The push to advance the CLARITY Act gained fresh momentum after a key industry group urged swift Senate action. Lawmakers now face tighter timelines as unresolved issues continue to slow progress. The development highlights growing pressure to finalise a clear regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States.

Senate Banking Committee Faces Renewed Pressure

The Digital Chamber increased pressure on the Senate Banking Committee to move the CLARITY Act forward. It sent a formal letter urging lawmakers to begin the markup phase without further delay. The group stressed urgency due to limited legislative time remaining.

The committee leadership, including Chairman Tim Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, received the request directly. The letter emphasised that the House already passed the bill with bipartisan backing months ago. As a result, industry leaders expect the Senate to act without prolonged delays.

Lawmakers now operate within a narrowing window before the upcoming congressional recess. If the committee delays further, the bill risks losing momentum. Therefore, stakeholders continue pushing for immediate procedural progress.

Timeline Constraints Increase Legislative Pressure

The legislative calendar continues to tighten as Congress moves deeper into its current session. Lawmakers have already passed significant time without advancing the CLARITY Act in the Senate. This delay creates urgency among both policymakers and industry participants.

The bill missed a recent markup opportunity, which added pressure on the next available schedule. The upcoming week presents another chance to move the process forward. However, failure to act before the May recess could stall progress for an extended period.

Industry advocates argue that continued delays undermine regulatory certainty for millions of users. They point to the rapid growth of digital asset adoption across the country. Consequently, they maintain that clear legislation remains essential for market stability and innovation.

Stablecoin Yield Debate Remains Key Obstacle

The ongoing disagreement over stablecoin yield provisions continues to block legislative progress. Banking groups and crypto firms have not reached a consensus on how to regulate yield-bearing stablecoins. This disagreement remains the central issue delaying the markup phase.

Some lawmakers have proposed extending discussions to allow more time for negotiation. Senator Thom Tillis supported delaying the markup to allow further dialogue between stakeholders. This approach aims to produce a balanced framework acceptable to both sides.

Meanwhile, the absence of a finalised draft complicates negotiations and slows progress further. Banking representatives have also introduced new concerns about the proposed provisions. As a result, lawmakers must address these issues before moving the bill forward.

Industry Signals Strong Support for Immediate Action

The Digital Chamber continues to advocate for immediate legislative movement despite unresolved issues. The organisation believes that the markup process can proceed while discussions continue. This approach would allow lawmakers to refine details during later stages.

Industry representatives highlight the scale of digital asset adoption across the United States. Millions of users rely on clear rules to guide participation in the market. Therefore, they argue that delaying action creates unnecessary uncertainty.

At the same time, policymakers recognise the importance of balancing innovation with financial stability. The Senate Banking Committee has engaged with stakeholders to gather input. However, pressure continues to build for decisive action in the coming weeks.

The big picture: The film Finding Satoshi aims to solve what its creators call one of the biggest financial mysteries ever.

• Director Tucker Tooley said the project blends investigative reporting with storytelling about “a human being” behind Bitcoin.
• The team deliberately avoided conspiracy tropes, instead focusing on Satoshi’s motivations, struggles, and context.
• The mystery itself, why someone created Bitcoin and vanished, drives the narrative.

How they investigated: The team shifted tactics after early resistance from crypto insiders.

• Investigative journalist Bill Cohan said major crypto figures often dismissed the question as irrelevant or a “waste of time.”
• That resistance pushed the team to bring in private investigator Tyler Maroney and dig deeper.
• They narrowed suspects to a small group of cryptographers with specific technical skills and early involvement in Bitcoin’s origins.

Behind the scenes: The reporting relied on years of relationship-building and technical analysis.

• Maroney said the team focused on cryptographers, mathematicians, and early “cypherpunks,” not investors or executives.
• Sources included pioneers like Whitfield Diffie, who helped invent public-key cryptography and industry veterans such as Joseph Lubin and Katie Haun.

Why it matters: The film reframes Bitcoin’s origin story and challenges how people think about it today.

• Maroney said Bitcoin began as a privacy tool, not a store of wealth, rooted in fears of “surveillance capitalism.”
• The creators argue understanding that context is key to understanding Bitcoin’s purpose.
• The mystery also raises stakes: Satoshi is believed to hold about 1.1 million Bitcoin that have never moved.

What’s driving the mystery: Not everyone wants the answer.

• Cohan said some major investors may prefer the myth to remain intact, fearing reputational risk if Satoshi were controversial.
• Others argue it simply doesn’t matter, comparing it to not knowing who invented the internet.
• The filmmakers reject that view, saying the identity and intent behind Bitcoin are central to its story.

What comes next: The film promises a definitive conclusion and a broader takeaway.

• The team says it reached a clear answer, though they won’t reveal it outside the documentary.
• They emphasize the journey: understanding the people and ideas that led to Bitcoin’s creation.
• Tooley said the goal is to make a complex, technical subject accessible and entertaining for a broad audience.
• The documentary comes out April 22, 2026 at findingsatoshi.com

MicroStrategy has recorded a sharp turnaround as Bitcoin surged in April and lifted its treasury back into profit. The company generated significant gains within weeks after months of unrealized losses. Consequently, the rebound highlights the impact of sustained accumulation during volatile market conditions.

MicroStrategy benefited from Bitcoin’s strong price recovery, which reversed earlier drawdowns seen during the year. As a result, its treasury performance improved rapidly and moved out of loss territory. The shift reflects a broader market recovery that supported long-term holders.

Additionally, the company maintained consistent buying activity despite prior market pressure and declining valuations. This approach strengthened its position during the rebound phase. Therefore, the firm now reports notable gains tied directly to Bitcoin’s upward movement.

Bitcoin Gains Drive Treasury Performance Higher

Bitcoin continued its upward trend in April and restored profitability for major holders. As a result, MicroStrategy recorded a 6.2% Bitcoin yield within three weeks. The company added 47,078 BTC in gains, valued at approximately $3.6 billion.

Moreover, Michael Saylor classified this BTC gain as a key performance measure under its Bitcoin-focused strategy. This metric reflects operational success within a Bitcoin standard framework. Consequently, it offers a direct comparison to traditional net income.

Strategy has generated 6.2% BTC Yield and ₿47,079 of BTC Gain in the first three weeks of April, worth approximately $3.6 billion. BTC Gain is the closest analog to Net Income on the Bitcoin Standard. $MSTR pic.twitter.com/dDKr5KfEFl

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) April 21, 2026

The company also reported year-to-date gains of 64,191 BTC, valued at nearly $4.9 billion. These figures show stronger performance compared to earlier periods marked by price declines. Therefore, sustained accumulation continues to support long-term returns as Bitcoin stabilizes.

Holdings Expand as Accumulation Strategy Continues

MicroStrategy continued to increase its Bitcoin holdings despite earlier unrealized losses during market downturns. This approach strengthened its overall position during the recovery period. As a result, the firm now holds 815,065 BTC.

The company’s holdings represent more than 4% of Bitcoin’s total supply, which highlights its scale in the market. Additionally, this accumulation places it ahead of BlackRock in Bitcoin reserves. BlackRock currently holds approximately 802,823 BTC.

Furthermore, the aggressive accumulation strategy reflects confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term growth potential. The company maintained purchases during weak price phases and benefited during the rebound. Therefore, its treasury structure remains closely tied to Bitcoin’s price trajectory.

Bitcoin faced repeated downturns earlier in the year due to macroeconomic pressure and reduced market activity. However, recent gains have restored confidence across the market. Consequently, MicroStrategy’s performance reflects the broader recovery trend and continued reliance on Bitcoin exposure.

DoorDash is moving to wire in stablecoins as a core part of its payments infrastructure, tapping Tempo to enable faster, cross-border-friendly settlements for its workforce of dashers, its merchants, and its vast user base. The collaboration aims to bring a stablecoin-enabled payment rail to more than 40 countries, with Tempo describing the project as a step toward broader, faster digital-dollar style settlements within everyday commerce.

Tempo announced the initiative in a Tuesday notice, framing it as a mutual advance for the delivery platform and the broader crypto-enabled payments ecosystem. In the message, Tempo said it is collaborating with DoorDash to build stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure that can streamline payouts to dashers, merchants, and users while reducing cross-border costs and increasing transaction flexibility. “If we can get merchants and Dashers their money faster, and do that in a way that’s affordable for them, that’s a no-brainer for the entire ecosystem,” DoorDash co-founder Andy Wang said in reference to the plan.

The stablecoin framework represents a notable milestone for a mainstream on-demand platform that previously leaned into other AI-driven enhancements but has not yet integrated digital assets into its core payout flows at scale. Tempo highlighted the payout speed, cost efficiency, and transactional flexibility as the primary benefits behind the integration, underscoring the potential for a smoother, cheaper experience for participants across the delivery chain.

Tempo’s announcement situates the DoorDash integration within a broader push into stablecoins, backed by a coalition that includes Stripe, investment firm Paradigm, Coastal Bank, and fintech ARQ. The aim is to establish a robust, cross-border, scalable payment rails that can support large-volume commerce while offering the stability users expect from fiat-backed digital currencies.

DoorDash’s transactional footprint provides a useful backdrop for context. The company reported delivering 903 million orders in its fourth quarter of 2025, with a total order value of approximately $29.7 billion. The firm is slated to disclose its Q1 2026 results on May 6, providing a fuller picture of growth, profitability, and unit economics as it pushes into new payment modalities.

Key takeaways

• DoorDash will enable stablecoin payments across its platform for dashers, merchants, and users in more than 40 countries, via Tempo’s infrastructure.
• The move prioritizes faster payouts and lower cross-border costs, aiming to improve liquidity and flexibility for gig workers and merchants.
• Tempo frames the collaboration as part of a wider push into stablecoins among major fintech and payments players, with Stripe, Paradigm, Coastal Bank, and ARQ also involved.
• Broader market momentum includes traditional payment giants pursuing stablecoin rails, as shown by related moves from Stripe, Mastercard, and Visa.
• DoorDash’s recent activity comes against a backdrop of strong Q4 2025 performance and an upcoming Q1 2026 earnings release, which will shed light on the quarterly impact of any new payments infrastructure.

Tempo, DoorDash and a broader industry shift toward stablecoin rails

The DoorDash–Tempo collaboration is a clear signal that mainstream consumer platforms are testing the practicality of stablecoins as a payments backbone for everyday commerce. Tempo’s framing centers on three benefits: higher payout velocity, lower fees for cross-border settlements, and the flexibility to settle in digital currency types that can be converted or routed to recipients with relative ease. If deployed at scale, the initiative could meaningfully shorten the time between a sale and a cash-out for dashers and gig workers, reducing friction in the creator economy model that underpins DoorDash’s network.

In addition to Tempo’s partnership with DoorDash, the broader payments ecosystem has been quietly building stablecoin rails. Stripe has already integrated stablecoins into its payments stack, a continuation of its 2024 deal to acquire the stablecoin platform Bridge for about $1.1 billion. The strategic rationale, according to Stripe, has been to expand the reach and reliability of digital-dollar settlements across its merchant base and partner networks.

Meanwhile, traditional payment networks are pursuing stablecoin-enabled settlement capabilities more aggressively. Mastercard disclosed a roughly $1.8 billion deal in early 2024 to acquire stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK, underscoring the strategic value of on-chain settlement capabilities in mainstream card networks. Visa has also advanced its stablecoin offerings, expanding support for additional stablecoins and broadening its on-ramp to crypto-enabled commerce in mid-2024.

These moves reflect a trend: major financial and payments players view stablecoins as a practical bridge between traditional fiat rails and digital asset ecosystems. The DoorDash initiative with Tempo adds a real-world consumer app into the mix, demonstrating how stablecoins could move from pilot programs or pilot-market experiments into full-scale operations that touch millions of daily transactions.

What this means for workers, merchants and the wider market

For dashers and merchants, a stablecoin-enabled payout system could unlock several practical advantages. Greater payout speed means workers could receive earnings sooner, while lower cross-border costs could expand the geographic reach of DoorDash’s network and improve the economics of international or cross-border orders for merchants. For users, the prospect of optional stablecoin payments could simplify international purchases or tipping in a digital asset that remains tightly pegged to a fiat reference, reducing price volatility during the settlement window.

However, the deployment will hinge on several factors beyond the technology itself. Regulatory clarity around stablecoins, consumer protections, KYC/AML compliance, and the integration of wallet infrastructure into consumer apps all play a crucial role in whether such rails achieve durable, scalable adoption. The timing also matters: DoorDash is poised to present its Q1 2026 results in May, which will provide fresh insight into how well the new payment rails are performing against the backdrop of overall platform growth and profitability.

Looking ahead, investors and builders will want to watch three areas closely: first, user and merchant onboarding to stablecoin payouts and how wallets, exchanges, and custodians manage liquidity; second, how regulators define permissible stablecoin use in consumer platforms across diverse jurisdictions; and third, how the interplay between fiat and crypto rails impacts platform economics and consumer trust.

As DoorDash and Tempo begin piloting a stablecoin-enabled workflow, the broader market is watching to see whether this approach can translate into measurable improvements in payout speed and cost, while maintaining strict controls around compliance and risk. The coming quarters will indicate whether stablecoins transition from a novelty in fintech discussions to a dependable, everyday tool for gig economies and large consumer platforms alike.

For readers keeping an eye on the next chapter of crypto-enabled payments, the DoorDash–Tempo collaboration provides a tangible milestone: a mainstream app seeking to embed a digital asset payment rail into its core operations, alongside the broader industry push by Stripe, Mastercard, and Visa toward more robust, scalable stablecoin settlement capabilities.

Ripple Labs has introduced a four-phase plan to upgrade XRP Ledger security. The roadmap targets full post-quantum readiness by 2028. Meanwhile, XRP traded near $1.43, gaining over 4.6% in one week.

The company designed the plan to address risks from future quantum computing breakthroughs. It aims to maintain network stability during the transition. At the same time, it prepares for unexpected cryptographic failures.

Ripple confirmed that current protections cannot withstand advanced quantum machines. Therefore, it plans a gradual upgrade instead of abrupt changes. The approach balances security needs with network performance.

Emergency Response and Risk Evaluation Phases

Ripple has created a contingency plan for a sudden cryptographic failure event. The network could stop accepting traditional signatures during such a scenario. It would require users to migrate to quantum-secure keys.

The company plans to use zero-knowledge proofs for secure migration. This method allows users to prove ownership without exposing private keys. As a result, it reduces risk during emergency transitions.

Ripple has started testing post-quantum algorithms in early 2026. The tests focus on performance under real network conditions. They also measure impacts on storage, bandwidth, and transaction speed.

Development Testing and Full Network Transition

Ripple will introduce hybrid signature systems in the next phase. These systems combine existing elliptic-curve signatures with post-quantum alternatives. Developers will test them on Devnet during the second half of 2026.

The company will also explore advanced cryptographic tools. These include zero-knowledge systems and homomorphic encryption methods. Such tools may improve security without reducing efficiency.

Ripple plans to propose a network amendment for full deployment. Validators must approve the upgrade before activation on the main network. This step will complete the transition to quantum-resistant signatures.

Structural Advantages and Broader Industry Context

Ripple stated that XRPL offers built-in key rotation capabilities. Users can update keys without changing account addresses. This feature supports gradual migration to stronger cryptography.

Other networks require asset transfers to new accounts. This process can disrupt applications and user balances. XRPL’s design simplifies the transition process.

Ripple acknowledged that key rotation alone does not solve quantum risks. The network still needs full cryptographic upgrades. Therefore, the roadmap focuses on both infrastructure and protocol changes.

Timeline Risks and Ongoing Development Work

Ripple confirmed that no changes have reached the main network yet. The roadmap depends on testing, coordination, and validator approval. Each step introduces potential delays.

The development team has already started early prototypes. Engineers are testing new signature schemes on internal networks. These tests will guide future implementation decisions.

Industry estimates suggest quantum threats may emerge between 2029 and 2035. However, attackers may already collect data for future decryption. Ripple’s plan addresses this long-term risk.

Blockchain.com has rolled out perpetual futures trading in its non-custodial DeFi wallet, allowing users to open leveraged positions directly from self-custodied Bitcoin used as collateral without transferring funds to an exchange.

According to Tuesday’s announcement, the feature is routed through decentralized derivatives exchange Hyperliquid and gives users access to more than 190 crypto markets with up to 40x leverage.

Perpetual futures are derivative contracts that allow traders to take leveraged positions on an asset’s price without an expiration date. Michael Selig, chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said last month that the derivatives regulator plans to allow the contracts in the coming weeks.

Trades are executed while assets remain in the wallet, allowing users to open, manage and close positions without relinquishing control of private keys or relying on a custodial intermediary.

Blockchain.com said the product also allows accounts to be funded directly with Bitcoin (BTC) from the user’s wallet in a single transaction, avoiding conversions or transfers across platforms. The company said it expects to expand the offering with additional asset classes, including foreign exchange, stocks and commodities, in the near future.

Blockchain.com, launched in 2011 and based in Malta, is a crypto services platform offering wallets, trading and infrastructure tools for retail and institutional users.

Related: HYPE hits 2026 high as Hyperliquid volumes soar: Is the rally sustainable?

Perpetual futures expand beyond crypto into multi-asset trading

Perpetual futures trading is expanding beyond cryptocurrencies into equities, commodities and other asset classes, as centralized and decentralized exchanges continue to broaden their offerings beyond digital assets.

In February, crypto exchange Kraken launched tokenized equity perpetual futures for non-US clients, offering 24/7 leveraged exposure to US stocks, indexes and commodities through crypto-based derivatives.

The following month, Coinbase launched stock-based perpetual futures for non-US users, offering leveraged, cash-settled exposure to major US equities as part of its push to expand 24/7 multi-asset trading.

On Tuesday, website The Information reported that prediction market platform Kalshi is exploring entry into crypto derivatives, with plans to offer perpetual futures trading in the United States.

Hyperliquid has also expanded beyond crypto-native markets. Data from the platform shows that commodity- and index-linked perpetual contracts, including oil, the S&P 500 and silver, rank among its most actively traded markets by volume, alongside major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether.

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