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Coinbase has launched a USDC-INR trading pair in India, allowing users to directly convert Indian Rupees into the USDC stablecoin within its platform. The rollout is part of Coinbase’s regulated re-entry into India after securing FIU-IND registration in 2025 under anti-money laundering rules. The new system reduces dependence on P2P and offshore channels by offering a compliant fiat-to-crypto gateway. It follows phased service expansion across Coinbase products after its return to the Indian market.

Russia’s State Duma has passed the first reading of a crypto regulation bill that classifies cryptocurrencies as property and allows their use in cross-border and foreign trade settlements. The move is partly aimed at supporting international payments amid sanctions. However, crypto remains banned for domestic payments. The bill gives the Bank of Russia control over licensing exchanges and brokers, while limiting access for non-qualified investors to about $3,900, signaling a tightly regulated but expanding crypto framework.

FTX liquidators sold the Alameda Research stake in Cursor’s developer, Anysphere, for just $200,000 during the bankruptcy process, missing out on massive upside. Alameda originally backed Anysphere with $200,000 for roughly 5% of the company. Today, SpaceX has secured an option to acquire Cursor for $60 billion later this year or pay $10 billion for their partnership, as it pushes into AI coding tools ahead of a potential IPO. That same stake could now be worth billions based on Cursor’s soaring valuation.

The Arbitrum Security Council has frozen 30,766 ETH, worth about $71 million, linked to the KelpDAO exploit on Arbitrum One. The funds were moved to a secure wallet requiring governance approval for release, with no impact on other users. The April 18 attack drained $292 million in rsETH through a compromised LayerZero bridge, reportedly tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Meanwhile, Aave paused markets to review up to $230 million in potential bad debt. Read Complete Story

Coinbase has launched crypto-backed USDC loans for UK users, powered by the Morpho protocol on Base. The feature lets users borrow USDC against BTC, ETH, and cbETH, with limits up to $5M for Bitcoin and $1M for Ethereum. Loans have flexible repayment with no fixed schedules, but require monitoring of loan-to-value ratios to avoid liquidation risk. The move expands Coinbase’s 2025 US rollout, blending DeFi infrastructure with regulated access, aiming to boost liquidity while highlighting volatility and collateral risks.

Upbit, South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, has listed PIEVERSE trading pairs against KRW, BTC, and USDT. PIEVERSE is a Web3 payment infrastructure project built for an agent native economy where humans, AI agents, and machines can transact seamlessly. It focuses on automated, verifiable, and cross-chain payments with improved transparency and efficiency. The listing is expected to increase liquidity, adoption, and market visibility as demand grows for AI-driven payment systems in the evolving digital finance ecosystem.

RAVE token collapsed by about 95% after allegations of market manipulation rattled traders. Launched in December 2025, RAVE spiked from under $1 to nearly $28 within 10 days before tumbling to around $0.70 by April 20. Crypto analyst ZachXBT reported that nine addresses linked to the project held most of the supply and moved funds to major exchanges, wiping out billions in value. Several exchanges said they would investigate the activity, while the RaveDAO team denied any misconduct. Traders reacted with frustration as billions in value evaporated.

Aztec has completed the transfer of all ETH raised during its public token auction to Coinbase following a phased withdrawal over recent months. In December, the project sold 15% of its AZTEC supply, raising 19,388.4 ETH (around $59.13M) at an average price of $0.0473 per token, now significantly lower in value. During token generation, 4,234.6 ETH was allocated for liquidity, while the remaining 15,154 ETH was steadily moved to Coinbase, with the final transfer finalized on April 17 at 16:44 UTC.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Morgan Stanley’s spot Bitcoin ETF MSBT has seen strong early demand with inflows crossing 100 million dollars within the first few trading days. The fund also recorded about 30.6 million dollars on launch day, showing solid institutional interest. With a low 0.14 percent fee, it has become highly competitive in the Bitcoin ETF market. The strong start highlights growing investor appetite for regulated Bitcoin exposure as competition among major issuers like BlackRock continues to intensify in the digital asset space.

About 50 million Americans now reportedly own Bitcoin, surpassing about 37M who hold gold, despite Bitcoin’s short 16-year history versus gold’s 5,000-year legacy. The trend aligns with Paris Blockchain Week 2026 at the Carrousel du Louvre, which has drawn over 20,000 participants and focused on institutional adoption of digital assets. Industry voices, including Blockstream’s Adam Back, described Bitcoin as core financial infrastructure, while French officials signaled growing openness to regulated crypto markets and blockchain-based finance.

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire says China could introduce a yuan-backed stablecoin in the next three to five years, which could reshape global payments. He explained that stablecoins allow faster and more efficient cross-border money transfers, helping currencies reach a wider global audience. Allaire also said demand for stablecoins like USDC is rising as global uncertainty grows. He added that digital currencies are becoming more important in international finance due to their speed, accessibility, and ability to simplify global settlement systems.

A recent analysis from Cato Institute researcher Nicholas Anthony explains that US tax rules treat Bitcoin as property, meaning every payment is a taxable capital gains event. Even small daily purchases like buying coffee require tracking the purchase price, sale value, and profit or loss, then reporting it on IRS forms. Over time, frequent use can generate more than 70 pages of tax documentation. The report argues this complexity discourages Bitcoin from being used as everyday money and calls for reforms like exemptions or the removal of capital gains tax on small transactions.

eToro has announced plans to acquire Zengo, a company known for its secure and easy-to-use crypto wallet. The move aims to expand eToro’s digital asset offerings and give users more control over their crypto investments. Zengo, founded in 2018, provides a keyless wallet system that improves security while keeping things simple for everyday users. According to Yoni Assia, the deal supports the future of finance becoming more digital and user-controlled. Ouriel Ohayon said joining eToro will help bring self-custody crypto tools to a global audience. There will be no immediate changes for users. However, in the future, eToro users are expected to get access to more crypto features like trading tools and new digital products. The acquisition is part of eToro’s push to combine traditional investing with modern crypto technology.