Aptos Labs founding engineer Sherry Xiao said Aptos’ newly introduced privacy coin could fix a long-standing trade-off between protecting user privacy and preserving transparency for compliance.

“Confidential APT” launched on the Aptos mainnet on Friday after a governance proposal to integrate the privacy feature passed in a near-unanimous vote. It uses zero-knowledge proofs to conceal token balances and transfer amounts while still enabling transactions to be verified.

Source: Aptos

While blockchains offer a level of transparency that most traditional ledgers do not, the lack of privacy has slowed individual and enterprise adoption due to the risk of exposing financially sensitive information.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Xiao said Confidential APT — which is pegged 1:1 to Aptos (APT) — reduces the risks of users being subjected to wallet profiling or targeted scams:

“Portfolio sniping, social pressure from visible holdings, personal safety — these are pain points people feel today.”

Confidential APT can conceal salaries, business strategies

Xiao said the Confidential APT token solves an active problem in the workplace, too.

“If a company runs payroll on-chain with visible amounts, every employee’s salary is permanently public — to coworkers, competitors, recruiters, everyone,” she said.

“Same with treasury moves, settlement flows, trading strategies,” Xiao said, noting that blockchain’s lack of privacy is an “operational dealbreaker” for many businesses.

Related: Dorsey’s Block unveils Bitcoin proof-of-reserves in transparency move 

However, “Confidential balances solve that directly,” Xiao said.

Backdoor function can be enabled for investigation purposes

Xiao said Confidential APT can still comply with know-your-customer and anti-money laundering checks in the event of an investigation or subpoena through the use of auditor keys.

Auditor keys may only be authorized following a successful onchain governance vote, she noted:

“This approach allows relevant parties to access information like transfer amounts for investigations, while preserving privacy as the default for users.”

While Confidential APT conceals token balances and transfer amounts, the wallet addresses involved and transaction verification remain visible, distinguishing it from other privacy-focused cryptocurrencies like Monero (XMR).

Xiao said she expects individuals to adopt Confidential APT faster than businesses, noting that integrating the privacy coin into the tax reporting pipeline and compliance will take some time.

That said, “If Confidential APT runs on mainnet for six months with solid volume and no issues, that’s the proof point that shortens the enterprise sales cycle,” Xiao added.

Magazine: 2026 is the year of pragmatic privacy in crypto: Canton, Zcash and more

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

Prediction markets platform Polymarket has denied recent reports that its customer data was breached after a hacker on the dark web posted what the person claimed was a trove of private user details.

Cybersecurity company Vecert Analyzer and several other X accounts that track dark web activity shared screenshots from DarkForums on Tuesday showing a hacker using the pseudonym “xorcat” claiming to have breached Polymarket.

In the post, xorcat said they had stolen over 300,000 records, including 10,000 unique user profiles with full names, profile images, proxy wallets and base addresses. 

Polymarket called the claims of a data breach “complete and utter nonsense” and said the information the hacker posted is already available online.

The crypto industry saw a sudden surge in crypto-related hacks and exploits in April, putting many in the space on high alert. Blockchain security company Hacken reported earlier this month that Web3 projects lost $482 million to hacks and scams in the first quarter of 2026 across 44 incidents.

“You compromised our platform by accessing publicly accessible API endpoints & on-chain data and *checks notes* are trying to sell the data we offer developers for free? Which VC paid you to post this?” Polymarket said.

In another post, the prediction market said: “Part of the beauty of being on chain is all our data is publicly auditable, this is a feature, not a bug. No data was leaked, it’s accessible via our public endpoints & on-chain data. Instead of paying for the data, you can access it for free via our APIs.”

Source: Polymarket 

Hacker claims over 300,000 records stolen 

The so-called hacker said the data was being posted because Polymarket didn’t have a bug bounty program. 

Related: Scammers use Gmail dot alias trick to spoof Robinhood in phishing scam

However, Polymarket has a live bug bounty program that started April 16 and has received 446 reports as of Wednesday.  

Source: Dark Web Informer 

Xorcat also said data was pulled via undocumented API endpoints, pagination bypass and CORS misconfiguration on Polymarket’s Gamma and CLOB APIs. The hacker claimed to have breached other prediction markets and planned to release the data over the next few days.

Several security experts have expressed doubt. Vladimir S, a threat researcher and chief security officer at Legalblock, said it appears “someone parsed data and is trying to present it as a [DB] leak. It does not seem probable to me.”

Magazine: Forget stablecoin yield, how does the CLARITY Act treat DeFi?   

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

Veteran trader Peter Brandt has pushed back against claims that Bitcoin could reach $250,000 in 2026. 

His latest chart review warned traders against treating recent price action as the start of a strong breakout. Brandt said Bitcoin has formed an ascending parallel channel over recent weeks. He said the structure can allow more gains, but it does not confirm a major bottom.

“This is called a channel,” Brandt said. “While it does not preclude further price gains, it is NOT a bullish bottoming pattern.”

Bitcoin remains inside rising channel

Bitcoin has been trading near the $76,000 to $78,000 range after recovering from a sharp decline earlier this year. The asset dropped toward the $60,000 support area in February before staging a slow rebound.

Brandt’s chart showed BTC moving higher inside a controlled channel. Such a pattern can show short-term strength, but it can also limit momentum if buyers fail to push price above resistance.

A stronger breakout would require Bitcoin to move above the channel with rising volume. Without that move, traders may continue watching the current range for direction.

Market data shows mixed signals

On-chain analyst Ali Martinez pointed to low short-term Bitcoin participation. He said the share of Bitcoin held by buyers from the past month has fallen below 7%.

According to Ali, this shows weak retail activity and a quieter market. He said past cycles have seen similar readings near areas where selling pressure started to fade.

Ali also said about $3 billion has entered the crypto market over the past 30 days. He described it as the first positive net capital inflow since December.

Additionally, the new inflows suggest market liquidity has started to improve after months of weaker activity. However, Bitcoin still needs stronger buying pressure to confirm a larger move.

For now, Brandt’s view places caution over the $250,000 Bitcoin price target. His analysis suggests the current structure does not yet support such an aggressive 2026 forecast.

A class action lawsuit has accused Believe founder Ben Pasternak of extracting $54 million in fees through token migrations tied to Launchcoin while leaving investors with losses.

According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, plaintiffs Joshua Lee and Pierre Montmeas alleged that Pasternak and associated entities, including B24, Inc. and the Believe Foundation, carried out a series of token launches and migrations that generated significant revenue while reducing the value of investor holdings.

Court filings state that the Believe platform processed nearly $6 billion in trading volume and collected an estimated $54 million in fees across tokens such as $PASTERNAK, $LAUNCHCOIN, and $BELIEVE.

Migration terms and dilution claims

Details in the complaint identify an October 2025 migration from $LAUNCHCOIN to $BELIEVE as the central point of dispute. Plaintiffs claim the total token supply increased from 1 billion to over 1.33 billion during the process, introducing roughly 333 million new tokens and diluting existing holders by about 33.3%.

A two-week migration window required users to convert their holdings within a set deadline, after which any remaining tokens were permanently burned, according to the filing.

Further allegations state that newly created tokens were allocated to insider-linked wallets, while a portion of the foundation’s allocation, estimated at around 40 million tokens, was unlocked immediately.

In one of the cited claims, the complaint states, “Pasternak ran the same play three times, under three different token names: generate excitement, bring consumers in, collect fees, and let the token collapse.”

Criminal case unfolds alongside civil claims

Separately, court records from the New York State Unified Court System show that Pasternak was arrested on April 22 on one count of second-degree strangulation and two counts of third-degree assault linked to a March 31 incident at the Baccarat Hotel in New York.

Authorities allege the incident involved physical harm to a 27-year-old YouTube creator, Evelyn Ha, including neck injuries and bruising, while Pasternak has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court on June 11.

Statements from Pasternak’s legal team, reported in the filing, say he acted in self-defense, while a spokesperson close to him described the complainant as the aggressor during the altercation.

The civil complaint also claims that Pasternak failed to fulfill at least 12 publicly stated buyback commitments and continued to collect transaction-related fees despite earlier statements indicating “zero ownership” in the tokens.

Plaintiffs have asked the court to freeze on-chain assets tied to the project, including wallets and token reserves, while seeking recovery of what they describe as unlawfully obtained revenues.

Bitcoin treasury company Strategy and its perpetual preferred stock, STRC, have been the “single biggest factor” in the recent rally of Bitcoin, which has jumped 20% from its February low, according to Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan.

Over the past eight weeks, Strategy has added $7.2 billion in Bitcoin, Hougan said in a report published Tuesday. 

“Yes, there have been multiple drivers of the recent rally, including strong buying from ETFs, $3.8 billion since March 1, and renewed purchases by long-term holders. But Strategy has been the single biggest factor,” he said. 

Bitcoin has traded between $75,849 and $79,321 over the past seven days, according to CoinGecko. It was trading at about $76,486 as of Wednesday, up 21% from its Feb. 6 low of $62,822.

Strategy is the largest publicly listed corporate Bitcoin holder. It bought 3,273 Bitcoin for $255 million between April 20 and April 26, bringing total holdings to 818,334 BTC. 

Source: Lookonchain

Bitcoin buys are set to continue, analyst says

Strategy typically makes weekly Bitcoin purchases. Its latest buying spree pushed its total holdings past those of global asset manager BlackRock, which holds about 812,300 coins on behalf of its clients.

Hougan speculates that Strategy’s purchases will “continue for some time to come,” driven by the issuance of STRC, the company’s perpetual preferred stock, which pays a fixed dividend to investors for as long as the company operates. 

“Strategy issues STRC because it wants to buy more Bitcoin. Most of the capital raised by issuing STRC is used to purchase BTC on the open market,” he said.

Related: 80% of Strategy’s ‘Stretch’ buyers are mom-and-pop investors

“With junk bonds yielding less than 7% and investors fleeing private credit, STRC’s 11.5% yield — backed by a more than $40 billion bitcoin cushion — looks particularly attractive. I suspect Strategy will raise billions more through STRC,” Hougan added.

Saylor has previously claimed that the company can sustain dividend payments indefinitely if Bitcoin continues to grow. 

Hougan said that at current prices, Strategy could “hypothetically pay existing dividends for 42 years.” However, if Bitcoin rises by 20% a year, it could “pay the dividends forever.”

Strategy could surpass Satoshi soon

If Strategy continues at its current pace, its holdings may surpass those of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto within the next two years, according to Alex Thorn, head of research at crypto-focused financial services firm Galaxy Digital.

Source: Alex Thorn

Wallets believed to be owned by Nakamoto hold 1.1 million Bitcoin, representing about 5.5% of the total supply. Strategy would need to buy another 277,666 coins to match Nakamoto.

However, Strategy’s Bitcoin purchases have varied significantly. The smallest buy in 2026 was 855 Bitcoin in February, while the largest so far this year was on April 20 with 34,164 coins.

Magazine: Should users be allowed to bet on war and death in prediction markets?  

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

Ondo Finance has partnered with Broadridge Financial Solutions to bring voting tools to holders of tokenized stocks and ETFs.

The integration will allow holders of more than 250 Ondo tokenized assets to submit voting preferences for the underlying securities.

Broadridge will provide access to investor communications, prospectuses, regulatory filings, and other governance materials.

The company settles more than $15 trillion in securities daily and serves over 10,000 public companies.

Voting preferences will reflect token ownership

Ondo said voting recommendations will be weighted based on each holder’s token ownership.

With Ondo Global Markets’ consent, Broadridge may aggregate tokenholder voting preferences with votes from traditional market investors.

Meanwhile, the partnership comes as Ondo asks the U.S. SEC to support its model for recording securities interests as Ethereum tokens.

Ondo says the tokens act as an operational overlay on existing broker-dealer custody, not as a change to investor protections.

“This is about expanding what it means to hold a tokenized stock,” said Matthieu de Vergnes, global head of institutional at Ondo Finance.

“Today’s announcement represents a major milestone in the evolution of tokenized equities and ETFs,” said Doug DeSchutter, president of investor communication solutions at Broadridge.

Key Takeaways

• Q1 earnings per share landed at $0.38, missing analyst expectations of $0.39, while revenue reached $1.07B versus $1.14B forecasted
• Cryptocurrency revenue plummeted 47% compared to the prior year, declining to $134 million, while crypto trading volume decreased 48% to $24 billion
• Shares of HOOD declined approximately 9.4% during after-hours trading session
• The prediction markets segment showed exceptional growth with 8.8 billion event contracts executed, representing a 780% increase from Q2 2025
• Bottom-line profits increased 3% year-over-year, reaching $346 million, even as topline revenue disappointed

---

Robinhood experienced a challenging Tuesday evening following its first-quarter earnings release. The trading platform delivered financial results that fell short of expectations across key metrics, triggering an immediate reaction from investors — shares plummeted roughly 9.4% after the closing bell.

The company’s adjusted earnings per share for the first quarter registered at $0.38, narrowly missing the Street consensus of $0.39. Overall revenue climbed to $1.07 billion, representing a 15% increase from the same period last year, yet significantly trailing the analyst forecast of $1.14 billion. The revenue shortfall amounted to approximately 6%, while the EPS miss reached 11.6%.

The primary driver behind the disappointment? Cryptocurrency.

Transaction-based revenue from crypto assets collapsed 47% compared to last year’s quarter, tumbling from $252 million down to $134 million. Meanwhile, cryptocurrency trading volumes contracted 48% to reach $24 billion. This marked the third consecutive quarter where the platform witnessed declining crypto transaction revenues.

Robinhood Markets, Inc., HOOD

Chief Executive Vlad Tenev tackled the issue directly during the company’s earnings conference call. “I want to get away from talking about the price of bitcoin,” he stated, indicating a strategic shift away from dependency on cryptocurrency price fluctuations for revenue generation.

Tenev positioned crypto as a long-term infrastructure opportunity instead. “We’re at the very beginning of what’s going to be a tokenization supercycle,” he explained, highlighting the firm’s broader blockchain strategy.

While crypto represented a significant headwind, other segments delivered positive results. Overall transaction-based revenue climbed to $623 million from $583 million in the year-ago period. The company maintained profitability with net income advancing 3% year-over-year to $346 million.

Prediction Markets Emerge as Growth Driver

The quarter’s most impressive performance came from Robinhood Predictions. The platform’s users executed an unprecedented 8.8 billion event contracts throughout Q1 — representing a staggering 780% surge compared to Q2 2025, when the feature first launched for a complete quarter.

This robust activity propelled “other transaction revenue” upward by 320% year-over-year to $147 million, providing a crucial counterbalance to cryptocurrency losses. According to Tenev, Robinhood Predictions is on pace to generate approximately $3 billion in trading volume for April alone.

The prediction market functionality operates through an integration with Kalshi and has experienced rapid adoption since its March 2025 introduction.

Additional revenue streams including net interest income and Gold subscription fees also delivered positive contributions as Robinhood expands its comprehensive financial services ecosystem.

Bitstamp Results Reported Separately

An important detail: Bitstamp, the cryptocurrency exchange that Robinhood acquired in June 2025, was excluded from the consolidated crypto metrics mentioned above. The standalone exchange processed $42 billion in trading volume throughout Q1, representing a 13% decline from Q4 2025.

This represents substantial volume that isn’t reflected in Robinhood’s primary crypto reporting, meaning the complete scope of cryptocurrency activity across the combined platform exceeds what the reported decline might suggest.

Coinbase (COIN), scheduled to announce earnings on May 7, also experienced a roughly 1% decline on Tuesday — the two companies frequently exhibit correlated movements given their mutual exposure to retail cryptocurrency trading activity.

Robinhood’s first-quarter performance illustrates a platform undergoing strategic transformation, pivoting toward prediction markets and diversified financial services while its historically strong cryptocurrency segment experiences headwinds.

Quick Overview

• Bitcoin maintains position just under $77,000 with a modest 0.1% increase over 24 hours
• Crude oil prices jumped above $111 per barrel following news of potential U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz
• Leading altcoins including ETH, XRP, SOL and BNB post weekly losses; Dogecoin stands as sole gainer
• Market expert Zaheer Ebtikar suggests seller exhaustion has reduced BTC’s reaction to macroeconomic developments
• Critical price zones: $75,000 represents crucial support level, $80,000 breakout needed to sustain bullish momentum

---

Bitcoin continues to demonstrate remarkable stability around the $77,000 mark despite turbulence in energy markets and a broader cryptocurrency selloff. The flagship digital asset shows a minimal 0.1% gain over the last day while posting a 0.8% weekly decline.

Brent crude oil prices surged beyond $111 per barrel after the Wall Street Journal revealed that President Donald Trump instructed advisors to prepare for a prolonged U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. WTI crude simultaneously crossed back above the $100 threshold on Tuesday.

In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed Iran communicated it was experiencing a “State of Collapse” and sought the reopening of the Strait. Iranian officials have suggested openness to an interim agreement contingent on Washington removing its blockade of Iranian ports.

[[LINK_START_0]]https://twitter.com/wallstengine/status/2049119139370045712?s=20[[LINK_END_0]]

The energy market turmoil sent shockwaves through risk-sensitive assets. U.S. equity markets opened in negative territory Tuesday, though Nasdaq 100 futures managed to recover 0.4% during Asian trading sessions.

BTC/USD experienced a brief drop below $76,000 during Tuesday’s Wall Street opening before staging a modest recovery. This marked a seven-day low and reversed much of the earlier weekly gains.

Alternative Cryptocurrencies Struggle as Bitcoin Dominance Expands

While Bitcoin demonstrated relative strength, the broader top 10 cryptocurrencies surrendered recent gains. Ethereum declined 2.6% weekly to reach $2,310. XRP tumbled 3.8% to $1.39. Solana decreased 3.2% to $84.57. BNB retreated 2.3% to $625.

Dogecoin emerged as the notable outlier, climbing 5.5% over the week to $0.1016. It remained the only top-10 non-stablecoin asset posting positive seven-day returns.

Consequently, Bitcoin’s market dominance metric has been gradually increasing. This pattern typically emerges during periods of macroeconomic uncertainty when capital flows toward the most established cryptocurrency.

Zaheer Ebtikar, founder of Split Research, explained to CoinDesk that this market behavior signals a fundamental transformation.

“The supply overhang has finally dried up,” he said. “Bitcoin is far less sensitive to regulatory noise or central bank policy than people think. Its sensitivity is purely a function of wider volatility.”

Critical Price Thresholds Under Trader Scrutiny

Bitget analysts highlighted $75,000 as the essential support threshold. A decisive breach below this level could trigger additional downward pressure. Conversely, a push back toward $80,000 from current levels would preserve the bullish structure.

Glassnode, an on-chain analytics provider, observed that ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue constricting supply and generating widespread market anxiety.

https://twitter.com/glassnode/status/2049116949343342999?s=20

Material Indicators, a trading analytics service, noted that BTC bulls lack strong conviction for a robust double-bottom recovery and cautioned about increasing volatility approaching the month’s end.

Analyst Ali Charts (@alicharts) highlighted that [[LINK_START_2]]Bitcoin[[LINK_END_2]] is penetrating a significant trendline, suggesting a possible momentum shift.

[[LINK_START_3]]https://twitter.com/alicharts/status/2049171282650906678?s=20[[LINK_END_3]]

Analyst Ted (@TedPillows) indicated that a monthly close above present levels could ignite a rally toward $80,000, whereas closing below would likely validate $79,500 as the local peak.

[[LINK_START_4]]https://twitter.com/TedPillows/status/2049193775122223420?s=20[[LINK_END_4]]

The Federal Reserve’s upcoming rate decision announcement is scheduled for Wednesday. The European Central Bank follows Thursday. These monetary policy events could inject fresh volatility into both cryptocurrency and conventional financial markets.

BTC currently trades just beneath $77,000, maintaining its consolidation range as market participants await the next macroeconomic catalyst.