Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on April 29 that the United States has seized almost $500 million in Iranian crypto assets under Operation Economic Fury, including a $344 million Tether freeze on two Tron addresses, while saying Iran’s currency has fallen 60 to 70% against the dollar and the country is in the middle of a currency crisis.

Bessent Iran remarks on Fox Business’s Kudlow on April 29 confirmed the scope of Operation Economic Fury. CryptoTimes reported that Bessent said: “We were able to grab about 350 million crypto assets, and then on top of another 100 that we had recently gotten, so we’re almost at half a billion there, and we are freezing bank accounts everywhere.” Operation Economic Fury was ordered by President Trump in March 2025 and has been systematically cutting off Tehran’s financial access across crypto wallets, banking channels, foreign real estate, and retirement funds.

As crypto.news reported, OFAC has sanctioned more than 1,000 Iran-related individuals, vessels, and aircraft under Operation Economic Fury since February 2025, with the campaign recently expanding to secondary sanctions against Chinese oil refineries and shipping firms that handle Iranian crude. The largest single crypto action within the campaign came on April 23, when as crypto.news documented, Tether froze $344 million in USDT across two Tron addresses at OFAC’s direction, with one wallet holding approximately $213 million and the other $131 million, both identified by Chainalysis as matching IRGC wallet patterns and Central Bank of Iran intermediary addresses. As crypto.news tracked, the freeze is the largest single crypto enforcement action directly linked to Iran since the current conflict began in February 2026. Bessent said the combined economic pressure from Operation Economic Fury and the naval blockade has produced a 60 to 70% crash in the Iranian rial against the dollar and the collapse of Iran’s largest bank in December, and warned that Tehran will soon be unable to fund its military or its proxy networks.

Bitcoin has failed to sustain a move above $78,000 in the 24 hours following Wednesday’s FOMC decision, with three straight sessions of Bitcoin ETF outflows totalling over $490 million signalling that institutional allocators are pausing rather than adding exposure as uncertainty over the Fed’s direction deepens.

Bitcoin ETF data from SoSoValue confirmed $137.77 million in net outflows on April 29, the third consecutive outflow session and the one that ended a nine-day inflow run. As crypto.news reported, April 29 was the first session in the streak where zero issuers printed positive — every active fund was in net redemption territory, led by BlackRock’s IBIT at $54.73 million and Fidelity’s FBTC at $36.13 million.

“Bitcoin staying below the $78,000 mark isn’t really about crypto right now, it’s about what’s happening in the broader market,” said Daniel Reis-Faria, CEO of ZeroStack. “The Fed holding rates wasn’t a surprise, but there is no clear direction on what comes next, and that’s keeping investors from stepping in.”

Why the FOMC hold matters more than the rate

As crypto.news documented, Bitcoin has fallen after 8 of the last 9 FOMC meetings. The pattern is driven not by the decision itself but by the unwinding of pre-event positioning once the meeting passes. What made Wednesday’s outcome distinctly more negative than a standard sell-the-news event was the four-way dissent — the first such split since October 1992 — and Powell’s announcement that he will stay on the Federal Reserve Board past May 15, introducing leadership uncertainty on top of policy ambiguity. Kraken chief economist Thomas Perfumo said the market is now “more concerned about the policy uncertainties brought about by the division within the Federal Reserve rather than the inaction itself,” pointing to a leadership overhang that has no clear resolution timeline.

“You’re seeing that directly in ETF outflows and weaker demand,” Reis-Faria added. “The buying just isn’t strong enough to push Bitcoin higher. It doesn’t mean institutions are leaving the market, it just means they’re not increasing their exposure right now.”

That distinction — pause versus exit — is supported by the April data. Despite three consecutive outflow sessions, April closed with $2.44 billion in total Bitcoin ETF net inflows, a sharp positive reversal from a quarter that began with negative year-to-date flows. As crypto.news tracked, the ETF outflow and Bitcoin price relationship is not mechanically linear: concentrated outflows from large funds can compress price without indicating a structural exit from the asset class.

What brings Bitcoin back above $78,000

Glassnode data show Bitcoin currently below its True Market Mean and short-term holder cost basis clustered between $78,000 and $79,000, with the $65,000 to $70,000 range as the key downside support if selling accelerates. Perpetual futures have flipped to their most negative positioning level on record, a setup that historically precedes sharp short squeezes when spot demand returns. The 48-hour window from April 30 to May 1 is the critical observation zone: stable ETF flows, BTC holding above $74,500, and normalizing funding rates would collectively signal that the post-FOMC selling has exhausted itself.

“If money starts coming back in, especially from institutions or through ETFs, Bitcoin can move higher pretty quickly,” Reis-Faria said. “But until that happens, it’s likely to stay in this range.”

The catalysts that could shift that equation are concentrated in May: the CLARITY Act markup window, the Warsh Senate confirmation vote, Big Tech earnings outcomes from the prior session, and whether the Iran military briefing reported by Axios this morning produces a further risk-off escalation or opens a path toward diplomatic resolution.

XRP Las Vegas 2026 opened today, April 30, as Ripple covered the Las Vegas Strip with “Raise the Standard” billboards and Steven Zeiler of Yellow Network posted live from the floor calling XRP “only a step on the trajectory to becoming a global reserve currency.

XRP Las Vegas 2026 kicked off today at Las Vegas with Ripple’s most aggressive public marketing push in the event’s history. CoinGape reported that “Raise the Standard” XRP billboards blanketed the Strip across Resorts World, the Wynn, and beyond, setting the visual stage for an event that runs through May 1. Steven Zeiler of Yellow Network posted from the conference floor: “Live from Vegas. Impressed by seeing XRP promoted like this. But then again it’s only a step on the trajectory to becoming a global reserve currency.”

Crypto analyst Versan Aljarrah added broader context, saying: “The conversation around XRP is usually clouded by speculation and price predictions. The true potential for XRP isn’t just as a payments token or bridge asset.”

Why XRP supporters and Bitcoin advocates are not competing for the same reserve role

As crypto.news reported, XRP’s regulatory status shifted materially in March 2026 when the SEC and CFTC jointly classified it as a digital commodity, placing it on the same legal footing as Bitcoin and Ethereum for purposes of exchange-traded product approvals. That classification underpinned a record $81.63 million in April ETF inflows. The XRP Las Vegas argument, however, is structurally different from the Bitcoin strategic reserve conversation that Patrick Witt teased at the adjacent Bitcoin Conference. Bitcoin advocates frame the strategic reserve case around scarcity and store of value. XRP supporters argue the asset’s purpose is operational: a bridge currency that moves value between fiat rails in seconds at near-zero cost, a function that does not compete with Bitcoin’s role but sits alongside it. Ripple’s $190 billion processing partnership with Convera and integrations with Deutsche Bank and Société Générale reflect that operational framing, though those deals settle in RLUSD rather than XRP directly, meaning XRP’s utility depends on RLUSD volume growing through the XRP Ledger rather than on the partnerships themselves.

As crypto.news documented, a $59 million RLUSD settlement completed on April 29 for a fee of $0.000188 is precisely the kind of real-world infrastructure proof the XRP Las Vegas stage is highlighting — but approximately 82% of RLUSD currently resides on the Ethereum blockchain, not the XRP Ledger, meaning the network utility case for XRP specifically remains structurally dependent on RLUSD migrating to its native chain. As crypto.news tracked, Standard Chartered lowered its 2026 XRP price target from $8 to $2.80 in February amid macro headwinds, leaving the $1.37 conference open price well below even the revised institutional target heading into the CLARITY Act’s May markup window.

Key Highlights

• On April 27, 2026, CoreWeave’s Chief Development Officer McBee Brannin offloaded approximately $5 million in Class A shares via a pre-established Rule 10b5-1 plan.
• Executive Brian Venturo sold 375,000 shares worth around $40.9 million on the same date, also through a pre-arranged trading program.
• Shares of CRWV climbed approximately 8.2% to reach $114.19 amid robust trading activity, with the stock posting a 59% gain year-to-date.
• Wall Street maintains an optimistic outlook with 20 Buy recommendations and a consensus price target of $125.78.
• The company recently announced a $6 billion computing partnership with Jane Street, with quarterly results set for release on May 7.

Shares of CoreWeave have surged 59% since the start of the year, hovering near $114, yet two top executives just liquidated substantial positions — and investors didn’t seem to care.

CoreWeave, Inc. Class A Common Stock, CRWV

McBee Brannin, who serves as Chief Development Officer, disposed of Class A Common Stock valued at approximately $5 million on April 27, 2026. The transaction involved 45,850 shares executed at prices between $105.02 and $112.76 each.

Brannin’s sales occurred through a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement established in November 2025. Such plans allow executives to schedule stock sales ahead of time, shielding them from insider trading allegations.

The stock holdings were structured through two grantor retained annuity trusts — specifically the Canis Major 2025 GRAT and Canis Minor 2025 GRAT — a typical wealth management technique.

Concurrently, Brian Venturo, another company insider, divested 375,000 shares at approximately $109.03 apiece, generating proceeds of about $40.9 million. This sale also followed a predetermined 10b5-1 arrangement.

In total, both executives liquidated north of $45 million in holdings within 24 hours.

Market Response and Stock Trajectory

Notwithstanding the substantial insider transactions, CRWV shares climbed 8.2% to close at $114.19, with trading volume approaching the typical 27.8 million share daily average. The equity has traded within a 52-week band of $39.50 to $187.00, positioning current levels near the middle of that spectrum.

Since January, CRWV has appreciated 59%. On a trailing twelve-month basis, shares have rocketed 176%, although they dipped 2.8% during the previous week.

The enterprise commands a market capitalization fluctuating between $50 billion and $57 billion based on daily valuations. The balance sheet shows a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.46, while the company continues operating at a loss, posting a $0.89 per share deficit in its latest quarter — missing the analyst consensus estimate of a $0.61 loss.

Quarterly revenue registered at $1.57 billion, reflecting a robust 110.4% year-over-year expansion.

Wall Street Maintains Optimistic Stance

The financial community remains largely unfazed by the red ink or executive share sales. Among 33 analysts tracking the company, 20 recommend buying, 11 suggest holding, and only 2 advise selling. The mean price objective sits at $125.78.

Wells Fargo elevated its price forecast to $135 while maintaining an Overweight designation. DA Davidson pushed even higher, boosting its target to $175 with a Buy rating. Cantor Fitzgerald increased projections from $149 to $156 following CoreWeave‘s announcement of a $6 billion computing arrangement with Jane Street.

This agreement grants Jane Street access to CoreWeave’s computational infrastructure spanning multiple data centers. Jane Street also committed $1 billion in capital at $109 per share.

Oppenheimer analysts anticipate that CoreWeave will deliver first-quarter revenue toward the upper boundary of guidance and may potentially elevate its full-year 2026 projections.

Taking a more reserved position, Sanford C. Bernstein bumped its target from $56 to $67 while retaining an Underperform classification.

CoreWeave has additionally structured a $1 billion private placement of senior notes maturing in 2031 carrying a 9.75% coupon, with closing anticipated on April 21, 2026.

The company is slated to announce quarterly earnings on May 7, 2026.

Ripple Expands Its UAE Base

Ripple has opened a new Middle East and Africa regional headquarters in Dubai’s DIFC, expanding its footprint in the UAE. The move reflects rising demand for regulated blockchain payment solutions across the region. It also supports Ripple’s plan to grow its local team and strengthen partnerships with financial institutions operating in the Middle East and Africa markets.

New Headquarters Supports Regional Growth

Ripple said the new DIFC office can support a larger team. The company now has capacity to double its regional operations.

The expansion comes as more firms seek regulated blockchain payment services. Banks and financial companies are also testing digital asset tools.

Reece Merrick, Managing Director for Middle East and Africa at Ripple, said, “In recent years the Middle East has become an increasingly vital driver of Ripple’s global growth.”

He added, “A larger team, based here in Dubai, will enable us to go further in supporting our clients and partners across the region and beyond.”

Ripple Builds on Dubai Regulation

Ripple has also secured key regulatory approvals in Dubai. In March 2025, it became the first blockchain payments provider licensed by the DFSA.

The license allows Ripple to offer regulated cross-border digital payment services from the DIFC. It also supports its work with banks and payment firms.

The DFSA also approved RLUSD as a recognized crypto token in the DIFC. Regulated firms in the financial centre can use the dollar-backed stablecoin.

Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, said, “Ripple’s expansion within DIFC is a strong signal of the confidence that world-leading digital asset firms have in Dubai.”

Binance has opened KGST deposits after completing the stablecoin’s integration on the TRON TRC20 network. The update gives users a new supported route for moving the Kyrgyz Som Stablecoin on Binance. Withdrawals are not yet live, as the exchange said they will open after enough liquidity is available.

Binance Adds KGST Support on TRON

Binance announced that KGST deposits are now available through the TRC20 network. Users can send the stablecoin to Binance by choosing the supported network on the deposit page.

The exchange asked users to check all transfer details before sending funds. It also advised users to avoid using unsupported networks for KGST transfers.

KGST is a stablecoin linked to the Kyrgyz som, the national currency of Kyrgyzstan. Its support on TRON may help users move the token with lower fees.

Meanwhile, the listing adds another fiat-linked asset to Binance’s supported crypto options. It also gives KGST access to a wider trading and transfer base.

Withdrawals Will Open After Liquidity Is Ready

Binance said KGST withdrawals are not yet available. However, the exchange plans to open withdrawals after enough liquidity is in place.

This process is common when exchanges add support for new tokens. Deposits often open first so liquidity can build before withdrawals begin.

Users can deposit KGST now, but they must wait for a later notice about withdrawals. Binance has not shared a fixed date for that step.

Therefore, users are expected to follow official Binance updates. They should also check the withdrawal page before planning any KGST transfer.

Wider Crypto Market Records More Activity

The KGST update came as several exchanges reported fresh market activity. OKX is also set to add MEGA, linked to MegaETH, for spot trading.

The listing is expected to begin today, according to the market update. It adds another token to OKX’s spot market during active trading hours.

At the same time, CoinW shared data on a large trader shorting altcoins and meme tokens. The trader reportedly gained more than $10 million in 90 days.

CoinW said the strategy is now available through copy trading. The platform also stated that the model has no profit share.

In another market move, a whale returned 220 BTC to Binance after about three years. Reports estimated the trader’s profit at around $28 million.

The transfer drew attention because the coins had stayed inactive for a long period. Together, these updates show continued activity across exchanges, traders, and large holders.