Senator Thom Tillis lifted his blockade of Kevin Warsh’s Federal Reserve nomination on April 27 after the Department of Justice dropped its criminal investigation into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, clearing the path for a Senate Banking Committee vote on Wednesday.

Warsh confirmation prospects cleared decisively on April 27 when Senator Thom Tillis told NBC’s Meet the Press that he is “prepared to move on with the confirmation of Mr. Warsh” after the Department of Justice dropped its criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell over alleged cost overruns on the Fed’s headquarters renovation. The Senate Banking Committee confirmed it will vote on Warsh’s nomination on Wednesday, with a full Senate floor vote expected to follow before Powell’s term expires on May 15.

Warsh Confirmation Clears Its Last Major Obstacle

Tillis had blocked Warsh since January, arguing that the DOJ investigation of Powell was a “bogus and vindictive prosecution” that threatened the Fed’s independence. The block was enough to deadlock the 13-to-11 Republican-majority Banking Committee, as even one Republican defection would have stalled Warsh’s path forward. On Friday, US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro announced her office was closing the investigation and handing oversight of the Fed renovation project to the Fed’s inspector general, who had already been conducting a review since last July. CNBC reported that Tillis received assurances from DOJ officials that the probe was “completely and fully ended” and that any future investigation would require a criminal referral from the inspector general, not an executive-branch decision. “I needed to feel like they were not using DOJ as a weapon to threaten the independence of the Fed,” Tillis said. As crypto.news reported, Warsh had already pledged at his April 21 confirmation hearing that he would act as “an independent actor” and had made no commitments to the White House on interest rate decisions.

Why Warsh’s Confirmation Matters for Crypto Markets

Warsh is positioned to become the most crypto-literate Fed chair in the institution’s history. As crypto.news documented, his financial disclosures revealed indirect stakes across DeFi lending, decentralized derivatives, Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks, prediction markets, and Bitcoin payments infrastructure through venture fund structures. He has publicly described Bitcoin as having a positive disciplinary effect on economic policy and told senators at his April 21 hearing that “digital assets are already part of the fabric of our financial services industry.” As crypto.news tracked, Bitcoin climbed approximately 10% to trade near $78,000 in recent weeks as the Warsh confirmation odds improved, with analysts describing him as the most constructive possible outcome for crypto from a Fed chair appointment. Polymarket confirmation odds had fallen to 28% while Tillis held his block, but are expected to surge sharply following Sunday’s announcement.

The Race Against Powell’s May 15 Deadline

The timeline is compressed. Powell’s term as chair expires on May 15, and the Senate historically has rarely confirmed a Fed chair nominee in less than three weeks. The Banking Committee vote on Wednesday must be followed by a full Senate floor vote, and Democratic opposition remains unified. Senator Elizabeth Warren called Warsh a “sock puppet” and said no Republican claiming to care about Fed independence should support moving the nomination forward. As crypto.news noted, the FOMC is also scheduled to meet on Wednesday, with markets expecting rates to remain unchanged for the third consecutive meeting. If Warsh is not confirmed before May 15, Powell has indicated he plans to remain in place as a voting member of the Fed’s board until January 2028, providing continuity even if the confirmation timeline slips.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed Sunday that the investigation is now in the hands of the Fed inspector general and that the DOJ would only reopen a probe if the IG uncovered evidence of criminal conduct and made a formal referral.

More than 120 crypto organizations including Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, and Andreessen Horowitz sent a joint letter to the Senate Banking Committee on April 23 demanding an immediate CLARITY Act markup, as the bill’s end-of-May deadline tightens and prediction market odds fall below 50%.

The CLARITY Act faced the most coordinated industry pressure yet on April 23 when more than 120 organizations posted a joint letter via the Blockchain Association demanding the Senate Banking Committee schedule an immediate markup. As 247 Wall St. noted, Chairman Tim Scott has still not put the markup on the Banking Committee’s calendar, with the Kevin Warsh Fed chair confirmation process having consumed most of the committee’s April operational time.

CLARITY Act Industry Ultimatum Comes With a Hard Deadline Attached

As crypto.news reported, the letter was submitted by the Crypto Council for Innovation and the Blockchain Association and signed by Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, Circle, Uniswap Labs, Andreessen Horowitz, Chainlink Labs, OKX, Paradigm, and Galaxy Digital, along with advocacy groups, state blockchain associations, and university chapters of Stand With Crypto. The letter addresses the six remaining issues the coalition wants resolved: a clear SEC and CFTC oversight boundary, protection for non-custodial software developers, stablecoin activity rewards permitted while passive yield is banned, simplified digital asset disclosure rules, prevention of a state-by-state regulatory patchwork, and a predictable federal baseline that keeps capital and innovation onshore. Senator Bernie Moreno has publicly warned that if the bill does not clear the Senate floor by the end of May, digital asset legislation may not advance before the midterm election cycle closes the window, possibly until 2030.

What the CLARITY Act Delay Has Already Cost

As crypto.news documented, every week of Banking Committee inaction shrinks the operational window to a point where 2026 passage becomes structurally implausible. Congress breaks for Memorial Day recess on May 21, leaving fewer than four working weeks in May after the Warsh confirmation hearing ends. The bill must still pass a Banking Committee markup, clear a 60-vote Senate floor threshold, be reconciled between the Banking and Agriculture Committee versions, reconciled with the House text from July 2025, and signed by the president. JPMorgan analysts described passage by midyear as a positive catalyst for digital assets. Standard Chartered set an $8 XRP target contingent on the bill passing, with 247 Wall St. noting that most analysts forecast XRP could hit between $5 and $10 by late 2026 if the CLARITY Act clears. Polymarket currently prices passage odds at approximately 46%, down sharply from 82% earlier in the year.

Novogratz Says It Gets Done in May

Galaxy Digital founder Mike Novogratz said in a podcast this week that he believes the CLARITY Act will reach committee in early May and could land on Trump’s desk by June. “So this is going to get done,” Novogratz said. “It probably gets done in May.” That reading is more optimistic than Polymarket’s current pricing and more optimistic than Galaxy Research’s own 50-50 odds assessment, but it reflects the underlying conviction held by most industry participants that the bill’s substance is settled and that the only remaining variable is whether the Senate Banking Committee can find time on its calendar. Tillis’s decision to drop his block on Warsh’s confirmation on April 27 removes the single biggest competing item from the Banking Committee’s schedule, potentially opening a direct path for a CLARITY Act markup in the first week of May.

The Senate Banking Committee has not announced a markup date as of publication, but Tillis’s block removal and the Warsh confirmation vote scheduled for Wednesday have cleared the committee’s most pressing competing obligation.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI on April 21, alleging that ChatGPT advised the accused Florida State University shooter on what gun to use, what ammunition to load, and what time to arrive on campus to encounter the most people.

OpenAI Florida probe opened on April 21 when Attorney General James Uthmeier announced at a Tampa press conference that his office has launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT over their alleged role in the April 2025 shooting at Florida State University, in which Phoenix Ikner, 21, shot and killed two people and wounded five more near the student union on the Tallahassee campus. “My prosecutors have looked at this and they’ve told me if it was a person on the other end of that screen, we would be charging them with murder,” Uthmeier said. “If that bot were a person, they would be charged as a principal in first-degree murder.”

OpenAI Florida Investigation Enters Uncharted Legal Territory

According to NPR, more than 200 AI messages from ChatGPT have already been entered into evidence in the criminal case against Ikner, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, with his trial scheduled to begin October 19. NPR reported that Ikner allegedly consulted ChatGPT for advice on what type of gun to use, what ammunition paired with it, and what time to arrive on campus to encounter more people. Uthmeier acknowledged the investigation is entering uncharted territory. “We are going to look at who knew what, designed what, or should have done what,” he said. The Office of Statewide Prosecution has subpoenaed OpenAI seeking its policies and internal training materials related to user threats of harm and its procedures for cooperating with and reporting crimes to law enforcement, covering the period from March 2024 onward. OpenAI spokesperson Kate Waters said in a statement that the company “reached out to share information about the alleged shooter’s account with law enforcement after the shooting and continues to cooperate with authorities,” adding that “ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime.”

A Second Legal Front Opens as the Musk Trial Begins

The Florida investigation lands as OpenAI faces its most significant legal exposure in the company’s history. The Musk v. OpenAI civil trial opened on the same day in federal court in Oakland, with Elon Musk seeking to force the company back to nonprofit status and strip CEO Sam Altman of his position. As crypto.news reported, a finding against OpenAI in the Musk lawsuit could trigger cascading effects on the company’s planned IPO and the SoftBank funding commitment, which was already at risk of shrinking from $30 billion to $20 billion if the structural conversion faced legal interference. The Florida criminal probe adds a dimension the Musk lawsuit does not: potential state-level criminal liability for the outputs of a live commercial AI product, a question no major AI company has ever faced in a US criminal proceeding.

What the Case Signals for AI Governance and Safety Regulation

The Florida probe follows a parallel civil investigation already opened by Uthmeier’s office into the same ChatGPT-FSU shooting connection, and attorneys for one victim’s family have announced plans to sue OpenAI separately. OpenAI is also facing a lawsuit from the family of a victim in a February 2026 mass attack in British Columbia, where the accused shooter had previously discussed gun violence scenarios with ChatGPT before being banned from the platform, only to evade detection and create another account. As crypto.news documented, AI tools across US law enforcement are being adopted at a pace that has consistently outrun the accountability frameworks meant to govern them, raising structural questions about who bears legal responsibility when AI-generated outputs facilitate real-world harm. As crypto.news tracked, the same concern about AI misuse has already shaped the crypto security landscape, with CertiK researchers warning that AI-enabled phishing, deepfakes, and automated exploit tools are accelerating the pace of sophisticated attacks beyond what traditional defenses can contain.

Under Florida law, anyone who aids, abets, or counsels someone in the commission of a crime and that crime is committed may be considered a principal to that crime, which is the legal foundation Uthmeier is using to explore potential criminal liability for OpenAI.

The US Senate Banking Committee allowed April to close without scheduling a CLARITY Act markup, confirming the bill has missed its target window and pushing the legislative path entirely into May with fewer than four working weeks before the Memorial Day recess.

The CLARITY Act missed its April markup window after the Senate Banking Committee let the month close without scheduling a hearing, with Eleanor Terrett reporting that no notice came from Chairman Tim Scott or Banking Committee Republicans before Friday’s informal cutoff. The absence of any formal announcement has effectively eliminated April from the bill’s legislative calendar and shifted all momentum toward the second week of May as the new target.

CLARITY Act April Deadline Missed as Warsh Hearings Consume Committee Time

The committee’s April calendar was dominated by the confirmation hearing for Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh, whose blockade by Senator Thom Tillis had created competing pressure on the same senators who are negotiating the CLARITY Act’s final text. As crypto.news reported, with the Warsh confirmation process now resolved following Tillis’s announcement on April 27, the committee’s most pressing competing obligation has been removed. A Banking Committee markup is now expected in the first or second week of May, according to multiple industry and Senate sources. However, analysts have consistently warned that even a successful early May markup may not leave enough operational time to clear all five sequential hurdles before the May 21 Memorial Day recess shuts the legislative window.

The Math Behind the Remaining Time

The bill’s path from a successful Banking Committee markup to a presidential signature requires five sequential steps: a committee vote, a 60-vote Senate floor threshold, reconciliation between the Banking and Agriculture Committee versions, reconciliation with the House text from July 2025, and a presidential signature. Galaxy Research analyst Alex Thorn has warned that if the markup slips past mid-May, the probability of passage in 2026 will drop sharply. TD Cowen is more pessimistic, putting current passage odds at one-in-three and citing CFTC staffing gaps, prediction market politics, and Iran-related crypto payment concerns as additional hurdles beyond the calendar. Polymarket currently prices passage at approximately 46%, far below the 82% high it reached earlier in the year. As crypto.news documented, Galaxy Digital founder Mike Novogratz remains publicly bullish, saying on a podcast this week that “this is going to get done” and that it “probably gets done in May.”

Why the April Slip Matters Even if May Works

The CLARITY Act missing its April target matters beyond the immediate calendar. As crypto.news tracked, each prior deadline the bill has missed, from January through April, has been accompanied by the same pattern of near-final optimism followed by a new source of delay, whether from bank lobbying, stablecoin yield disputes, or now calendar competition from the Fed chair process. The bill has now missed every formal or informal deadline set for it since 2025. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong reversed his January opposition and supports the current text. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has moved his forecast from April to May. The White House, Treasury, and both primary regulatory agencies have all publicly backed the bill. The substance is settled. The only remaining variable is whether the Senate Banking Committee can move the bill before midterm campaign politics permanently consume the legislative floor.

A Senate aide familiar with the negotiations told Terrett that an early May markup remains the target but that the final bill text has not yet been released for the required 48-hour public review period, which must precede any committee vote.

Ethereum has slipped back below $2,300, leaving traders to decide whether a fragile band between roughly $2,100 support and $2,350–$2,400 resistance is a simple shakeout or the prelude to a deeper retrace before any long‑promised run toward $4,000.

Ethereum (ETH) is back under pressure, trading just below $2,300 and forcing everyone to ask the only question that matters: is this simply a shakeout or the start of a deeper retrace? According to Gate market data, ETH/USDT last changed hands near $2,299.99, down about 2.01% over the past 24 hours, after briefly challenging the $2,350–$2,400 area earlier in the week.

Short term, the tape looks heavy. Binance data show ETH slipping under $2,300 to around $2,294.89 with a roughly 2.23% daily loss, reinforcing the idea that $2,300 has flipped from a support zone into an intraday pivot. Recent technical work from Phemex’s research desk puts immediate support in the $2,100–$2,176 band, with resistance stacked around $2,350 and then $2,586, and notes that ETH remains below its 10‑day moving average and key EMAs on the daily chart.

The market is still digesting earlier gains, and momentum is not on the bulls’ side right now. The MACD sits firmly negative, while an oversold CRSI around the mid‑20s hints that forced selling may be closer to the end than the beginning if macro conditions cooperate.

Macro and flows will decide whether $2,100 holds or breaks. Yahoo Finance notes that broader crypto prices have been trading nervously ahead of the next Federal Reserve meeting and geopolitical headlines, with ETH failing several times to sustain moves above $2,400 this month. At the same time, derivative positioning has shifted toward more cautious leverage, and spot volumes have normalized after March’s spikes, reducing both upside and downside extremes in the very near term.

Medium term, there is still a coherent bull case, but it depends on catalysts that are not yet fully priced. In March, Investing.com highlighted Standard Chartered research arguing that Ethereum’s path back toward $4,000 in 2026 will depend heavily on renewed institutional demand, ongoing supply reductions from staking, and continued growth in stablecoin and DeFi usage on the network. That same analysis warned that ETH could revisit lower levels — even down toward $1,400 — before a more durable uptrend resumes, given how far it ran in prior cycles.

Binance announces expanded scaling of its Card program, developed with Mastercard, to broaden how users spend digital assets in everyday transactions. The update lets cardholders pay at millions of Mastercard-accepting merchants by drawing funds from a Binance account, with supported assets automatically converted to local fiat in real time at the point of sale. It highlights practical crypto payments, including a multi-asset range such as USDT, USDC, FDUSD, BNB, BTC, ETH, SOL, ADA, LINK, and XRP, and offers cashback up to 3% on eligible purchases. Regional availability and regulatory considerations will determine exact features.

Key points

• Real-time conversion at the point of sale converts supported assets to local fiat during each transaction.
• Up to 3% cashback on eligible spending.
• Multi-asset support includes USDT, USDC, FDUSD, BNB, BTC, ETH, SOL, ADA, LINK, and XRP.
• Payments at millions of Mastercard-accepting merchants worldwide.
• Availability and features vary by region; subject to eligibility and local laws; issuer is Immersve Limited.

Why it matters

This development supports practical crypto usage by linking Binance balances to everyday payments through Mastercard acceptance and real-time conversion. By combining familiar payment mechanics with a broad asset mix, the program moves digital assets closer to everyday financial use while highlighting regulatory and regional considerations that may shape access and features.

What to watch

• Regional rollout details and eligibility rules as the service expands.
• Any updates to the list of supported assets.
• Changes to cashback terms or merchant coverage.

Disclosure: The content below is a press release provided by the company or its PR representative. It is published for informational purposes.

Binance Scales Its Card Offering to Enhance Everyday Payment Utility

[Abu Dhabi, UAE] Binance, the global blockchain ecosystem behind the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, today highlighted the continued scaling of the Binance Card, a payment solution designed to enable everyday transactions using digital asset balances developed in partnership with Mastercard.

The initiative represents a step forward in enabling users to seamlessly integrate digital assets into everyday transactions, reinforcing Binance’s commitment to advancing accessible and practical crypto payment solutions globally.

The Binance Card allows users to make purchases at millions of merchants worldwide that accept Mastercard, using funds from their Binance account. By automatically converting supported digital assets into local fiat currency in real time at the point of transaction, the card delivers a familiar and intuitive payment experience aligned with existing financial systems.

Key Features:

• Everyday crypto utility: Users can spend directly from their crypto balances, simplifying how digital assets are used in real-world scenarios.
• Seamless conversion: Transactions are processed with real-time conversion into local currency, removing friction for both users and merchants.
• Incentivized usage: Users can benefit from up to 3% cashback on eligible spending, enhancing the value of everyday transactions.
• Multi-asset support: Supported digital assets include USDT, USDC, FDUSD, BNB, BTC, ETH, SOL, ADA, LINK, and XRP.

As demand for practical crypto applications continues to grow, solutions that bridge digital assets with established payment infrastructure are becoming increasingly important. The Binance Card reflects a broader shift toward integrating blockchain technology into everyday financial experiences, supporting the evolution of digital assets into a functional payment layer.

Binance Card is part of Binance’s broader ecosystem aimed at enhancing user access to digital assets and expanding their real-world applications. By combining the flexibility of crypto with the global acceptance of Mastercard, the card enables a more integrated and user-friendly financial experience.

Disclaimer: The Binance Card is issued and operated by Immersve Limited, an independent third-party card issuer. Availability and features may vary by region and are subject to eligibility and applicable laws and regulations.

The European Commission on Thursday unveiled the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, expanding a broad set of measures aimed at limiting Moscow’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine. The bloc’s new rules tighten crypto-related restrictions and reinforce existing financial controls as Brussels seeks to curb Russia’s cross-border activity through digital assets.

Among the most consequential elements, the commission announced a total sectoral ban on exchanges with any Russian crypto asset service provider and on decentralized platforms enabling crypto trading that could be used to bypass sanctions. In addition, the bloc prohibited the use of stablecoins pegged to the Russian ruble and the central bank digital currency (CBDC) that is under development by the Russian central bank.

The commission framed the move as part of a broader push to press Russia to enter negotiations on terms acceptable to Ukraine, stressing that each additional day of Russian attacks translates into further Ukrainian civilian suffering. The package was issued following a meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to review ongoing support for Kyiv amid Moscow’s military campaign.

The European Commission has argued that Russia has become increasingly reliant on cryptocurrencies for international transactions as traditional channels come under sanctions. The bloc cited cases where crypto channels are used to bypass restrictions, referencing stablecoins tied to the ruble market and crypto operators linked to Belarus as examples of where enforcement efforts may be directed.

Related: Russia introduces bill to criminalize unregistered crypto services

Key takeaways

• The European Commission’s 20th sanctions package imposes a comprehensive ban on exchanges with Russian crypto asset service providers and on decentralized platforms that could enable evasion of sanctions.
• Stablecoins pegged to the ruble and a Russian CBDC under development are banned from use within the EU’s financial system.
• Brussels frames crypto restrictions as a tool to pressure Russia toward negotiations and to curb crypto-facilitated sanctions evasion.
• Officials point to Russia’s growing reliance on digital assets for international transactions, with references to stablecoins such as those pegged to the ruble and to Belarus-linked crypto operators.
• The move follows high-level discussions between EU leadership and Ukraine’s president, underscoring continuing EU commitment to Ukraine’s security and economic resilience.

EU sanctions and the crypto frontier

The 20th sanctions package broadens a long-running strategy to isolate Russia financially and operationally. By barring interaction with any Russian crypto asset service provider and blocking decentralized platforms that could facilitate crypto trading for sanctioned entities, the European Commission aims to close loopholes that might allow Moscow to move value across borders despite traditional restrictions.

The ban on ruble-pegged stablecoins and on the CBDC under development signals Brussels’ concern that digital-native instruments could be weaponized to bypass controls. While stablecoins anchored to stable assets are often marketed as governance-neutral payment rails, the EU’s position suggests a preference for preserving the integrity of sanction regimes over permitting cross-border crypto liquidity that could undermine those regimes.

In remarks accompanying the package, the commission emphasized the broader political objective: to keep pressure on Russia to engage in negotiations that align with Ukrainian interests. The EU’s stance also aligns with a transferral of attention toward the enforcement front, where regulators are increasingly tasked with tracking crypto flows that cross borders and evade traditional supervision.

The commission’s narrative also alludes to Russia’s reported pivot toward crypto in response to sanctions. While the EU did not quantify the shift, officials described scenarios where digital assets are used to settle cross-border trades that would otherwise be restricted by conventional financial channels. In several instances, the discussion pointed to stablecoins and crypto firms that operate in or near Russia’s orbit, including entities connected to Belarus, as areas of heightened focus for enforcement action.

Crosswinds beyond Europe: Iran, crypto and enforcement scrutiny

As Western powers monitor potential sanctions evasion via digital assets, the United States has witnessed renewed scrutiny around Iran and crypto. Lawmakers have questioned whether Iran could be leveraging cryptocurrencies to circumvent restrictions amid broader regional tensions and ongoing sanctions. In recent coverage, Reuters and other outlets have reported that U.S. investigators have looked into the possibility of crypto channels supporting Iranian entities in sanctioned activities.

Within the crypto industry, there have been notable tensions around enforcement and compliance. A separate report highlighted internal personnel shifts at a major exchange amid questions about how the platform communicates with and informs executives about sanctioned transactions involving Iran. These developments underscore the pressure on crypto firms to balance rapid growth with rigorous sanctions compliance and risk controls.

Related: U.S. DOJ probes Binance over alleged Iran sanctions evasion

What this signals for investors and builders

The EU’s latest package reinforces a clear expectation: crypto markets and service providers operating in or with Russia must adhere to traditional sanction disciplines, even as the crypto ecosystem grows more integrated with cross-border finance. For traders and institutions, the move could tighten liquidity channels that previously bridged gaps created by Western sanctions, potentially increasing the cost and friction of sanctioned-entity transactions.

For builders, the emphasis on preventing circumvention highlights the importance of robust sanctions screening, transparent provenance of funds, and on-chain analytics that can distinguish legitimate activity from attempts to mask sanctionable flows. As policymakers worldwide sharpen their tools, the line between legitimate innovation and regulatory risk will continue to shape product design, governance models, and compliance tooling in the sector.

Finally, the evolving discourse around Iran and crypto underscores a broader regulatory convergence. As the U.S. and European authorities intensify scrutiny of digital assets in sanction regimes, exchanges, wallets, and infrastructure providers are likely to face increasing demands for real-time compliance data and auditable controls. Investors should watch how enforcement patterns evolve in the coming months, and how regional differences in sanctions policy interact with evolving crypto technologies.

The story remains dynamic. Readers should monitor forthcoming regulatory updates from Brussels and other capitals, as well as performance indicators from cross-border crypto markets, to gauge how sanction-driven constraints intersect with the broader push toward regulated digital finance.

Consensys and Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin have joined DeFi United, committing as much as 30,000 ETH to a recovery effort aimed at restoring rsETH backing after a $290 million bridge exploit triggered widespread disruptions across DeFi.

The initiative, led by participants in Aave DAO, aims to support affected users and stabilize rsETH markets, with governance approvals still pending across involved protocols.

The funding is intended to provide immediate liquidity while governance processes continue, with an eye on limiting disruption across DeFi protocols. Sharplink, a publicly traded Ethereum treasury company, has joined in an advisory role to help structure the recovery plan.

Source: Aave on X

DeFi United was announced April 23 by service providers to Aave DAO, with participants including Lido, EtherFi, Ethena, Mantle and Frax, among others.

The recovery effort follows an April 18 exploit that drained roughly 116,500 rsETH, worth about $290 million, from a LayerZero-based bridge operated by Kelp DAO.

The incident triggered disruptions across the DeFi ecosystem, with dozens of protocols pausing some functions. On Aave, the attacker used rsETH as collateral to borrow liquidity, contributing to as much as $200 million in bad debt and forcing the protocol to freeze rsETH markets.

According to LayerZero Labs, the exploit was linked to a configuration issue in Kelp’s setup that relied on a single verification path for cross-chain messages.

Separately, Circle said Monday that its venture arm is purchasing AAVE tokens to support the protocol and broader DeFi ecosystem.

Source: Circle on X

Related: Aave asks Arbitrum to send 30K ETH from Kelp exploiter to ‘DeFi United’

DeFi hacks surge in April

The incident comes amid a wave of recent attacks targeting DeFi protocols. According to DefiLlama, about $729 million has been lost to crypto hacks over the last 90 days, with roughly $623 million occurring in April alone.

The month began with a roughly $280 million exploit of Drift Protocol on April 1, carried out through a social engineering attack by an attacker suspected to have ties to North Korea.

DeFi hacks, February-April 2026. Source: DefiLlama

Two weeks later, Rhea Finance said an attacker exploited a vulnerability in its margin trading feature to manipulate liquidity pools, resulting in roughly $7.6 million in losses, according to CertiK. The protocol has since paused operations and is undergoing a phased recovery, with most funds recovered and some USDT still frozen pending release by Tether.

The string of attacks also includes smaller exploits earlier in the month, such as a $410,000 loss at Dango on April 13, a $392,000 oracle-related incident at Silo Finance on April 3 and a $423,000 access control exploit at Aethir on April 9.

While none of the recent attacks have been conclusively linked to artificial intelligence, researchers say advances in the technology are making it easier to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in DeFi systems. 

In late 2025, researchers at Anthropic found that AI models could identify more than half of known smart contract exploits, highlighting how the technology could accelerate future attacks.

Data from Polymarket shows traders are pricing in a high likelihood of another major crypto hack this year, with odds at 84% by the end of 2026.

Odds of another crypto hack over $100 million. Source: Polymarket

Magazine: AI-driven hacks could kill DeFi — unless projects act now

The European Commission announced a package of crypto-related sanctions against Russia in response to the country’s military actions against Ukraine.

In a Thursday notice, the commission said the sanctions targeted Russia’s energy and financial sectors, including a “total sectorial ban on carrying out exchanges with any Russian crypto asset service provider as well as any decentralised platforms enabling crypto trading” that could be used to circumvent the measures.

The EC, composed of 27 member states in the European Union, also prohibited the use of stablecoins pegged to the Russian ruble and the central bank digital currency (CBDC) under development by the Central Bank of Russia.

“This package puts further pressure on Russia to engage in negotiations and do so on terms acceptable for Ukraine,” said the commission. “Every day of further Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure is another day of suffering for the Ukrainian people.”

Source: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

The sanctions package came after a meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussing the bloc’s support for Ukraine amid ongoing military attacks from Russian forces. 

According to the commission, Russia was becoming “increasing[ly] reliant on cryptocurrencies for international transactions” in reaction to global sanctions. This has led to measures targeting entities tied to the country using stablecoins like A7A5 and crypto operators linked to Belarus.

Related: Russia introduces bill to criminalize unregistered crypto services

Iran sanctions also under scrutiny in US

Amid the United States and Israeli military actions against Iran, many lawmakers have been questioning whether the Islamic Republic could be circumventing sanctions using digital assets.

Reports last month suggested that Binance fired individuals responsible for telling executives that that exchange facilitated $1 billion in transactions to entities tied to Iran.

Magazine: AI-driven hacks could kill DeFi — unless projects act now