Crypto and crypto markets pulled back Tuesday as Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh said U.S. President Donald Trump never demanded he cut rates when he takes the helm at the central bank.

Speaking before the Senate Banking Committee, Warsh emphasized the independence of the Federal Reserve, pushing back on speculation about political pressure on rate decisions.

“I never said to the president where I think rates should be… and I wouldn’t have even thought about doing so,” Warsh said.

Trump has repeatedly called for lower interest rates, putting pressure on current Fed Chair Jerome Powell and drawing concerns over the central bank’s independence.

Warsh also struck a constructive tone on crypto, saying digital assets are “already part of the fabric of our financial services industry.”

Trading just below $77,000 earlier in the session, BTC slipped to around $75,500 during Warsh’s hearing, some 0.6% lower over the past 24 hours.

The move mirrored broader markets. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 both fell about 0.5%, giving up early gains as investors digested signals on monetary policy.

Crypto-related stocks declined more. Exchange Coinbase (COIN) dropped 5%, while Robinhood (HOOD), a retail brokerage with significant crypto trading exposure, fell 3.5% during the session. Galaxy (GLXY), a digital asset investment firm, slid 4.5%, while stablecoin issuer Circle (CRCL) was nearly 6% lower.

While Warsh’s remarks suggested that he felt less urgency to cut rates, he would likely still favor lower rates as chairman, according to Matt Mena, senior crypto research strategist at asset manager 21shares.

“While [Warsh] maintains a reputation for fiscal discipline, he has spent years arguing that the central bank’s reliance on lagging data has kept rates unnecessarily high, stifling growth and creating market volatility,” Mena said in a note.

He added that Warsh’s appointment could also prove positive for crypto policy, noting he would be the first Fed chair with deep ties to the digital asset industry. Warsh has invested in dozens of crypto and decentralized finance (DeFi) projects and views bitcoin as “the new gold for people under 40,” he added.

Looking towards the second half of 2026, , Mena argued that a more proactive easing stance could create a “high-liquidity environment” that has historically supported risk assets like bitcoin, potentially pushing prices back toward $100,000.

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc. and Gemini, Titan LLC on April 21, 2026, alleging both platforms illegally operated unlicensed gambling operations through prediction market offerings in New York.

The AG’s investigation found that Coinbase and Gemini’s prediction markets —which allow users to bet on sports, entertainment, and election outcomes —violate New York state gambling laws by operating without Gaming Commission licenses. The suit seeks court orders requiring both companies to pay fines, forfeit illegal profits, and provide restitution to customers.

The AG’s complaint highlights that both platforms allow New Yorkers ages 18 and older to access the prediction markets, despite New York law requiring participants in mobile sports betting to be at least 21 years old. The AG cited research showing early exposure to gambling increases risks of depression, anxiety, and financial stress, noting the platforms lack necessary consumer protections.

By operating unlicensed, Coinbase and Gemini bypass tax obligations that licensed casinos and mobile sports betting platforms must pay, which fund public schools, youth sports programs, and problem gambling treatment in New York.

Sources: New York State Attorney General

This article was generated automatically by The Defiant’s AI news system from publicly available sources.

The crypto landscape is shifting fast! As liquidity and tech breakthroughs redefine the game, the hunt for the best crypto to buy is zeroing in on powerhouses that pair massive utility with booming ecosystems. BlockDAG, XRP, TRON, and Avalanche are crushing it, offering everything from lightning-fast networks to global payment solutions, giving you the ultimate edge in this market.

Forget chasing tiny green candles; the smart money is pouring into projects with real usage and serious expansion. This pivot is your chance to ride the wave of long-term growth. Below, we break down these four giants in simple terms so you can see exactly where they stand and why they are dominating the current crypto arena.

1. BlockDAG: $0.00000058 Pre-Launch Phase With 237x Upside Potential

If you are searching for the best crypto to buy before a massive price explosion, BlockDAG is your urgent wake-up call. The current fixed price of $0.00000058 represents your absolute final chance before the open market takes over. We are looking at a staggering 237x projection, fueled by a rock-solid roadmap with high-stakes deadlines you cannot afford to miss.

The exchange frenzy is already here. BlockDAG (BDAG) is screaming across 13 platforms: Biconomy, Bifinance, CoinStore, P2B, AscendEX, BTSE, XT, BTCC, LBank, BitMart, WEEX, Pionex, and WEBOT. On top of this, listings on BingX and Gate.io are dropping soon, and more Tier-1 exchange listings are expected to follow!

Tier 1 status is a total game-changer, bringing deep liquidity and millions of global traders into the mix, moves that historically trigger massive price action. The dev team is also on fire; Smart Wallet claims are live, and Batch 4 opens April 27. Plus, a Casino is dropping on May 7!

By May, the DEX and liquidity rewards go live, followed by the “Super App” in June. This all-in-one suite includes lending, oracles, and dApps. But beware: the fixed-rate supply is vanishing. Once it’s gone, the $0.00000058 price is history, and you’ll be at the mercy of the open market.

2. XRP: Institutional Payments Network Driving Real-World Adoption

XRP remains a titan in the world of cross-border money moves and banking settlements. Built for extreme speed and low fees, it’s the go-to for financial giants needing to move liquidity across the planet in seconds.

When people talk about the best crypto to buy, XRP leads the pack for real-world impact. It’s not just hype; banks and payment providers are actively plugging into this network to revolutionize remittances. XRP is the bridge between the old-school banking world and the future of blockchain.

For those looking for long-term power, XRP offers a front-row seat to the global settlement revolution. As demand for digital payments and regulatory clarity grows, XRP is perfectly positioned to capture the global spotlight.

3. TRON: High-Throughput Blockchain Powering Global dApp

TRON is a beast of a blockchain, engineered to handle dApps, content sharing, and massive stablecoin volume without breaking a sweat. Its high-speed, low-fee architecture makes it a magnet for global users who want to move money fast without losing a fortune in fees.

In the race for the best crypto to buy, TRON is a fan favorite for its massive adoption in emerging markets and exploding on-chain activity. With DeFi, NFTs, and developers flocking to the network, TRON’s influence is only getting stronger.

Its ability to process huge transaction volumes keeps it ahead of the competition. As more people join the TRON ecosystem, its network effects are set to trigger even more growth across the global blockchain stage.

4. Avalanche: Scalable Smart Contract Infrastructure Driving DeFi Innovation

Avalanche is the speed demon of smart contract platforms, famous for its lightning-fast consensus and customizable “subnets.” This allows developers to build specialized blockchains for anything from enterprise solutions to the next big thing in DeFi.

Discussed widely as the best crypto to buy, Avalanche is a favorite for its top-tier tech and rapidly growing dev community. Its low latency and high throughput make it a serious threat to other smart contract platforms.

Fresh projects are landing on Avalanche every day, diversifying an already massive ecosystem. As the world screams for scalable blockchain tech, Avalanche is standing tall, ready to lead DeFi and institutional integration worldwide.

Final Thoughts

The market is obsessed with projects that have clear milestones and massive momentum. XRP, TRON, and Avalanche are holding strong as pillars of the industry, proving their worth through real usage and scalable tech.

However, BlockDAG is stealing the show in the best crypto to buy debate. With its $0.00000058 fixed price about to vanish and a 237x projection on the table, the FOMO is real. With BingX and other exchanges already live, and a roadmap packed with Super Apps and DeFi launches, the clock is ticking.

This structured rollout and massive upside potential make BlockDAG the one to watch. Don’t wait until it’s trading on the open market; the time to act is now!

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.

Poland stands as the last EU member state without a domestically enacted enabling act to implement the bloc’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, as the Sejm again failed to override a presidential veto on the Crypto-Asset Market Act. According to Cointelegraph, President Karol Nawrocki defended his veto by warning that the draft imposes excessive regulation that could burden small businesses. Critics say the absence of a clear framework exposes the market to fraud and creates a permissive space for illicit activity. The political path forward remains uncertain.

With the MiCA transitional period set to end on July 1, Poland’s lagging implementation stands in contrast to the rest of the bloc. Absent a solution, local firms risk losing a compliant path to operate within the European market, prompting some to relocate their operations abroad in search of a regulatory environment that aligns with MiCA’s standards or speedier licensing processes. The situation illustrates how national politics can influence the EU’s single market for crypto, potentially creating regulatory arbitrage opportunities for Polish firms and shifting competitive dynamics within the region.

Key takeaways

• Poland remains the sole EU member yet to enact MiCA-compliant regulation, with a July 1 transition deadline looming.
• The Crypto-Asset Market Act draft has drawn criticism for its length and scope, including measures perceived as beyond MiCA’s remit, such as restrictions on marketing and the potential for administrative website blocking.
• The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) would become the sole crypto regulator under the act, with powers to levy fines and maintain a blacklist of “unreliable” domains; licensing timelines under the KNF have been described as some of Europe’s slowest.
• Industry groups warn that the Polish approach risks restricting competitiveness and driving firms to relocate to MiCA-friendly jurisdictions like Latvia or the Czech Republic.
• The policy debate remains deeply fissured across political lines, with multiple vetoes, competing drafts, and public disputes shaping the trajectory of Poland’s crypto regime and its EU interoperability.

MiCA transition stalls amid veto cycles

In November 2025, the Sejm passed the Crypto-Asset Market Act, intended to bring Polish law into alignment with MiCA. However, according to Cointelegraph, the government and many industry observers criticized the measure for its breadth and complexity. The Warsaw Enterprise Institute—the business-focused think tank cited as a critic—argued that the Polish bill runs to several hundred articles, whereas other EU members published shorter, more streamlined regimes. The institute also flagged provisions such as a purported ban on certain crypto marketing activities and the possibility of blocking websites by administrative decision, without a court remedy. They contended that such tools would not be justified by MiCA and would disadvantage Polish firms relative to peers in other EU countries.

The proposed regime would vest the KNF with sweeping oversight of Poland’s entire crypto market, including enforcement actions and a formal blacklist of domains deemed unreliable. Critics warned this centralized authority could be slow to react and prone to overreach, especially given the KNF’s existing reputation for protracted regulatory processes. A 2023 European Banking Authority peer review described the KNF as the slowest regulator in Europe for authorizations, a concern echoed by industry observers. In the same period, the Warsaw-based think tank noted Nova data points: the KNF had issued two licenses for brokerages in the last decade and just one electronic money institution license, while Lithuania had registered well over 100 such licenses. These contrasts underscored fears that the Polish regime could place local actors at a competitive disadvantage within the European market. (Source: European Banking Authority peer review via Cointelegraph)

On December 1, 2025, Nawrocki vetoed the law again, arguing the measure’s regulatory footprint was bloated. The government did not override the veto and subsequently reintroduced the identical bill. Nawrocki vetoed again in February, and on April 17 the Sejm failed to override for a second time. The persistence of the veto cycle has kept Poland outside the MiCA-aligned regulatory framework as the July 1 transitional benchmark approaches, according to Cointelegraph’s reporting.

Regulatory architecture and market implications

If enacted, the Crypto-Asset Market Act would centralize oversight within the KNF, granting it licensing authority, enforcement powers, and the ability to maintain a blacklist of domains. That centralization, while aligned with concerns about consumer protection and market integrity, also raises questions about proportionality and due process, particularly given the envisaged administrative tools for domain blocking and potential penalties. The broader EU policy context—MiCA’s aim for a harmonized internal market—implies Poland would still need to reconcile any national features with cross-border supervisory expectations and potential responsibilities shared with EU bodies.

From a compliance and banking perspective, the timing and shape of Poland’s regulatory approach carry material implications. Banks and payment institutions evaluating crypto-related exposure often require clear, predictable licensing regimes and robust consumer protections. Prolonged regulatory uncertainty can complicate onboarding, risk assessment, and liquidity planning for licensed operators, while a slow or opaque domestic framework could push firms to establish or relocate operations in jurisdictions with clearer paths to EU-wide market access.

Political dynamics and cross-border implications

The policy debate in Poland has unfolded amid broader political tensions and contentious public discourse around crypto regulation. Some industry voices portrayed Nawrocki’s veto as a principled insistence on proportional regulation rather than an anti-crypto stance. However, political actors have reacted in various ways to the stalemate. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has accused a local exchange of illicit funding and ties to Russian criminal networks, allegations that feed into a narrative about the risks presented by crypto markets and the political sensitivity of crypto policy. Zonda Crypto, the Polish exchange formerly known as BitBay, has not responded to Cointelegraph’s requests for comment on these claims. The episode illustrates how regulatory design, political alignments, and public narrative can interact to shape the policy landscape and the attractiveness of Poland as a jurisdiction for crypto firms.

Beyond the vetoes, industry participants have sounded the alarm about a potential outflow of businesses. The Warsaw Chamber of Commerce for Blockchain and New Technologies notes that a substantial share of Polish crypto firms have already looked abroad since the regulatory discussion began. Some prominent operators—such as Kanga—have signaled a willingness to relocate to MiCA-friendly environments like Latvia, where faster procedures and relatively lower regulatory burdens are cited as advantages. The chamber’s president has asserted that Polish firms may lose critical scale without a domestic pathway, while regulators emphasize the need to preserve tax bases and domestic innovation. The government’s own messaging has highlighted the risk that overregulation could push companies to neighboring jurisdictions, including the Czech Republic, Lithuania, or Malta, thereby eroding Poland’s domestic crypto ecosystem.

The evolving dynamic suggests a broader policy question for Poland: should the country pursue a tightly regulated, MiCA-aligned regime with clear consumer protections and supervisory certainty, or accept a continued regulatory fragmentation that risks market fragmentation and capital flight? As July 1 nears, the decision will have immediate commercial implications for firms operating in Poland and longer-term strategic consequences for Poland’s role in Europe’s evolving crypto market.

The Polish president’s office and parliament are still weighing options, while industry participants monitor whether a revised legislative approach or an alternative regulatory package will emerge before the MiCA transition window closes. The path forward will help determine whether Poland remains a hub for crypto innovation or becomes increasingly peripheral to the EU’s integrated regulatory regime.

Closing perspective: As the MiCA deadline approaches, Poland faces a defining choice about regulatory design, implementation speed, and alignment with EU standards. The coming months will reveal whether a scaled, proportionate framework can be enacted to sustain domestic innovation, support compliant banking relationships, and preserve Poland’s standing as a crypto market within the European single market or whether regulatory fragmentation will continue to push firms toward neighboring jurisdictions.

A new PACE Act bill would let qualified non‑bank payment firms tap Fed rails directly, cutting fees and delays while dovetailing with the GENIUS Act’s stablecoin regime.

A U.S. Congressman has proposed the PACE Act, a bill that would give qualified payment companies direct access to Federal Reserve payment rails in a bid to modernize the U.S. payments system.

Bill aims to open Fed rails to non-banks

According to market reports, the proposal would allow regulated non-bank providers to connect straight to systems such as Fedwire, FedACH and FedNow, aiming to reduce settlement delays, lower transaction fees and speed up transfers for consumers and businesses.

Early reaction has been positive from fintech and cryptocurrency industry groups, which see the legislation as a way to make the U.S. payments stack faster, cheaper and more competitive versus both private-sector alternatives and other jurisdictions experimenting with real-time rails.

A LinkedIn breakdown of the draft framework says the PACE Act would create a new federal category, “Registered Covered Provider,” overseen by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, giving eligible firms a statutory right to apply for Fed payment accounts without needing a full bank charter.

To qualify, companies would typically need either more than 40 state money transmitter licenses or a state depository charter, a threshold designed to capture large payment processors, remittance platforms and major crypto intermediaries already operating at national scale.

Those reserve provisions mirror elements of the recently enacted GENIUS Act, requiring 1:1 backing in cash, Federal Reserve deposits, U.S. Treasury bills or tokenized equivalents, a move pitched as a way to keep customer funds safe while giving non-banks access to central bank money.

In a note cited by Politico, one supporter argued that “we can reduce the burden of bank fees borne by too many American families by enabling broader access to innovative payment systems that deliver cheaper, faster, more reliable service,” framing the PACE Act as a consumer-focused reform rather than a giveaway to fintech.

If passed, the bill would sit alongside the GENIUS stablecoin framework and recent SEC moves on digital-asset accounting as part of a broader reshaping of U.S. market plumbing, potentially allowing large crypto and payments firms to move dollars over Fed rails instead of relying solely on correspondent banks.

Adult website Pornhub is no longer accepting tether (USDT) for payouts and is now switching to Circle-issued USDC instead.

That’s according to OnlyFans content creator Gracie Hartie, who shared a screenshot of an email Pornhub allegedly sent out clarifying the change. 

In the screenshot, Pornhub claims that it was switching from USDT to USDC to make payouts “more reliable.” 

It added that “USDC is a fully-backed, MiCA-compliant and regulated stablecoin, making it a more secure option for your earnings.” 

Read more: Tether challenges USDC Solana hegemony with $127.5M Drift bailout

“It’s pegged 1:1 to the US dollar,” Pornhub stated, adding that it “works just like USDT on the ERC-20 network.”

Pornhub’s model program page no longer lists USDT as a payment method. Instead, it lists USDC and other payment methods, including Paxum, Verge, and Cosmo.

Pornhub made USDT its choice for payouts on its site in 2020 following PayPal’s decision to cut ties with the platform.  

It said at the time, “Since PayPal’s decision to stop payouts to thousands of Models two months ago, we’ve been hustling to…offer you more options.”

As part of Pornhub’s stablecoin integration of USDT the company used Justin Sun’s TronLink wallet for the payments. This infrastructure partnership between Pornhub and Sun no longer appears on Pornhub’s model program.

Before USDC cucked USDT, USDT cucked USDC

Earlier this month, another USDT/USDC switch occurred when USDT stepped in to help the hacked Drift Protocol with a $127.5 million bailout. 

Drift was drained for around $285 million after its team was infiltrated, likely by North Korean-linked hackers who compromised a multisig wallet.

This bailout deal, however, meant that Drift would “transition its settlement asset from USDC to USDT.”

Read more: Inside the $280M Drift hack: weeks of setup, minutes to drain

Protos has reached out to Pornhub and Tether for comment and will update this piece should we hear anything back.

Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news and investigations, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

DoorDash is working with stablecoin-focused blockchain Tempo to build stablecoin-powered payouts to merchants and Dashers across more than 40 countries, Tempo announced in an X post today, April 21.

The delivery giant, which has been a Tempo design partner since the project was first announced in September 2025, is now moving into production, targeting faster and cheaper settlements across a three-sided marketplace that previously relied on fragmented regional rails.

Alongside the DoorDash news, Tempo, which is incubated by Stripe and Paradigm, announced that it’s launching Stablecoin Advisory, a consulting practice staffed by payments specialists, banking experts, and engineers to help other enterprises navigate the same path.

The advisory service covers use case scoping, solution architecture, and direct engineering support, with access to Tempo’s network of custody, compliance, and on/off-ramp partners.

Tempo also shared development updates from its other design partners today in the same X post. ARQ (formerly DolarApp, backed by Sequoia and Founders Fund) is migrating its cross-border payment infrastructure to Tempo to serve over 2 million customers across Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil, with $10 billion in annualized volume.

Coastal Financial is pairing its existing institutional compliance messaging with stablecoin settlement on Tempo to cut cross-border transfers from days to minutes for its network of fintech clients.

Meanwhile, per today’s X post, Stripe — one of the two firms behind Tempo alongside Paradigm — is using the network as core blockchain infrastructure for its stablecoin money management capabilities, enabling millions of businesses to hold, send, and receive stablecoins across more than 100 countries.

Last week, Tempo unveiled Tempo Zones, private execution environments where only transaction counterparties see the details. The feature is designed for enterprises with use cases like payroll and treasury settlement, and directly based on requirements from Tempo’s design partners.

The announcements reflect a broader shift in institutional appetite for stablecoin infrastructure.

Also last week, Singapore’s Gulf Bank recently launched a Solana USDC mint and redeem service for high-net-worth clients, underscoring that traditional financial institutions are moving beyond pilots into live products.

On the retail user side, yesterday, self-custodial wallet Tangem announced the global rollout of its Visa-powered payments tool, which lets users spend USDC via virtual Visa cards.

This article was written with the assistance of AI workflows. All our stories are curated, edited and fact-checked by a human.

• Total DeFi losses: Approximately $1 billion across recent weeks, with $600M+ directly attributable to the Kelp DAO exploit and its contagion effects.
• Kelp DAO exploit scale: 116,500 unbacked rsETH minted – roughly 18% of circulating supply – via compromised LayerZero DVN node; no smart contract breach.
• TVL impact: DeFi total value locked at a one-year low following a $13 billion exodus within 48 hours of the exploit.
• Protocols affected: Aave, SparkLend, and Fluid all froze rsETH markets; Aave TVL fell from $26.4B to approximately $18B – the largest single-protocol casualty.
• Attribution: LayerZero named North Korea’s Lazarus Group – specifically the TraderTraitor subunit – as the likely perpetrator; not yet formally confirmed.
• Key watch item: Kelp DAO’s forthcoming forensic report and Aave’s bad debt resolution on tainted rsETH collateral are the two signals that will determine whether contagion stabilizes or deepens.

European financial firms and technology groups are urging lawmakers to speed up changes to rules governing distributed ledger technology, warning the region risks falling behind the U.S. in digital finance.

In a joint letter, 39 signatories including Boerse Stuttgart Group, Nasdaq and fintech associations across several European Union (EU) countries asked the European Commission and Parliament to separate the digital ledger technology (DLT) pilot regime from a broader legislative package under review.

They argue that handling the rules on their own would allow quicker updates, Bloomberg reports. The DLT pilot, in place since 2023, lets firms test how tokenized versions of assets like shares and bonds can trade and settle using blockchains.

It sits within a wider set of 18 financial laws now moving through the EU’s legislative process, a path industry groups say could take years.

The coalition is pushing for practical changes, including expanding the types of assets allowed, raising transaction limits to 150 billion euros ($176 billion) and removing expiry dates on licenses. These changes, they argue, would give firms room to build real markets rather than small trials.

The letter comes as the U.S. shapes laws regulating the space, including the Genius Act, meant to help bring crypto further into mainstream finance.

The European Commission has signaled it prefers to pass the full legislative package together as part of its broader plan to mobilize savings into investment.