🔔 Oil Prices Plummet Amid Middle East De-escalation

📉 Oil prices fell sharply on Monday, with Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures dropping over 10% following President Trump's announcement of a ceasefire amid progress in negotiations between the Iranian regime and the US government. However, Iranian media denied this information, claiming that Trump had "surrendered."

Very good and productive negotiations have taken place between the two countries over the complete and final settlement of our military actions in the Middle East,

Trump stated on Truth Social, leading to a significant market reaction. Brent futures, which had reached a session high of $114.43, plummeted to $96 immediately after the announcement. WTI futures also mirrored this trend, dropping from around $101 to a session low of $84.37.

❗️ Prices stabilized after Iranian media reported that Trump's statements were false and that no negotiations had occurred. According to the Fars news agency, even intermediaries were not involved in these supposed talks, and an unnamed source claimed that Trump retreated after threats from the Iranian regime to strike power plants in US ally countries.

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💔 Couple from Irkutsk Region Loses 1.6 Million Rubles to Cryptocurrency Investment Scam

🔔 A couple from Ust-Kut in the Irkutsk region fell victim to a fraudulent scheme involving cryptocurrency investments, losing approximately 1.6 million rubles. The regional Ministry of Internal Affairs reported the incident.

❗️ The 42-year-old local resident reported to the police that in January, he came across an online advertisement promising returns on cryptocurrency investments. Subsequently, he was contacted by an individual claiming to be a "curator", who offered to assist with the transactions in exchange for a share of the profits.

📱 Following the "curator's" instructions, the man installed applications on his phone for managing cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges. Initially, he transferred small amounts ranging from 8,000 to 80,000 rubles. However, as he aimed to increase his earnings, the couple invested larger sums, including borrowed money: his wife took out a 1 million ruble loan and several credit cards.

💸 All funds were transferred to the specified "investment account". When they attempted to withdraw their money, access to the account was restricted, and representatives of the supposed cryptocurrency platform demanded an additional 1 million ruble "insurance fee" be paid. After this incident, the victims reported the matter to the police. A criminal case has been initiated under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud).

🚨 BREAKING: Bitcoin Price Rises Above $70K on US and Iran Discuss 45-Day Ceasefire

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🔔 QCP Capital: Bitcoin Market Overestimates Ceasefire

🔍 A report from trading firm QCP Capital highlights Bitcoin's recovery above $71,000 amid a temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. However, analysts caution that the market perceives this pause as a stable resolution, despite it being merely a temporary improvement in sentiment.

📈 The ceasefire has supported growth, but tensions remain. The two-week truce, linked to the resumption of shipping through the Hormuz Strait, prompted an expected market reaction. Stock markets rose, and oil prices corrected significantly. However, QCP emphasizes that this is not a long-term resolution. The terms of the ceasefire depend directly on Iran's actions regarding vessel passage in the coming weeks.

⚖️ The macroeconomic picture remains mixed. U.S. labor market data shows a strong job growth of +178,000 jobs but weaker signals in deeper hiring indicators suggest a gradual cooling. Additionally, rising raw material prices could reignite inflation, putting the Federal Reserve in a position between slowing economic trends and inflationary risks.

🛡 The options market signals caution. Current movements appear more as reactions to news rather than signs of a sustainable trend. Short-term volatility decreased after the ceasefire announcement, but market participants continue to actively hedge against downside risks.

🚨 Breaking: Michael Saylor’s Strategy Buys Another $1 Billion in Bitcoin

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🛡 New US Legislation: Apple, Google, and Microsoft Required to Verify Age Upon Device Startup

🔔 On April 13, 2026, a bipartisan bill, H.R. 8250 Parents Decide Act, was introduced in the US House of Representatives. This legislation mandates that operating system providers implement mandatory user age verification mechanisms at the OS level, rather than relying on individual applications or services.

⚠️ The key requirement of the bill is system-level age verification. Initiated by Josh Gottheimer and co-authored by Elise Stefanik, the bill is directed to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. It explicitly states that operating system providers must verify a user's date of birth for account setup and system usage. If a user is under 18, the system must require parental or guardian confirmation of the date of birth. This emphasizes the creation of a mandatory age control system at the device level.

🔄 Another significant aspect of the bill is the establishment of a data transmission infrastructure. The OS provider is required to develop a mechanism that allows application developers to access user age information necessary for content compliance verification. This means that user age will no longer be a local parameter of a single service but will become part of the system level, usable by applications, social platforms, and AI services for content access restrictions.

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🔔 Poltava City Council Deputy Suspected of Illegal Enrichment Through Crypto Assets

👀 A deputy of the Poltava City Council has been suspected of illegal enrichment amounting to over 340 million hryvnias (approximately $7.7 million) through crypto assets. The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announced that the official allegedly concealed these assets by transferring funds to crypto wallets via intermediaries.

🔍 According to the investigation, the deputy attempted to hide his assets through cryptocurrency transactions. It was noted that he transferred funds through third parties to his own crypto wallets, and these assets were not reported in his tax filings or declarations for the years 2022 2025.

⚖️ Illegal enrichment can result in imprisonment for up to 8 years, depending on the severity of the crime. The case involves Aleksandr Kalutskiy, a member of the city council, who had previously been suspected of providing false information in his declarations. In October 2025, after a thorough review by the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC), the charges were amended.

📈 In his declarations for 2022 2024, Kalutskiy failed to disclose virtual assets worth over 200 million hryvnias, including those registered under close associates. Although he submitted revised declarations in 2025, the Office of the Prosecutor General stated that some information regarding his assets and transactions remained inaccurate.

🗣 Jerome Powell's Last Speech: Interest Rates Unchanged

📊 The U.S. Federal Reserve has decided to keep interest rates steady at 3.5% to 3.75% following its April policy meeting, aligning with market expectations. This marks the third consecutive meeting without changes to the rates. The Federal Open Market Committee voted 8-4 in favor of maintaining the rates, which is the highest number of dissenting votes since October 1992.

📌 Inflation remains a concern for the Fed, partly due to rising global energy prices exacerbated by the Iran conflict. Brent crude oil prices surged over 6% to $118.03 per barrel, reaching a peak of $120.27—the highest since 2022. WTI crude also rose nearly 7% to $106.88 per barrel. Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged the extreme uncertainty surrounding economic prospects, intensified by the Middle East conflict.

⚠️ Powell's press conference following this meeting is likely his last scheduled appearance as chairman before his term ends on May 15. While he may remain on the Board of Governors until January 2028, former chairmen rarely stay on after stepping down from the top position. Kevin Warsh, a candidate nominated by President Donald Trump to replace Powell, has passed the Senate Banking Committee and is moving towards a full Senate vote.

🚨 XRP News: Ripple Ex-CTO Shares Reality Check On XRP Ledger’s 1500 TPS Speed

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📈 Institutional Investors Acquire 64,000 Bitcoins in April

📊 In April 2026, institutional purchases of Bitcoin accelerated significantly, with corporate reserves acquiring over 64,000 BTC in just one month. Publicly traded companies and institutional reserves added a total of 64,722 BTC, resulting in a net increase of approximately 57,791 BTC. This made April one of the largest periods for institutional Bitcoin purchases since mid-2025.

📌 The largest purchase was made by Strategy, led by Michael Saylor, which acquired a total of 56,235 BTC. Most of these purchases were financed through an ATM financing model (selling shares at market price) using STRC and MSTR stocks. Notably, there was a significant influx of capital from STRC, which raised a total of $3.3 billion in funding from April 1 to May 3. This amount accounted for approximately 80 percent of Strategy's total funding of $4.1 billion during the same period, setting a new monthly record for the company.

📈 Data showed that institutional Bitcoin purchases in April nearly matched the total net purchases from the previous two quarters, providing a strong start to the second quarter of 2026.

💰 On the other hand, the total volume of BTC invested in spot Bitcoin ETFs reached approximately 1.5 million BTC, which is about 300,000 BTC more than the reserves held by publicly traded companies. The competition between IBIT, managed by BlackRock, and Strategy is particularly noteworthy. As of May 5, Strategy held 818,334 BTC while IBIT's reserves were approximately 818,147 BTC.

🔔 Iran's Response to US Ceasefire Proposal: Implications for Oil and Crypto Markets

❗️ Iran has conveyed its response to the US ceasefire proposal through intermediaries from Pakistan. While the details of the document remain undisclosed, market reactions have been noticeable. According to The Guardian, Washington aimed to use the negotiations to reduce tensions in the Hormuz Strait and bring Iran back to the nuclear deal discussions.

📉 Investors are closely monitoring not only the Middle East but also the potential impact on oil prices and inflation in the US. If oil prices rise rapidly again, the Federal Reserve (Fed) is unlikely to rush into lowering interest rates, which could negatively affect markets, especially crypto and tech stocks. Andrew Slimmon from Morgan Stanley Investment Management stated,

If this happens in the next couple of weeks, rate cuts could begin by the end of the year

⚠️ Tensions in the Middle East remain high. The Guardian reported that UAE and Kuwait's air defense systems intercepted drones entering their airspace. Additionally, a vessel off the coast of Qatar caught fire after a drone attack, and another attack occurred near Erbil in northern Iraq targeting an Iranian Kurdish group camp.

🐂 CLARITY Bill: A Bullish Factor for Bitcoin Rally, According to Santiment Analysts

📈 Analysts from Santiment have identified a key factor that they believe could accelerate the onset of a bullish rally in the cryptocurrency market. They assert that recent approval by the U.S. Senate Banking Committee of the CLARITY bill regarding stablecoin yield has sparked a wave of euphoria around Bitcoin.

🔄 Currently, there are 1.55 positive comments about Bitcoin on social media for every negative one. However, analysts at Santiment view this shift in sentiment as a worrying signal and advise traders to exercise caution, as markets often move contrary to the majority's expectations.

📊 They suggest that any movement towards the approval of the CLARITY bill by Congress should be considered a bullish signal for cryptocurrencies in the long term. This is because it would provide crypto companies with clearer operational guidelines in the U.S. One of the main challenges facing the crypto industry is regulatory uncertainty.

Many businessmen, investors, and bankers hesitate to invest in digital assets because they are unsure which ones may be classified as securities in the future and what rules industry participants will have to follow,

the Santiment specialists explained.

📌 Crypto rails power AI agent payments with $73M settled

❗️ The report said agents settled more than $73 million across 176 million transactions over 12 months. Keyrock said machine-to-machine payments are no longer only a concept. The report said four payment models have now emerged, backed by Coinbase, Stripe, Google, Visa, and American Express.

⚠️ Harvey said “machine-to-machine payments were a concept” a year ago, but the market now has active payment rails. The report also said large financial and technology firms spent more than $8 billion through acquisitions to build their position in the new payment stack.

➡️ vKeyrock said the average AI agent payment sits far below normal card-payment economics. Across 176 million x402 payments, the median transaction was between $0.01 and $0.10, while 76% of activity fell below the $0.30 card-fee floor. That fee gap explains why stablecoins are becoming useful for machine commerce. Keyrock said Layer 2 stablecoin settlement costs about $0.0001, making blockchain rails more workable for small payments such as API calls, data access, and automated digital services.

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