Russia should create its own stablecoins after USDT wallet freezes exposed risks of relying on foreign digital assets, a senior finance official said. The post Russia Must Build Its Own Stablecoins, Finance Ministry Official Says appeared first on Cryptonews.

A Russian finance ministry official has reportedly said the country should be developing its own stablecoin after a recent freeze on wallets linked to the sanctioned Russian exchange Garantex by US authorities and stablecoin issuer Tether. Deputy director of Russia's Finance Ministry's financial policy department, Osman Kabaloev, said the Kremlin should be exploring the possibility of developing a stablecoin like Tether's (USDT) to avoid similar actions in the future, according to April 16 reports by Reuters and the state-owned news agency TASS.

VanEck is set to debut its new exchange-traded fund under the ticker NODE, on May 14, expanding its lineup of crypto-related investment products. VanEck's head of digital assets, Matthew Sigel, announced in an Apr.

Billionaire Mike Novogratz's Galaxy Ventures Fund I LP is on track to raise up to $180 million by June to back early-stage crypto and blockchain startups, with a focus on payments and stablecoins.

The first three months of this year have been the best and worst for crypto at the same time, according to a recent report from Bitwise.

A16z has penned a letter to the SEC calling for revised custody rules to allow RIAs to hold crypto assets directly.

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has concluded its second round of the community-driven “Vote to Delist” campaign. The FTX Token (FTT), the native token of the now-bankrupt FTX exchange, has emerged as the top candidate for delisting.

The incident highlights the volatility and risks of experimental tokenization, underscoring the need for clearer market guidelines and user education. The post Coinbase's Base sparks controversy after experimental token melts down, then rockets back appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

A federal judge has paused a high-profile lawsuit between 18 Republican state attorneys general, the DeFi Education Fund, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), citing the agencys leadership change. The lawsuit, filed after Donald Trumps 2024 election victory, claimed the SEC had overstepped its authority by targeting crypto exchanges, infringing on states regulatory rights over digital assets.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has stated that cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly mainstream, driven by evolving U.S. regulations. In recent remarks, Powell highlighted that both chambers of Congress are actively working to establish a legal framework for stablecoinsdigital assets pegged to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar.

Former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler appeared on CNBC Wednesday, offering rare remarks following the agencys sudden reversal on major cryptocurrency enforcement actions. The SEC recently dropped appeals against Ripple and withdrew lawsuits involving industry giants like Kraken and Coinbasemoves that have sparked celebration across the crypto community.

Coinbase Prime has announced it will discontinue custody support for 49 crypto assets by the end of April 2025. According to the official statement, the decision stems from a regular review process to ensure supported assets continue to meet the platforms internal standards.

Blockchain platform Noble announced plans to launch AppLayer, an Ethereum-compatible rollup aimed at enabling developers to build real-world asset (RWA) applications and infrastructure. Set to go live in Q3 2025, AppLayer is designed to support scalable, data-intensive applications optimized for stablecoins and other tokenized assets.

Global crypto exchange OKX is entering the U.S. market, establishing a new regional headquarters in San Jose, California. The Seychelles-based platform will now offer its trading services and OKX Wallet to U.S. crypto traders, signaling a strategic expansion aligned with the evolving regulatory landscape.

Equity and crypto markets turned bearish late Wednesday after Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares plunged 8% to $89.10 in after-hours trading. The selloff followed the companys disclosure of a $5.5 billion charge due to U.S. President Donald Trumps ban on exporting Nvidias H20 AI chip to China.

Auradine, a U.S.-based firm in energy-efficient blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, has raised $153 million in a Series C funding round to accelerate its growth and innovation.

A viral experiment by Coinbase's Layer 2 network, Base, turned into a cautionary tale after an unofficial meme coin, minted via Zora, soared to a $13 million valuation—only to collapse by 92% within hours.

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz says market turmoil is scaring off new crypto buyers, leaving Bitcoin struggling to attract fresh investment. The post Market Turmoil and Tariff Pressures are Keeping New Crypto Buyers Away, Novogratz Says appeared first on Cryptonews.

Despite recent major developments in the crypto industry, the market has just posted its weakest Q1 performance in years — but a crypto analyst is pointing to several catalysts that could make Q2 more promising.“Frustrating.

Blockchain tools are comparable to wildfire – fast-moving and capable of consuming anything that lies in their path. It has undeniable advantages – clear and permanent registers, extremely secure systems and the opportunity to eliminate intermediaries. But powerful as it is, it must be contained.

Bitwise supercharges its European expansion by listing four top-tier crypto ETPs on the London Stock Exchange, unlocking elite access for UK investors.

Michael Novogratz's Galaxy Ventures Fund I LP is expected to raise around $175 million to $180 million by the end of June to build a portfolio of 30 crypto and blockchain startups. According to an April 17 Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, the fund — which has had a focus on payments and stablecoins — has surpassed its goal of raising $150 million.

Crypto exchange Coinbase has distanced its blockchain network Base from a memecoin it shared that saw massive backlash after the token rapidly gained, then dropped in value by millions of dollars.Base posted to X on April 16 with an image promoting the network with its marketing tagline, “Base is for everyone,” it also shared a link to a token of the same name on Zora, a social network where users can make posts into tokens for others to speculate on. In just over an hour after it was created, the Base is for everyone token hit a peak market capitalization of $17.1 million — then dropped by nearly 90% over the next 20 minutes to a market value of $1.9 million, DEX Screener data shows.

The Himalayan nation of Bhutan is exploring ways to mine and leverage green cryptocurrencies using hydropower to boost its economy and create jobs to reduce brain drain, the chief executive of its sovereign wealth fund said.

The SEC is charging full speed into crypto regulation with a high-stakes roundtable on custody, spotlighting major players and big legal brains. Custody Takes Center Stage at SEC's 3rd Crypto Roundtable The U.S.

While labeled "not an investment" created solely as a digital collectible, the unofficial Base token surged then crashed 92%, angering many.

SEC's April 25 roundtable explores crypto custody, regulatory frameworks.

The SEC will host its third crypto policy roundtable on April 25, focusing on crypto asset custody.

According to CoinGecko's quarterly report, the overall crypto market cap fell 18.6% in Q1 2025. Trading volume on centralized exchanges also fell 16% compared to the previous quarter.

The Russian government is set to add “cryptocurrency” and crypto-related terms to the country's criminal code. Moscow thinks this will help police confiscate coins during their investigations. The post Russian Government to Add Crypto-related Clauses to Criminal Code appeared first on Cryptonews.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell discusses bank rule changes for crypto.

VanEck received regulatory effectiveness for its new Onchain Economy ETF, an actively managed fund designed to give investors broad exposure to companies powering the digital asset ecosystem. Regulatory effectiveness means the SEC has approved the fund's registration, allowing it to begin offering shares to the public.

UK Government Minister Lucy Powell's X account was hacked on Tuesday morning in a cryptocurrency scam for a phony “House of Commons” digital currency, multiple news sources disclosed Wednesday.

Stablecoins rose to popularity as a result of limitations in the US financial system — particularly restricted banking hours and the lack of a non-USD trading pair, according to Jerald David, president of Arca Labs. “So we start thinking about the reason why, we start talking about the nine-to-five banking hours,” David said during a panel at TokenizeThis 2025 event on April 16.

Panama City Mayor has said the Panama District municipality will become the first in the nation to accept cryptocurrency payments for services, following unanimous approval by the City Council.

Panama's capital city will accept cryptocurrency payments for taxes and municipal fees, including bus tickets and permits, Panama City mayor Mayer Mizrachi announced on April 15, joining a growing list of jurisdictions globally that have voted to accept such payments.Panama City will begin accepting Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Circle's USDC (USDC), and Tether's USDt (USDT) stablecoin for payment once the crypto-to-fiat payment rails are established, Mizrachi posted on the X platform. Mizrachi said previous administrations attempted to push through similar legislation but failed to overcome stipulations requiring the local government to accept funds denominated in US dollars.

Panama City will begin accepting Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and popular stablecoins such as USDC and USDT for public service payments, including taxes, fees, permits, and fines, in a move that positions the capital as a regional pioneer in crypto adoption.

The OKX Launch in the United States marked a strategic pivot following the exchange's $505M settlement with the Department of Justice. Based in San Jose, California, OKX prepared to offer Americans access to its exchange services and wallet, while developing a comprehensive crypto "super app" backed by enhanced compliance programs including robust KYC processes and advanced fraud detection systems. The post OKX Relaunches in U.S. After $505M DOJ Settlement, Unveils Bold ‘Super App' Strategy appeared first on Cryptonews.

Crypto lawyer James Murphy filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to uncover documents related to a claimed meeting with Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator. Does the U.S. government know Satoshi Nakamoto's identity?

A federal judge agreed to pause an ongoing lawsuit between 18 state attorneys general and a decentralized finance lobbyist group against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday, after the parties noted the SEC's new leadership.

President Donald Trump is reportedly planning on launching a new crypto video game inspired by the popular board game Monopoly.

Mayer Mizrachi, the mayor of Panama City, Panama, announced today that the city government will accept payments in crypto. It will accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and two stablecoins for taxes, permits, fees, etc.

Coinbase's Layer 2 network, Base, is facing intense scrutiny after what appears to be a major pump and dump—one that it inadvertently helped fuel. The project's official Twitter account publicly promoted a meme coin titled “Base is for everyone.

The crypto exchange has tapped a former Barclays executive as its new U.S. CEO, signaling a serious push into the American market.

The defendants argue their case should be dropped in part because of a recent DOJ memo outlining new crypto policies under the Trump administration.

What if the next crypto move didn't just fill your wallet but changed your digital reality? That's exactly what's happening right now. Polygon is rolling out a zkEVM upgrade, and XRP's legal momentum has turned the tide in its favor again.

Ethereum Name Service (ENS) lead developer Nick Johnson has alerted crypto users to a new form of phishing scam involving Google infrastructure. In a post on X, Johnson explained how scammers exploit a vulnerability in Google infrastructure.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced industry insiders from Kraken, Exodus, Anchorage Digital, and others would be participating in its crypto task force's roundtable discussion on custody.In an April 16 notice, the SEC said commissioners Hester Peirce and Caroline Crenshaw, acting chair Mark Uyeda and crypto task force Chief of Staff Richard Gabbert will sit down with Mark Greenberg, crypto exchange Kraken's vice president of consumer business and product, Anchorage Digital Bank's Chief Risk Officer Rachel Anderika and Exodus Chief Legal Officer Veronica McGregor. Other representatives will include those from WisdomTree, Fidelity Digital Asset Services, and Fireblocks.