🪙 Bitcoin's Stability Amid Geopolitical Tensions

📉 Bitcoin traded within a narrow range of $69,000 to $71,000 as traders reacted to mixed diplomatic signals regarding a potential ceasefire in the Middle East. The cryptocurrency initially dipped from a morning high of $70,900 to an intraday low of $69,034 but quickly rebounded. Buyers drove the price up to $70,999 within two hours, reaching a peak of $71,230 before settling above $70,500, marking a slight 0.6% gain over 24 hours.

🗣 The digital asset sector has been affected by conflicting statements from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump indicated that an end to the war was near, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of more severe strikes. This disconnect was highlighted by reports of increased bombings on Iranian infrastructure.

⚠️ The situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains a significant concern for the market. Iran's threat to close this crucial transit route was underscored by footage of a Thai-flagged vessel on fire after ignoring Iranian warnings. In response to the escalating threat of a blockade, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced the release of 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves. However, analysts caution that this may only provide temporary relief if the maritime route remains obstructed.

💰 Metacomp Secures $35 Million in Pre-A Funding to Expand Its Financial Infrastructure

🌍 Singapore-based Metacomp has successfully raised $35 million in Pre-A funding over the past three months, with support from Alibaba and Spark Venture. This funding will be used to enhance its integrated payments and wealth platform.

🔔 The company announced the completion of its Pre-A+ funding round on March 13, 2026. Metacomp and its affiliate, Alpha Ladder Finance, offer hybrid fiat and stablecoin solutions to global enterprises and ultra-high-net-worth individuals in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

🗣 Co-President Tin Pei Ling emphasized the importance of this funding, stating,

This funding accelerates the StableX Network across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, where demand for compliant, real-time cross-border settlement is growing fastest.

🆕 Coinbase Launches 24/7 Stock Perpetual Futures for Global Traders

🌍 Coinbase has introduced stock perpetual futures, allowing traders to access major U.S. equities around the clock with leverage. This initiative aligns with Coinbase's objective of integrating crypto and traditional markets on a single platform.

🚫 Unlike conventional stock markets that operate within set hours, Coinbase's new feature enables users to trade synthetic versions of U.S. stocks at any time, including weekends. Initially, traders can access a range of well-known companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, NVIDIA, Tesla, Meta, and Alphabet. Additionally, Coinbase offers ETF-based products like the S&P 500 (SPY) and Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) where permitted.

📈 This launch responds to the increasing demand for 24/7 access to equities, particularly from traders outside the United States who often encounter obstacles when investing in U.S. stocks. Coinbase aims to address this demand within a regulated framework, providing risk controls suitable for both retail and institutional users.

💪 The product offers up to 10x leverage for individual stocks and up to 20x for ETFs, with trades settled in USDC. Users can also utilize cross-margining across derivatives and spot markets. Access is facilitated through Coinbase’s advanced trading tools and APIs, as well as its international exchange.

🌐 This development supports Coinbase’s vision of creating an “Everything Exchange,” which encompasses crypto, traditional assets, and innovative financial products in one location. For retail users, the primary advantage is flexibility, allowing them to respond to global news at any time. For institutional investors, this product provides new avenues for risk management and position hedging, even when traditional markets are closed.

🛠 Shift to Open Agentic Commerce: AI Agents in Autonomous Transactions

🌐 Sam Ragsdale, CEO of Merit Systems, highlights a significant shift towards Open Agentic Commerce. This model employs protocols such as x402 and mpp to empower artificial intelligence (AI) agents to execute autonomous purchases. This shift comes as traditional ad-based revenue models decline, with Large Language Models (LLMs) and computer-use agents increasingly bypassing human-centric advertising interfaces.

💳 The new system utilizes stablecoins on modern blockchains to address the historical "402" payment error, enabling sub-cent micro-transactions that were previously hindered by high credit card fees. Models like Claude 4.5 and Codex 5.2 allow agents to independently discover APIs and negotiate pricing, potentially automating complex tasks such as supply chain management for local small businesses.

🔗 Platform-specific solutions like AgentCash are adopting these protocols to streamline payment execution for over 2,000 active agents across various jurisdictions. Developers and merchants can now register servers on global directories like x402scan to gain immediate visibility in the emerging agentic economy without facing traditional business development challenges.

⚠️ Bitcoin Price Drops Amid Trump's Threats Over Hormuz Strait

📉 Bitcoin's price fell to $68,241 after President Donald Trump warned that the US would destroy Iranian power plants if the Hormuz Strait was not reopened within 48 hours. This came after a period of stable trading above $70,000. The warning led to significant liquidations in the cryptocurrency market, with approximately $243 million liquidated within an hour, bringing total daily losses to $279 million.

If Iran does not OPEN FULLY, WITHOUT THREAT, the Hormuz Strait within 48 HOURS from now, the United States will strike and destroy their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE LARGEST!

Trump stated.

💔 This statement triggered a sell-off in the crypto derivatives market, particularly affecting long positions. Bitcoin dropped 2.4% for the day, reaching a session low of $68,241 on Bitstamp, while Ethereum and several altcoins fell over 3%. The sell-off followed a series of posts by Trump on Truth Social, where he claimed that the US had "wiped Iran off the face of the earth" and that their military forces were "destroyed."

They want to make a deal. And I don’t!

Trump added.

🚨 FBI Warns of Cryptocurrency Scams Involving Fake Tron Tokens

⚠️ The FBI has issued a warning about a fraudulent Tron-based token that uses impersonation tactics to extract users' confidential data. This alert highlights the growing risks associated with scams that leverage official identities within blockchain environments.

FBI New York urges blockchain users to exercise caution if they encounter a token allegedly sent by the FBI

said the New York office of the FBI.

📉 According to FBI crime reports for 2025 and 2026, losses related to cryptocurrency fraud have reached approximately $17 billion. This increase is attributed to various factors, including cryptocurrency ATM fraud and the rise of AI-assisted "pig butchering" operations.

🔔 The warning emphasizes the importance of avoiding interaction with suspicious tokens and reporting incidents to official channels. As cryptocurrency fraud continues to evolve, investors must remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated attack methods.

🗓 ASCN Business Event: AI Solutions for Business in Moscow

📍 On April 16, the ASCN Business Event will take place in Moscow, focusing on AI agents, no-code automation, and business process optimization. This exclusive offline event, part of the Blockchain Forum, expects over 500 participants. Attendees will witness ready-made solutions in action, test ASCN ai, and gain tools for lead growth, marketing, and sales without increasing staff.

⚙️ ASCN ai offers turnkey workflows for lead generation, marketing, sales, and operations. It features a marketplace with over 50 working solutions for businesses, step-by-step training for implementation and monetization, and instant results such as new leads and resource savings. Users have reported measurable results from the first days of implementation.

🔔 The event will be held at Svetly Loft, a modern space in central Moscow, accommodating up to 200 guests. Automators and beginners will learn how to use the ASCN ai no-code platform and test ready-made solutions. Entrepreneurs and founders will see how AI agents can reduce lead costs and increase ROI. Top managers will discover how to manage AI agents as a system and scale processes without hiring extra staff.

🗣 The event will feature practical workshops, demonstrations of AI agents, expert consultations, and networking opportunities with the AI and crypto audience. There will also be panel discussions on implementing AI in business and trading processes. One of the main partners of the event is Cifra Markets, the first regulated crypto broker in the CIS with a license in Belarus, ensuring legal operations and transparency for users.

🚨 Serious Allegations Against Trump's Project, World Liberty Financial!

🔔 A bold statement at the intersection of cryptocurrency and politics has sparked widespread reaction on social media. The message, which quickly spread especially on X (formerly Twitter), caught attention for allegedly being written by an anonymous user claiming to be an "insider in Trump's crypto empire."

...approximately 600,000 wallets suffered total losses of $3.87 billion due to investments in a meme coin, while family structures allegedly linked to the project earned hundreds of millions of dollars in transaction fees.

💬 The text also points out a remarkable timing coincidence involving prominent figures in the crypto sector, such as Justin Sun, Changpeng Zhao, and Arthur Hayes. It claims that there are "coincidental" connections between the withdrawal of certain lawsuits filed against these individuals by U.S. regulators and their investments in cryptocurrency or political events.

For example, it is claimed that Justin Sun invested $75 million in the project, and as a result, the SEC withdrew the lawsuit against him.

🔔 Bitcoin eyes $76,800 ‘breakeven wall’ as macro tailwinds build

📌 Bitcoin is hovering around $75,000 as on-chain cost metrics cluster near $76,800, a level CoinDesk says could act as a major resistance where short-term holders begin to sell into strength. The analysis suggests that when BTC pushes into short-term holders’ realized price band, supply often spikes as investors “break even,” raising the odds of profit‑taking and a near‑term pause or pullback.

📈 CoinDesk reports that market sentiment has been buoyed by news of an extended ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, with the dollar sliding to a near six‑week low and U.S. Treasury yields drifting lower, a combination that typically supports risk assets and non‑yielding hedges such as bitcoin and gold. Gold has been rising alongside BTC, signaling what the outlet describes as a market trying to balance risk appetite with lingering demand for safe‑haven assets finance.

❗️ On-chain data tracked by firms such as CryptoQuant shows that as bitcoin approaches the $76,800 realized price for short-term holders, supply to exchanges tends to increase, echoing a pattern seen in earlier rallies where that band acted as a ceiling. A recent note highlighted hourly BTC inflows to exchanges jumping to roughly 11,000 BTC as price tested the mid‑$76,000s, the strongest pace since December, which historically has signaled mounting sell pressure at resistance zones.

⚠️ At the same time, institutional demand remains firm. Morgan Stanley’s new MSBT spot bitcoin fund, listed on NYSE Arca with a 0.14% annual fee, has already drawn more than $100 million in inflows and is now the cheapest spot BTC ETF in the U.S. market, undercutting BlackRock’s IBIT at 0.25%. Unchained and other industry trackers reported MSBT logged about $34 million in first‑day net inflows and strong early volume, a sign that large advisors are actively rotating client flows into the bank’s in‑house product.

📈 Bitcoin's Market Shift: Analyst Claims End of Downtrend

🔍 Jordi Visser, a seasoned macro investor with over 30 years of experience, has analyzed recent market trends. He asserts that while artificial intelligence and commodity shortages usher in a new economic era, Bitcoin is reasserting its position by emphasizing its "scarcity" argument.

🗣 Visser notes that investor psychology and central bank policies are evolving in the digital age. He stated,

I don't think we'll see multi-year recessions or prolonged bear markets for the rest of my life. Once a crack appears in the system, they intervene by printing money and lowering interest rates.

He added that in an interconnected world, investors suffer from "amnesia," quickly forgetting negative events and focusing on new scenarios.

📉 Despite the deflationary pressure from artificial intelligence (AI), Visser warns of significant inflation risks in the short term. He argued that the AI world has reached its physical limits and is experiencing a severe shortage of processors, memory, and energy.

📌 Highlighting Elon Musk's announcement about the "Terra Fab" project, Visser predicts that this bottleneck in equipment and commodity sectors will keep inflation significantly above the Fed's 2% target, reaching 4% and beyond.

🔔 New Bitcoin Extortion Scheme in the Strait of Hormuz

🚨 Unknown individuals are impersonating Iranian authorities, offering ships safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for payment in Bitcoin or USDT. This warning comes from the Greek maritime risk management company Marksis, as reported by Reuters.

🚫 Experts examined one of the messages sent by the fraudsters to shipping companies. It stated that companies must first provide documents for verification by Iran's security service. After that, they are required to pay a transit fee in cryptocurrency. This, they claim, will allow them to cross the strait "unimpeded at a pre-agreed time," Marksis reported.

➡️ At least one vessel may have fallen victim to this scam. It attempted to exit Hormuz on April 18 but came under fire.

🔒 The Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Earlier this month, Financial Times journalists, citing oil exporters, reported that Iran intends to demand payment in cryptocurrency from shipping companies for passage through the strait. However, there has been no official confirmation of this.

‼️ Later, experts deemed Tehran's plans "practically unfeasible." They pointed to the ongoing sanctions against the country and the transparency of blockchain technology, which could pose problems for registered Western firms.

🪙 Russia Introduces Cryptocurrency Taxation Mechanism

🔔 On April 27, 2026, the Russian government approved amendments to the Tax Code, establishing a clear mechanism for taxing income from cryptocurrency operations. The Ministry of Finance prepared the document, which introduces a new article specifically for digital assets.

💰 Cryptocurrency is officially recognized as property. The tax base arises from the sale, exchange, or other disposal of crypto assets and is calculated as the positive difference between revenue and documented expenses. Expenses include the acquisition cost of the digital currency, fees from exchanges, custodians, brokers, and banks, as well as other related costs.

🔄 Exchanging one cryptocurrency for another is considered a taxable event. The income is determined by the exchange rate at the time of the transaction, and expenses are deducted in the usual manner.

❗️ Tax agents will include brokers, trust managers, and digital custodians. They are required to calculate, withhold, and transfer the personal income tax to the budget. Individuals working without a tax agent must declare their income independently; if their turnover exceeds 600,000 rubles, they must also notify the tax authorities about their ownership of crypto assets.

🚀 Oobit Launches Programmable Visa Corporate Cards for AI Agents to Spend USDT

🆕 Oobit, a startup backed by Tether, has introduced Agent Cards supported by Visa, enabling AI agents to make purchases in USDT without human intervention. The product is currently available to a select group of companies, with plans to expand the list by June 30.

💳 AI agents can utilize Agent Cards for various purposes, including renewing software subscriptions, replenishing advertising budgets, and deploying cloud infrastructure around the clock. Other options include trading cryptocurrencies and stocks. Payments are financed through stablecoins, managed by a single Oobit wallet for storing these "stable coins."

🔍 To set up Agent Cards, companies must undergo KYC verification. The product is compatible with AI agent frameworks from OpenAI, Claude, AutoGen, and LangChain. Each AI agent is issued only one card to ensure clear identification and an audit trail. Spending limits and vendor restrictions are applied at the transaction level to ensure that AI agents operate within their authorized parameters.

🔍 Market Awaits Employment Data and Reports: This Week Will Determine Crypto Asset Dynamics

📌 The week begins with three key events: new employment data from the U.S., reports from major public companies in the sector, and signals from the Federal Reserve (Fed). Each of these could alter interest rate expectations and set the direction for Bitcoin and other assets.

📊 The main event of the week is the U.S. labor market report. The forecast for new jobs in April is around 73,000 compared to 178,000 the previous month. If the figure is weak, the market may intensify expectations for an earlier rate cut, supporting risk assets including cryptocurrencies. Strong data would have the opposite effect, pushing back the rate cut scenario and increasing market pressure.

📈 In addition to payrolls, the market will receive additional signals such as unemployment claims, the services sector activity index, and wage data. Each of these indicators affects inflation expectations and collectively shapes the picture the Fed relies on.

🔔 Concurrently, the market is monitoring corporate earnings. This week, results will be presented by Strategy, Coinbase, MARA, Hut 8, CleanSpark, and Core Scientific. This will allow for an assessment of the mining and exchange segments, particularly focusing on Bitcoin sales by miners.

🛡 Google Chrome's Automatic AI Downloads Raise Security Concerns Among Cryptocurrency Users

🚨 The cryptocurrency community is buzzing over reports that Google's Chrome browser is automatically downloading its AI model, Gemini Nano, in the background without user consent. This has sparked discussions about security and transparency.

📥 According to leaked information, Chrome has downloaded several gigabytes of the Gemini Nano model to devices for use in fraud prevention systems, web page summarization features, and AI-based tools. While Google claims that running AI on devices enhances privacy and security, cryptocurrency users are expressing concerns about the lack of transparency in the process and the absence of explicit user consent.

🚫 Analysts point out that internet browsers have become a primary access point for cryptocurrency wallets, blockchain transactions, and decentralized applications, making browser security a critical component of the crypto ecosystem. Some industry representatives acknowledge that deep AI integration can be beneficial for detecting phishing sites, but they also warn that it could expand the attack surface for browsers.

⚠️ Experts warn that threats such as malicious extensions, fake transaction pages, and wallet hacking attempts may become more sophisticated with the proliferation of AI-based browser systems. It is suggested that in the future, cryptocurrency users may need to protect their browser environments as diligently as they do their hardware wallets.

💰 Strategy Expands Bitcoin Portfolio with 535 BTC Acquisition Amidst Potential Sale Speculations

📈 Strategy has recently bolstered its Bitcoin holdings by acquiring 535 BTC, bringing its total to 818,869 BTC. This move comes after the company's leadership hinted at a possible sale of some crypto assets. Co-founder Michael Saylor announced that the average purchase price was $80,340, which is below the current market rate of $81,153.

💸 This acquisition has placed Strategy's portfolio in a position of unrealized profit amounting to $5.4 billion due to the recent surge in Bitcoin's value. Saylor also mentioned that the return on these investments since January 1, 2026, stands at 9.4%. This marks Strategy's first purchase since late April 2026.

🗣 Previously, during a conference call, Saylor indicated that the company might sell a portion of its Bitcoin holdings to pay dividends on STRC, its floating-rate preferred stock currently yielding 11.5%. CEO Fong Le explained that the firm is willing to deviate from its usual stance if selling Bitcoin can help meet obligations without diluting per-share asset value.

🚀 Three Factors for Ethereum's Price Growth Identified by Major Holder

👤 Joseph Chalom, CEO of SharpLink Gaming, highlighted three key factors that could lead to a significant increase in Ethereum's price. Currently, SharpLink Gaming holds 861,251 ETH valued at $1.89 billion.

📌 During an interview on Cointelegraph's Chain Reaction program, Chalom emphasized that the CLARITY Act, which regulates stablecoin yields and delineates the powers of financial regulators over cryptocurrencies, could greatly benefit Ethereum's growth. Although CLARITY is still a bill, it has already been approved by the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. Chalom believes that CLARITY will clarify cryptocurrency regulation not only in the United States but also globally.

I've traveled extensively in Asia and noticed that Korea, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Singapore are closely watching the U.S. actions in the digital asset space,

said Chalom.

They don't want to lose their position as the U.S. strives to be a leader in finance.

🔔 TrapDoor malware campaign steals crypto wallet data through fake developer tools

📈 TrapDoor malware has emerged as a new threat to crypto and AI developers after researchers uncovered a supply chain attack designed to steal wallet data, API keys, cloud credentials, and SSH access through poisoned developer packages.

➡️ According to a report published Sunday by developer security platform Socket, the campaign, dubbed “TrapDoor,” was first identified on Friday and has already spread through at least 34 malicious packages and 384 connected versions across multiple software ecosystems. Socket said the attackers have focused on developers working in cryptocurrency, decentralized finance, artificial intelligence, and security infrastructure, where exposed credentials can provide access to wallets, repositories, cloud environments, and internal systems.

📊 vAmong the targeted services are wallets and platforms linked to Coinbase, Binance, MetaMask, Brave, along with blockchain ecosystems tied to Solana, Sui, and Aptos. Ahmad Nassri, chief technology officer at Socket, said the malware also attempts to manipulate AI coding assistants such as Claude and Cursor by injecting hidden prompts into development workflows. Socket’s report stated that the attackers appear to be pushing AI tools into running fake “security scans” that expose secrets and transmit them back to the operators.

⚠️ Strive unveils $4.2B fundraising push to accelerate Bitcoin buys

📌 According to a June 1 X post by Strive chief executive Matthew Cole, the company expects to increase the size of its at-the-market programs tied to ASST and SATA securities by $2.1 billion each. The proposed expansion would add a combined $4.2 billion in new fundraising capacity.

🌐 Cole stated that the decision follows rising liquidity and investor demand for both securities. He also said Strive plans to release an updated balance sheet before U.S. markets open on Tuesday. The announcement comes days after the company disclosed another large Bitcoin acquisition. In an 8-K filing submitted on May 26, Strive reported buying 1,109 BTC between May 19 and May 22 for approximately $85.4 million. The filing showed an average purchase price of roughly $76,988 per coin.

❓ Following that transaction, Strive’s Bitcoin holdings increased to 16,500 BTC. Data cited in the filing placed the company ahead of Coinbase, which holds 16,492 BTC, and Riot Platforms, which holds 15,680 BTC.