Crypto World
UBS downgrades the U.S. stock market. Here’s what has the investment bank worried
Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., February 25, 2026.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
UBS’ top equity strategist dialed back his view on U.S. stocks, citing mounting risks from a weakening dollar, stretched valuations and policy turbulence in Washington.
Andrew Garthwaite, head of global equity strategy at the investment bank, downgraded American equities to “benchmark” in a fully invested global equity portfolio, arguing that the factors that powered years of outperformance are starting to fade.
The dollar risk is a central concern, Garthwaite wrote. UBS forecasts the euro climbing to $1.22 by the end of the first quarter and sees “asymmetric structural downside risks” to the greenback. Historically, when the dollar’s trade-weighted index falls 10%, U.S. equities underperform by roughly 4% in unhedged terms, according to the bank.
Foreign markets are trouncing the U.S. this year as a weaker dollar and cheaper valuations draw capital overseas. The MSCI World ex-US index has gained about 8% in 2026, compared with the little changed performance for the S&P 500. Japan’s Nikkei 225 has rallied 17% year to date, while the Stoxx Europe 600 is up 7%, underscoring a sharp rotation away from American equities. U.S. stocks struggled again Friday as investors fretted over the potential downsides of the artificial intelligence buildout and persistent inflation at home.
S&P 500 year to date
Another pillar of U.S. stock strength — corporate buybacks — is also losing its edge, the bank said. The buyback yield in the U.S. is now only roughly on par with global peers, eroding what had been a key support for earnings per share growth and investor flows, UBS said. The combined shareholder yield from dividends and buybacks in the U.S. is now about half that of Europe, the bank said.
“The buybacks yield is no longer exceptional and this had been an important driver of funds flow, EPS and valuation,” Garthwaite wrote.
Valuations add to the unease. UBS calculates that the sector-adjusted price-to-earnings ratio for US stocks is 35% above international peers, versus an average premium of about 4% since 2010. Roughly 60% of sectors trade not only at higher multiples than their global counterparts but also above their own historical premium, the strategist wrote.
Policy volatility under President Donald Trump is another headwind. This year has brought shifts in tariff policy, proposals to cap credit-card interest rates, potential limits on private equity investment in housing, renewed scrutiny of drug pricing and suggestions to curb dividends and buybacks for defense companies, UBS said.
Still, the noted strategist stopped short of turning outright bearish. Garthwaite said the U.S. economy and equities tend to benefit more than peers when markets are in the early phases of a potential bubble. The bank also expects artificial intelligence adoption to outpace most other major regions, with the possible exception of China, helping sustain earnings growth across key industries.
UBS strategist Sean Simonds set a year-end target of 7,500 for the S&P 500, compared with an average forecast of 7,629 among 14 top strategists, according to CNBC Pro’s strategist survey.
US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) posted their strongest weekly inflow since February last week, drawing more than $786 million.
Data from SoSoValue showed that the US-listed funds’ performance last week narrowly trailed the roughly $787.31 million recorded during the last week of February.
BlackRock and Morgan Stanley’s New MSBT Fund Drive Interest
The inflows followed a softer stretch for the products amid broader market volatility and geopolitical tension, which weighed on risk appetite.
SoSoValue data shows that the flow pattern was uneven through the week. The funds opened with a sharp $471.32 million intake on Monday, then slipped into outflows midweek before recovering on Thursday and Friday.
The turnaround left the group with its best weekly result in nearly two months and suggested buyers returned as Bitcoin regained momentum.
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust remained the main driver of demand. The fund brought in about $612 million during the week, accounting for almost four-fifths of total net inflows across the category.
The concentration underscored how heavily new institutional allocations continue to favor the largest and most liquid product in the market.
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley’s newly launched MSBT fund added another point of interest for the market. The fund raised roughly $46 million over its first three trading days, giving investors a fresh entry point as demand across the ETF group picked up again.
Its early flows were modest compared with BlackRock’s scale, but the launch carries broader significance because of Morgan Stanley’s distribution reach. The bank’s network of roughly 16,000 financial advisers oversees trillions of dollars in client assets, giving it access to a channel few Bitcoin ETF issuers can match.
The improvement in fund flows came alongside a strong week for the underlying asset. Bitcoin climbed from around $67,000 to above $70,000 during the period and was trading near $73,411 by the end of the week, a gain of about 9%.
The move marked one of the token’s strongest weekly advances in recent months and helped restore momentum after a period of weaker price action.
The post US Bitcoin ETFs Log Biggest Weekly Inflow Since February appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Polymarket betting markets reportedly appeared inside Google News results alongside established news publishers before disappearing.
A Google spokesperson told The Verge that the platform’s appearance in News was an error. “This site briefly appeared in Google News in error, and it is no longer surfacing in News,” spokesperson Ned Adriance reportedly said.
Before removal, Polymarket links were shown directly beneath mainstream outlets when users searched event-driven queries. In one example cited by Futurism, a search for “will ships transit the strait” related to the Strait of Hormuz returned a Polymarket market predicting outcomes on vessel passage alongside reporting from Reuters and The Guardian.
In a Sunday search conducted by Cointelegraph, the same query did not surface any Polymarket results.
Related: Three Polymarket traders made timely bets on US-Iran ceasefire
Polymarket and Kalshi pursue media partnerships
Last year, Google partnered with both Polymarket and rival Kalshi to integrate their data into Google Finance.
In June, Elon Musk’s X also announced a partnership with Polymarket, naming it as its official prediction market partner. The deal aimed to integrate the betting-based forecasting service into the social media platform.
Furthermore, in October, MetaMask said it would integrate Polymarket as part of its push to expand beyond a crypto wallet into a broader “democratized finance” gateway. The same month, World App, the digital wallet and identity platform from Sam Altman’s World project, also added the Polymarket app.
Related: Prediction market users await Artemis II mission splashdown
Small portion of Polymarket traders make a profit
As Cointelegraph reported, only a tiny fraction of Polymarket traders manage to generate consistent high monthly income, according to new data shared by crypto analyst Andrey Sergeenkov. While around 1% of traders have crossed $5,000 in profits in a single month, only 0.015% were able to sustain that level for four consecutive months.
The findings also show that just 0.033% of wallets have exceeded $100,000 in total profits, with some of these likely belonging to professional traders rather than retail users. Despite growing hype around prediction markets as a fast-rising crypto use case, the data suggests most participants struggle to maintain consistent profitability over time.
Magazine: Bitcoin’s ‘biggest bull catalyst’ would be Saylor’s liquidation — Santiment founder
Crypto exchange activity slowed in the first quarter of 2026 after the market cooled from its earlier peak.
Summary
- Crypto exchange trading volume fell sharply in Q1 2026 as market participation weakened after the cycle peak.
- Perpetual futures dominated March activity, with volume reaching four times the level of spot trading.
- Binance held the top position in spot and derivatives despite rising competition from secondary exchanges.
CryptoQuant data showed lower participation across centralized venues, while Binance kept the lead in both spot and derivatives trading.
Centralized exchange trading volume dropped about 48% from the October 2025 peak. The figure fell to $4.3 trillion in March 2026, its lowest level since October 2024.
The pullback showed lower participation from traders and investors after the earlier market run. Activity narrowed toward the biggest exchanges, as users favored liquid venues during periods of price movement.
Perpetual futures remained the main source of trading activity during the quarter. Perpetual volume rose to $3.5 trillion in March, while spot volume stood at $0.8 trillion.
That gap showed how strongly derivatives shaped market structure in Q1. Perpetual volume reached four times spot volume in March, and cumulative perpetual trading hit $4.5 trillion this year.
The rise in derivatives activity also picked up during the relief rally in the third week of March. Binance recorded the largest 24-hour open interest increase for both Bitcoin and Ethereum by mid-March.
Bitcoin open interest on Binance rose by $829 million in 24 hours, while Ethereum open interest increased by $1.6 billion. Across exchanges, Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetual futures open interest climbed to $23 billion and $16 billion.
Binance keeps lead in derivatives trading
Binance led the perpetual futures market with a 40% share and $1.4 trillion in monthly volume. OKX followed with 19%, while Bybit held 13%.
The data showed that most open interest growth flowed to Binance during the March rebound. Other exchanges, including Gate and Bybit, also posted gains, but none matched Binance’s scale.
Binance remained the largest spot trading venue in March. The exchange recorded $248 billion in spot volume and controlled 32% of the market.
That share was down from 37% in October 2025, but Binance still held a lead well ahead of rivals. MEXC and Bybit followed with 9% and 7%, while Gate and Crypto.com posted growth without changing the broader market order.
North Korea’s six-month infiltration campaign at Drift rattled a crypto industry already reeling from billion-dollar exploits.
But as the news settled, a bigger question came into focus: why does North Korea keep coming back to crypto in the first place, and why does its approach look so different from every other state-backed hacking operation on the planet?
The short answer, according to security experts, is that crypto helps give the regime a revenue stream and keep them afloat.
“North Korea doesn’t have the luxury of patience,” said Dave Schwed, chief operating officer at SVRN and the founder of the cybersecurity masters program at Yeshiva University. “They’re under comprehensive international sanctions and they need hard currency to fund weapons programs. The UN and multiple intelligence agencies have confirmed that crypto theft is a primary funding mechanism for their nuclear and ballistic missile development.”
That urgency explains a dynamic that has long puzzled investigators: why North Korean hackers carry out large-scale, traceable heists on public blockchains instead of quietly using crypto to evade sanctions the way other state actors do.
The answer, Schwed argues, is structural. Russia still has an economy: oil, gas, commodity exports, and trading partners willing to use workarounds. It needs crypto as a payment rail, but not for much else. Iran, too, has goods to move — sanctioned oil, proxy financing networks, willing intermediaries across the Middle East. North Korea has almost nothing left to sell.
“Their exports are almost entirely sanctioned. They don’t have a functioning economy that needs a payment rail. They need direct revenue,” Schwed said. “Crypto theft gives them immediate access to liquid value, globally, without needing a counterparty willing to do business with them.”
That distinction — crypto as infrastructure versus crypto as a target — is what separates North Korea not just from Russia, but from Iran as well. While Russia routes money through crypto to work around sanctions, and Iran uses it to fund proxy networks across the Middle East, North Korea is running something closer to a state-sponsored heist operation.
“Their targets are exchanges, wallet providers, DeFi protocols and the individual engineers and founders who have signing authority or infrastructure access,” said Alexander Urbelis, chief information security officer at ENS Labs and a professor of cybersecurity at King’s College London. “The victim is whoever holds the keys or access to the infrastructure that holds the keys.”
Russia and Iran, by comparison, treat crypto as incidental, a means to broader geopolitical ends.
“Russia targets elections, energy infrastructure and government systems. Iran goes after dissidents and regional adversaries,” Urbelis said. “When either of them touches crypto, it’s to move money, not to steal it from the ecosystem.”
That singular focus has pushed North Korean operatives to adopt tactics more commonly associated with intelligence agencies than criminal hackers: months-long relationship building, fabricated identities and supply chain infiltration.
The Drift campaign is only the most recent example.
“You’re not defending against a phishing email from a random scammer,” Urbelis said. “You’re defending against someone who spent six months building a relationship specifically to compromise one person who has the access you need to protect.”
Crypto’s own architecture makes it a uniquely attractive hunting ground. In traditional finance, even successful hacks run into friction in the form of compliance checks, correspondent bank checks, settlement delays and the possibility of reversing fraudulent transfers. When North Korea’s hackers pulled off the Bangladesh Bank robbery in 2016, the heist took days to process and most of the funds were eventually recovered or blocked. In crypto, none of those safeguards exist at the protocol level.
“Once a transaction is signed and confirmed, it’s final,” Urbelis said. The Bybit exploit earlier last year moved $1.5 billion in roughly 30 minutes, a pace and scale that would be nearly impossible in the traditional banking system.
That finality fundamentally changes the security calculus. In banking, a reasonable defense can be built across prevention, detection and response, because there’s always a window to freeze funds or reverse a wire. In crypto, that window barely exists, which means stopping an attack before it happens isn’t just preferable — it’s essentially the only option.
And while banks operate under decades of regulatory guidance and audit requirements, many crypto projects are still improvising — often prioritizing speed and innovation over governance and controls.
That gap creates an environment where even sophisticated teams can be vulnerable, particularly to the kind of long-term infiltration tactics North Korea has been refining.
“This is the hardest operational security problem in crypto right now,” Urbelis said of the challenge of vetting against sophisticated fake identities and third-party intermediaries. “I don’t think the industry has solved it.”
Read more: How North Korea’s 6-month long secret espionage program has crypto community rethinking security
Donald Trump is facing fresh scrutiny as crypto tokens tied to his name and family trade near record lows.
Summary
- TRUMP fell about 90% from its peak as renewed scrutiny hit Trump-linked crypto projects again this week.
- WLFI dropped to a fresh all-time low as criticism of Trump family crypto ties intensified.
- Senators pressed Bill Zanker for details after Trump announced an April 25 gala for token holders.
The pressure has grown after a new gala for token holders raised new questions from Democratic lawmakers.
The Official Trump token, known as TRUMP, fell to an all-time low of about $2.73 in March 2026. It later traded near $2.86, according to CoinGecko data.
The token has dropped about 90% from its January 2025 peak above $73. The decline has kept attention on Trump-backed crypto ventures as traders track whether the project can regain momentum.
World Liberty Financial’s governance token, WLFI, also fell sharply. The token dropped to about $0.07 on Saturday, marking a new all-time low.
WLFI is down nearly 75% from its September 2025 high of about $0.31. The slide has added to pressure on projects linked to Trump and his family.
Criticism grows around Trump crypto ventures
The price declines drew criticism from market observers and legal scholars. Professor Tonya Evans responded to the sell-off with a sharp rebuke of Trump’s role in crypto.
“We thought Sam Bankman-Fried or Gary Gensler were the worst things to happen to the crypto industry, and they were horrible,” Evans said.
She added that “turns out, it was the guy who surrounds himself with sycophants, siphons every bit of value he can for himself, and then expeditiously bankrupts companies and casinos without consequence.”
Her comments came as debate over Trump’s crypto activity returned to the center of public discussion. Critics have focused on whether token-linked events create a financial path to political access.
April gala draws Senate attention
President Trump recently announced another gala for token holders, scheduled for April 25. The event has drawn criticism from Democratic senators who said the plan raises questions about access and fundraising.
Senators Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff sent a letter to Bill Zanker, the memecoin’s creator, seeking details about the event, according to Politico. They said organizers were “dangling access” to Trump while requiring attendees to hold TRUMP tokens, a structure they said could benefit Trump and his family through increased token demand.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, has added to his Hyperliquid (HYPE) position, purchasing 26,022 tokens worth approximately $1.1 million.
The buy, flagged by on-chain tracker Lookonchain, marks his first HYPE accumulation in roughly three months, signaling renewed confidence in the token.
Why Arthur Hayes Is Doubling Down on Hyperliquid
With this latest addition, his total holdings now stand at 247,334 HYPE, valued at approximately $10.44 million. The position is sitting on unrealized gains of 27.22%, equivalent to around $2.23 million in profit.
This reflects a strong return on his initial investment despite broader market volatility in the crypto space. The renewed accumulation follows Hayes’s public declaration on April 8.
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Hayes has maintained a $150 price target for the token by August 2026, roughly a 266% increase from current levels. The executive pointed to Hyperliquid’s revenue model as a key driver.
The platform returns 97% of its trading fees to buy back and burn HYPE from the open market, creating a deflationary loop that ties token value directly to platform usage.
Meanwhile, the acquisition comes as institutional interest in HYPE is also rising. Bitwise filed an amended registration statement with the SEC, adding the ticker BHYP and a 0.67% management fee.
Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said such additions typically signal a fund may launch soon. Last month, Grayscale submitted its own S-1 application to list the Grayscale HYPE ETF on Nasdaq under the ticker GHYP.
A potential ETF approval could open the door to significant institutional capital inflows into HYPE, potentially driving broader adoption and renewed price momentum for the token.
HYPE has been one of the strongest large-cap performers over the past year, gaining roughly 176% according to CoinGecko data. However, it has not escaped broader market pressure.
The token slipped approximately 2% in the past 24 hours to around $40.91 as the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement.
Meanwhile, decentralized exchange activity is contracting across the board. Total DEX spot volume fell 23.9% to $212 billion in March, the lowest monthly figure since October 2024.
Monthly perpetual DEX volumes dropped to $699 billion in March, down from a peak of $1.369 trillion in October 2025, according to DefiLlama data. Hyperliquid still leads the perp segment, but the five-month downtrend raises questions about whether fee-driven buybacks can sustain their pace if trading activity continues to cool.
Whether ETF approvals and sustained whale accumulation can offset that macro softening remains the key question for HYPE holders heading into Q2.
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The post Arthur Hayes Buys $1.1 Million in HYPE After 3-Month Break appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Bitcoin gave up its late-week gains on April 12 after the United States and Iran failed to secure a permanent peace agreement.
Summary
- Bitcoin fell sharply after US-Iran peace talks failed to produce a permanent agreement over the weekend.
- Ethereum, XRP, BNB and Solana declined as the wider crypto market turned lower today.
- RAVE rose another 40% and extended gains above 1,000% despite the broader market pullback.
The pullback ended a steady rise that started after both sides announced a two-week ceasefire, and it pushed most major altcoins lower.
Bitcoin started the week with gains after reports said the United States and Iran had opened ceasefire talks. The asset moved from about $67,000 to $70,000 before fresh doubts around the talks brought back volatility.
The price then climbed again after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on Tuesday. Bitcoin rose above $72,000 and later moved close to $73,000 as traders responded to easing geopolitical stress and fresh market speculation around the Strait of Hormuz.
Bitcoin kept rising into the weekend as peace talks in Pakistan approached. The asset reached nearly $74,000 late on April 11, extending the recovery that followed the ceasefire news.
That move ended early on April 12. Bitcoin fell by more than $2,000 within minutes after Vice President JD Vance said both sides had failed to reach a lasting agreement. At the time of reporting, Bitcoin traded near $71,500, down 1.5% on the day.
Ethereum, XRP and Solana move lower
Most large-cap altcoins also posted losses after Bitcoin reversed. Ethereum fell about 1% but stayed above $2,200, while XRP slipped to $1.33 after a similar daily decline.
BNB dropped below the $600 level, and Solana lost more than 2%. HYPE, Cardano and Bitcoin Cash each fell by more than 3%, while Polkadot and RAIN posted deeper losses during the broader market pullback.
RaveDAO’s native token moved against the wider market trend and rose another 40% on the day. The token has gained more than 1,000% since last Sunday and has entered the top 100 altcoins by market value.
The total crypto market cap fell by more than $30 billion and dropped to $2.51 trillion. Bitcoin’s market cap stood at about $1.43 trillion, while its market dominance remained above 57%.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Ether Machine has abruptly halted its planned public debut after announcing a mutual termination of its merger with Dynamix Corporation, a Nasdaq-listed SPAC. The move comes as market conditions deteriorate and investor appetite for complex crypto-finance deals remains tepid.
The companies disclosed the termination in a post on X on Saturday, saying the deal was ended by mutual consent and effective immediately. The arrangement would have seen Ether Machine combine with Dynamix, with The Ether Reserve LLC also involved, to pursue a Nasdaq listing under the ticker ETHM.
In its notice, Ether Machine cited unfavorable market conditions as the reason for calling off the deal. A separate filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission confirms an unnamed “Payor” — identified in Annex A of the merger agreement but not publicly disclosed — must pay $50 million to Dynamix within 15 days of the termination, signaling a substantial break fee amid the collapse of the transaction.
For readers following the story of Ethereum treasury strategies and SPAC-driven crypto listings, the termination marks a notable shift in a sector that had been trying to scale institutional-grade ether yield through public markets.
Earlier reporting around Ether Machine’s ambitions paints a broader backdrop: the firm, co-founded by former ConsenSys executives Andrew Keys and David Merin, announced last year its plan to launch what it described as the largest yield-bearing Ether fund targeted at institutional investors. The plan entailed listing on Nasdaq under the ETHM ticker and managing a substantial ether treasury.
Ether Machine’s path to the market gained momentum in September with a $654 million private financing round, including 150,000 ETH from Jeffrey Berns, a prominent Ethereum advocate who joined the company’s board. That fundraising was positioned as a runway to deploy a large ETH treasury ahead of a possible Nasdaq debut, but the public listing now appears off the table for the foreseeable future.
The termination also reshapes how market participants assess the feasibility of ambitious treasury strategies tied to public listings. SPAC-backed crypto ventures had offered a route to scale institutional access to yield-generation strategies using large ether holdings, but the deteriorating market environment has already put such plans under strain.
Key takeaways
- Ether Machine and Dynamix terminate their business combination agreement, effective immediately, citing unfavorable market conditions.
- A $50 million payment obligation from an unnamed Payor to Dynamix is due within 15 days of termination, per an SEC filing.
- The deal would have enabled Ether Machine to list on Nasdaq as ETHM and manage a treasury exceeding 400,000 ETH, valued at more than $1.5 billion at launch.
- Dynamix retains a limited window for a new deal, with a deadline of November 22, 2026 to complete another business combination; failure would trigger liquidation and fund returns to shareholders.
Deal dynamics and the optics of crypto SPACs
Ether Machine’s announced vision sought to construct a large, yield-bearing ether treasury designed to appeal to institutional investors seeking crypto exposure with income features. The company positioned the treasury as a strategic asset to be deployed through structured strategies and yield products that could be embedded in a Nasdaq-listed vehicle. The plan also reflected a broader push at the time to bring sophisticated crypto-finance products into traditional capital markets via SPAC mergers and public listings.
With the termination, observers are left to weigh what it means for the broader ecosystem. The immediate cash obligation signals a termination cost that could influence how aggressively similar ventures pursue public-market strategies in uncertain macro conditions. It also raises questions about the speed with which ether-treasury initiatives can transition from private fundraising to public market access, especially when market volatility or liquidity constraints complicate deal execution.
Ethereum treasury activity in context
The news arrives as Ethereum treasury strategies continue to evolve under pressure. Recent reporting highlights a wave of adjustments among major ether-holding funds. Trend Research has unwound a substantial portion of its Ethereum position, selling 651,757 ETH (roughly $1.34 billion at the time) and locking in an estimated $747 million loss. The move underscores the difficulty of sustaining large, public-market-backed ether holdings amid shifting risk appetites and capital costs.
Another notable development in the space is ETHZilla’s transformation into Forum Markets, signaling a broader pivot away from aggressive Ether accumulation toward evolved capital-market playbooks for blockchain treasuries. The shifting branding and strategy reflect a more cautious approach to building sizable ETH troves in an environment of heightened scrutiny and evolving regulatory and liquidity considerations.
Taken together, these dynamics illustrate a market where the allure of large ether treasuries and public-market access competes with practical constraints — volatile crypto markets, policy risk, and the inherent complexity of managing multi-hundred-thousand ETH positions within publicly traded vehicles.
What comes next for Ether treasuries and crypto finance?
As Ether Machine closes its public-listing chapter, investors and builders will be watching whether the market can sustain or rekindle appetite for SPAC-driven crypto ventures. The immediate question is whether Dynamix or Ether Machine will pivot to alternative financing routes or private negotiations, and how quickly a viable path to scale ether-backed yield strategies can reemerge in a climate that remains sensitive to liquidity and regulatory signals.
Meanwhile, the broader trend in Ethereum treasuries suggests ongoing experimentation with how to balance strategic accumulation with risk management, governance rights, and the costs of capital. Market participants may increasingly favor more flexible, privately negotiated structures or on-exchange vehicles that can adapt to rapid shifts in sentiment without exposing investors to outsized termination risk or forced liquidations.
As regulators continue to scrutinize crypto investment vehicles and as institutional tolerance for illiquidity and complexity evolves, observers should monitor whether new partnerships or alternative SPAC arrangements emerge that offer clearer economics or more robust investor protections than those contemplated in high-profile, headline-grabbing bets like ETHM.
What remains uncertain is how quickly the market environment will improve for such ambitious treasury plays and whether Ether Machine or similar entrants will re-enter the public market path with revised terms, different structures, or a fundamentally altered approach to building Ethereum-backed yields for institutions.
Readers should keep an eye on any follow-up disclosures from Dynamix and Ether Machine, including updates on potential new deals, revised capital plans, or shifts in the management and governance of ether treasuries that could signal a broader rethinking of how crypto assets are monetized through public-market vehicles.
Crypto World
Kenya Advances Virtual Asset Regulation as Draft VASP Regulations 2026 Conclude Public Participation
TLDR:
- Kenya’s VASP Regulations 2026 operationalize the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, covering crypto licensing rules.
- Consumer protection rules mandate clear risk disclosures, transparent pricing, and strict segregation of customer assets.
- Market integrity measures enforce zero tolerance for manipulation, insider trading, and false trading on all platforms.
- The National Treasury, Central Bank of Kenya, and Capital Markets Authority will jointly oversee VASP compliance.
Virtual Asset Service Providers regulations in Kenya have moved closer to becoming law. The National Treasury recently concluded public participation on the Draft VASP Regulations, 2026.
The framework operationalizes the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025. It sets out clear rules for licensing, regulating, and supervising virtual asset businesses in and from Kenya. The regulations address cryptocurrencies, tokenized assets, and stablecoins.
A Framework Built on Safeguards and Consumer Protection
The VASP Regulations introduce several safeguards to maintain trust in the sector. These include fit and proper ownership requirements and adequate capital thresholds.
Strong governance frameworks and risk management standards are also required. Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing compliance apply to all operators.
Consumer protection sits at the center of the draft regulations. Licensed businesses must give clients clear risk disclosures ahead of any engagement.
Transparent pricing and effective complaint-handling mechanisms are mandatory for all providers. Strict rules on segregation and protection of customer assets are also included.
The National Treasury shared the framework details through its official X channels. It noted that Kenya aims to harness innovation while safeguarding financial stability and protecting consumers.
The tweet came as public participation on the draft rules recently concluded. The Treasury described the framework as one that establishes a fair and transparent competitive market.
Beyond consumer protection, the regulations aim to strengthen investor confidence. The framework is expected to unlock new economic opportunities in Kenya’s digital asset space.
Kenya’s move aligns with global trends as more nations establish formal regulatory structures for virtual assets. A structured market tends to draw institutional participants and broader investor engagement over time.
Market Integrity, Oversight, and Coordinated Supervision
Market integrity measures form another key part of the draft VASP Regulations. Fair and orderly trading rules apply to all licensed virtual asset service providers.
Due diligence must be completed before any virtual asset is listed on a platform. Continuous market monitoring remains a standing requirement under the proposed framework.
The regulations carry a zero-tolerance stance on manipulation, insider trading, and false trading. This mirrors standards found in traditional securities markets globally.
Continuous reporting and disclosures are required from all licensed entities. Both onsite and offsite supervision will be employed by regulators to ensure compliance.
Cybersecurity and incident reporting frameworks are embedded in the regulations. Mandatory audits, insurance coverage, and prudential requirements further support operational resilience.
These measures address risks historically tied to unregulated digital asset markets. They also bring Kenya’s approach in line with international regulatory standards.
Implementation follows a whole-of-government approach. The National Treasury, Central Bank of Kenya, and Capital Markets Authority will provide coordinated oversight.
The next step involves reviewing and consolidating all stakeholder submissions before finalization. Stakeholders are encouraged to follow updates as Kenya advances this regulatory process.
Crypto World
Justin Sun Accuses World Liberty Financial of Blacklisting His Wallet After $75 Million Investment
TLDR:
- Justin Sun, WLFI’s largest private investor with $75M in, claims his wallet was blacklisted without prior notice or disclosure.
- A hidden smart contract function allegedly gave World Liberty Financial unilateral power to freeze any token holder’s assets.
- Sun challenged WLFI’s governance votes, arguing key information was withheld and the team predetermined outcomes.
- Sun demanded the immediate unlocking of his tokens and called on WLFI to rebuild trust through full transparency and integrity.
World Liberty Financial is under scrutiny after its largest private investor raised serious allegations of misconduct. Justin Sun, founder of the TRON blockchain, invested over $75 million in the platform.
He claims the project used a hidden backdoor in its smart contract to blacklist his wallet. Sun says no investor was informed about this feature beforehand.
The situation raises pressing questions about transparency and investor protections in the decentralized finance space.
Sun Exposes a Hidden Blacklist Function in WLFI’s Smart Contract
Justin Sun went public with his allegations through a post on his official social media account. He stated that World Liberty Financial embedded a blacklisting function inside the WLFI token smart contract.
This function gave the company unilateral power to freeze any token holder’s access without notice. According to Sun, investors were never told about this capability before committing their capital.
Sun described the mechanism as a direct contradiction of the project’s stated mission. World Liberty Financial had publicly positioned itself as a decentralized finance platform promoting financial freedom.
A hidden freeze function, he argued, runs counter to everything decentralization stands for. He called it “a trap door marketed as an open door.”
In his post, Sun wrote that the function allows the company to “freeze, restrict, and effectively confiscate the property rights of any token holder, without notice, without cause, and without recourse.”
He identified himself as the first and single largest victim of this practice. His wallet was reportedly blacklisted back in 2025. He stated this violated basic investor rights and core blockchain principles.
Sun also challenged the governance votes the project used to justify its decisions. He argued that key information was withheld from participants and meaningful involvement was restricted.
The results, he claimed, were predetermined rather than genuinely community-driven. These votes, in his view, served the interests of the team — not the broader investor base.
Sun Demands Token Unlock and a Return to Transparency
Beyond his personal dispute, Sun raised wider concerns about the WLFI team’s overall conduct. He accused the team of extracting fees from users without proper community authorization.
He further claimed they treated the crypto community as a personal revenue source. None of these actions, he said, were approved through any fair governance process.
Sun was careful to separate his dispute from his broader political support. He reiterated his backing for President Trump’s crypto-friendly policy direction.
His grievance, he stressed, lies specifically with bad actors operating within the WLFI team. He maintained that their conduct has nothing to do with him or fellow investors who believed the project’s promises.
Sun called the team directly to reverse the blacklisting of his wallet. He also urged the project to adopt genuine transparency going forward.
He wrote: “Unlock the tokens and uphold transparency for the community. Let’s build with integrity, not misconduct.” As of publishing, World Liberty Financial had not issued any public response to his allegations.
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