Coinpedia - Fintech & Cryptocurreny News Media| Crypto Guide

Payward, the parent company of Kraken, has agreed to acquire crypto derivatives firm Bitnomial in a deal worth up to 550 million dollars, structured in cash and stock. The acquisition strengthens Kraken’s broader Payward ecosystem by adding a fully regulated U.S. derivatives stack that includes brokerage, clearing, and exchange services under one roof. The move is seen as a major step in expanding compliant derivatives infrastructure and deepening its presence in regulated U.S. markets.

Hyperliquid’s HYPE token has surged to a 2026 high of $45, rising over 108% from its yearly low. The rally is driven by strong trading activity, rising RWA open interest of $2.3 billion, and record daily revenue since February. Market attention is also on the upcoming HIP-4 upgrade, which may introduce binary options trading. The Hyperliquid Assistance Fund bought 37,000 HYPE tokens worth $1.6 million, supporting its buyback and burn program. Net inflows over 90 days exceeded $950 million overall.

Strategy formerly MicroStrategy has reached a breakeven zone on its huge Bitcoin position as its average buy price of about $75577 per coin is now almost equal to current trading levels near $75500 to $75800. The company holds 780897 BTC valued at roughly 59 billion dollars and remains the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, controlling about 3.7% of the total supply. Under Michael Saylor, the firm built this position through heavy debt and equity financing while continuing consistent accumulation through market ups and downs.

Singapore Gulf Bank has introduced a regulated on-chain banking service on Solana that allows institutional clients to mint and redeem USDC directly from USD at a 1:1 ratio. The system enables instant 24/7 settlement from bank accounts to stablecoins, with temporary zero fees on transactions, gas, and minting. Initially aimed at businesses and high-net-worth clients, the service is designed to support faster cross-border payments and treasury operations, with plans to expand access to retail users in the future.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen posted “Trump 2028” on April 17, sparking immediate reactions across social media and the $GME investor community. Supporters of Donald Trump and some shareholders praised the post as a bold political statement, while critics in the retail “ape” community said it was a distraction from GameStop’s long-term turnaround and performance goals. Cohen has previously expressed support for Trump in public posts, which has repeatedly drawn mixed responses from investors and online forums. The post also fueled speculation and memes despite the U.S. constitutional limit that prevents a third presidential term.

A six-month ETH Rangers initiative funded by the Ethereum Foundation has uncovered around 100 suspected North Korean IT workers operating under fake identities inside 53 Web3 and crypto projects. The investigation, led by the Ketman Project, highlights a coordinated infiltration effort targeting blockchain firms through disguised developer profiles and freelance roles. The findings underline growing human-layer security risks in crypto, where attackers exploit hiring pipelines rather than just technical vulnerabilities to gain access and control within organizations.

The U.S. Marshals Service has moved 8.2 Bitcoin worth about $606K to Coinbase Prime. The funds are tied to the 2016 Bitfinex hack and the conviction of Ilya Lichtenstein. Authorities have used Coinbase for custody since 2024, and blockchain data confirmed the government wallets involved. There is no confirmation of a sale, and officials still hold more than 200K Bitcoin. The market viewed the transfer as routine management, with Bitcoin steady near $75000.

Circle has been hit with a class-action lawsuit in Massachusetts alleging it failed to freeze nearly $230 million in USDC linked to the April 1 Drift Protocol breach, in which about $280 million was stolen. The complaint claims the funds were transferred across chains for hours without being frozen, even though Circle reportedly had the authority and tools to stop the movement, fueling debate over stablecoin issuers’ duties during major DeFi attacks.

Tether is partnering with Drift Protocol and other backers to help users recover funds after the April 1 exploit, which resulted in about $285 million in losses. The support package includes up to $127.5 million from Tether and an additional $20 million from partners. It also features a $100 million revenue-linked credit line, ecosystem grants, and market maker loans. A recovery pool funded by exchange revenue and support capital will aim to cover nearly $295 million in user losses and restore impacted balances.

Tether has expanded its ecosystem by launching a new wallet app that enables users to send and receive USDT, Bitcoin, and gold using simple usernames instead of traditional wallet addresses, aiming to simplify crypto usage for its 570 million users. In parallel, the company added 951 BTC worth about 70.47 million dollars from Bitfinex, bringing its total Bitcoin holdings to around 97,141 BTC valued at roughly 7.2 billion dollars, reinforcing its position among the largest on-chain BTC holders.