, matching Pepe’s ATH delivers 150x, a multiple XRP at $80 billion cannot produce.
What impact does Goldman Sachs buying XRP ETFs have on price?
Goldman holds $153.8M in XRP ETFs, confirming institutional interest, but XRP remains rangebound until the CLARITY Act advances.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
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