One of Arizona's crypto reserve bills has been passed by the House and is now one successful vote away from heading to the governor's desk for official approval.Arizona's Strategic Digital Assets Reserve Bill (SB 1373) was approved on April 17 by the House Committee of the Whole, which involves 60 House members weighing in on the bill before a third and final reading and a full floor vote. Source: Bitcoin Laws SB 1373 seeks to establish a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund made up of digital assets seized through criminal proceedings to be managed by the state's treasurer.

Slovenia's Finance Ministry is considering a possible 25% tax on crypto trading profits for residents in the country under a new draft law now open for public consultation. The bill proposes to tax traders when they sell their cryptocurrency for fiat or pay for goods and services, but crypto-to-crypto and transfers between wallets owned by the same user will be exempt, Slovenia's Finance Ministry said in an April 17 statement.

Governments worldwide are racing to secure crypto dominance, turning to Binance for strategic guidance on digital reserves and regulatory blueprints as sovereign adoption accelerates. Nations Seek Binance's Aid on Crypto Reserves Binance has begun advising governments on cryptocurrency regulation and national digital asset reserves, according to a report by the Financial Times, published April 17.

Cryptocurrency exchange eXch announced it would cease operations on May 1 following reports that it was involved in laundering funds from a Bybit hack.

Bybit is shutting down a major portion of its Web3 portfolio, including its NFT marketplace, wallets, and several decentralized services.

Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov has signed a constitutional law authorizing the launch of a central bank digital currency pilot project while also giving the “digital som” — the national currency in digital form — legal tender status.The law gives the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic the exclusive right to issue the digital som, establish the rules for its issuance and circulation, and oversee the platform on which the national currency will operate, Kyrgyzstan's presidential office said on April 17. However, a final decision on whether to officially issue the CBDC is not expected until the end of 2026, local outlet Trend News Agency reported in December.

Crypto is charging into the mainstream as the Federal Reserve signals a dramatic shift, hinting at looser oversight and faster institutional adoption of digital assets nationwide. Fed Chair Powell Teases Softer Crypto Stance U.S.

The South Korean Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has extended the period of its on-site inspection of the Bithumb crypto exchange, with a Coinone inspection set to start next week. The post South Korean Regulator Extends Bithumb Inspection, Plans Coinone Probe appeared first on Cryptonews.

Slovenia's Ministry of Finance released two legislative proposals for public consultation to clarify and align the taxation of digital assets and derivatives ahead of a planned 2026 rollout, according to an April 17 release.

Despite regulatory hurdles and listing concerns, a new report from TokenInsight shows that Binance is comfortably leading the CEX market. Increasing competition from MEXC and Bitget saw Binance's market share drop 1%, but it still dominates more than one-third of the CEX trades.

Web3 experts emphasize that the ongoing trade war, while presenting challenges, can also act as a catalyst for innovation within the blockchain space. However, they argue that fostering a mindset of global unity can help mitigate the divisive effects of trade wars. Decentralized Governance Can Mitigate Disputes Caused by Protectionist Policies As the U.S.

Key Takeaways: The SEC will host its third crypto-focused roundtable of 2025, titled “Know Your Custodian: Key Considerations for Crypto Custody,” on April 25 at its Washington D.C. headquarters, with a focus on the complexities of cryptocurrency custody.

Zero Edge founder Richard Kim arrested for misusing $7M in investor funds through gambling and high-risk crypto trades, facing securities and wire fraud charges. The post Crypto Fraud Shocker: Zero Edge's Richard Kim Arrested After Blowing $7M Investor Cash on Gambling appeared first on Cryptonews.

Cryptocurrency exchange eXch announced it will cease operations on May 1 after reports alleged the firm was used to launder funds from a Bybit hack.In an April 17 notice, eXch said the majority of people in its management team voted to “cease and retreat” in response to the allegations that North Korea's Lazarus Group used the exchange to launder roughly $35 million of the funds stolen in a $1.4 billion exploit on Bybit. The exchange said it was the subject of “an active transatlantic operation” aimed at shutting it down and potentially pursuing charges.

SEC hosts roundtable on crypto custody on April 25.

Slovenia proposes a 25% tax on individual crypto profits starting 2026.

UAE-based crypto market maker CLS Global faced SEC enforcement action after regulators determined that 98% of its trading volume consisted of wash trades designed to create artificial market activity. The regulatory investigation concluded with CLS Global agreeing to a $425K penalty and market exclusion without admitting or denying the allegations. The post SEC Sting Bars UAE Crypto Market Maker CLS Global for 98% Wash Trades, $425K Fine appeared first on Cryptonews.

The DeFi broker rule saga is behind us. It only took 3+ years.

Spot trading volume across the top ten centralized exchanges (CEXs) hit $5.4 trillion in Q1 2025, a 16.3% decline from the previous quarter, as crypto market momentum cooled following a euphoric end to 2024. Top Crypto Exchanges See 16% Volume Dip in Q1 2025 Crypto trading cooled off sharply in the first quarter of 2025.

Canadian Web3 Council Executive Director Morva Rohani joins CoinDesk to discuss the significance of Consensus 2025 being held in Toronto and the outlook on Canada's digital asset ecosystem. - This content should not be construed or relied upon as investment advice.

The European Central Bank (ECB) cut interest rates by another 25 basis points today, but the crypto market has hardly noticed. This highlights the European market's declining influence over the crypto sector compared to the US.

VanEck launches Onchain Economy ETF; SEC approved.

Standard Chartered believes stablecoin supply could swell to $2 trillion by 2028, driving $1.6 trillion in new demand for US Treasury bills if upcoming US legislation passes as expected.

The Wyoming Stable Token Commission, a body authorized by the US state to issue a stablecoin, has suggested that it may clarify its language to better comply with potential guidelines from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).In an April 17 meeting in the extension of the Wyoming Capitol building, Commissioner Joel Revill suggested the body could reduce the risk of the state's proposed WYST stablecoin qualifying as a security under SEC rules. The discussion among the commissioners and Executive Director Anthony Apollo followed the SEC issuing guidelines that certain “covered stablecoins” were considered” non-securities” and largely not subject to reporting requirements.

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has laid off hundreds of employees in the past several months across all areas of its business to streamline its operations ahead of its planned IPO, Coindesk reported on Thursday.

Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov took his country a step closer to issuing its own central bank digital currency Thursday, signing legislation that gives the "digital som" legal status.

Crypto exchange giant Kraken has laid off hundreds of staffers across all areas of the business over the past several months, as the firm continues to streamline its operations ahead of a potential public listing in the U.S., according to two people familiar with the situation.

Slovenia authorities are looking to bring a 25% tax proposal targeting personal crypto profits into effect in 2026 if adopted into law.

Growing crypto adoption and a favorable regulatory outlook have VCs on the hunt for liquidity events. New figures from DefiLlama show crypto startups raised more than $4.90 billion in the first quarter of this year, up from $3.62 billion in Q4 2024.

During a recent conversation on "The Journeyman" podcast with financial expert Raoul Pal, Digital Currency Group founder Barry Silbert stated that 99.99% of cryptocurrency tokens are worthless.

In the past seven days, the tokenized U.S. Treasury bond market expanded by $450 million, with Blackrock's BUIDL capturing 67.33% of that increase. Tokenized Treasuries Jump $450 million In 2025, tokenized Treasury bonds have seen extraordinary expansion, driven by substantial institutional issuances—most notably the Blackrock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) and several peers.

VanEck's NODE ETF received approval for a May 14 launch, featuring 30-60 carefully selected crypto infrastructure companies. The actively managed fund implemented a Cayman Islands structure to bypass SEC restrictions, allowing 25% exposure to digital assets. The strategy provided equity exposure without direct cryptocurrency ownership. The post VanEck's NODE ETF Debuts May 14—30‑Stock Crypto Infrastructure Play With Cayman Tax Twist appeared first on Cryptonews.

Slovenia's proposed crypto tax could level the playing field for investors, enhance fiscal transparency, and boost government revenue. The post Slovenia floats 25% tax on personal crypto profits appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Circle announced the launch of its Refund Protocol on April 17, introducing a non-custodial smart contract system to enable dispute resolution for stablecoin transactions without relying on centralized intermediaries. The initiative addresses what it labels as a key shortcoming of using stablecoins, which is the lack of a built-in mechanism for refunds or chargebacks.

A widely followed analyst says that the crypto markets may be on the verge of an explosive breakout due to one key factor.

Crypto's most notorious criminals share a common link: They rely on a small clique of underground Chinese bankers to survive, new research shows.

Despite Bitcoin's resilience, broader crypto markets show cracks amid weak funding and bearish indicators.

As crypto matures and global adoption grows, focus is shifting away from hype and toward real utility. Inflation, outdated remittance systems, and a rising demand for decentralized services are pushing people to rethink the value in crypto.

The following article is adapted from The Block's newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.

Zhejiang province became the latest testing ground for China's digital yuan as authorities rolled out a retail-focused pilot program. The central bank's digital currency underwent real-world testing across various commercial settings, positioning China ahead in the global CBDC race while officials gathered critical data before deciding on nationwide implementation. The post China's Zhejiang Launches Retail Digital Yuan Pilot—Nationwide Rollout Next? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Richard Kim, founder of Zero Edge, a defunct “crypto casino,” was arrested and subsequently released on bail in a federal securities fraud case. After an arrest on Tuesday, Kim posted a $250,000 bond using $100,000 in cash as collateral.

Former Wall Street executive Richard Kim has been arrested and charged with wire fraud and securities fraud for allegedly misappropriating over $4 million from investors in a blockchain-based online casino startup called ZeroEdge.

Velora will leverage the Across Protocol to enable users to swap assets across major chains with a single transaction.

In 2025, the crypto universe looks like a movie scene where the same actors return, despite expectations of a new script. According to CoinGecko, AI tokens and memecoins still capture 62.8% of investors' attention in the first quarter.

TL;DR Circle Research launched Refund Protocol, a smart contract that adds escrow and onchain dispute resolution for ERC‑20 stablecoin payments. Funds are locked with pay(to, amount, refundTo); the recipient can use refundByRecipient and the arbiter refundByArbiter if a dispute arises.

Self-custody provider Safe laid off 14 staff members as part of a strategic overhaul following a $1.43B Bybit theft linked to their compromised systems. The company divided operations into three units: a revenue-focused product company, R&D lab, and ecosystem foundation to address complexity issues. The post Safe Axes 14 Staff as $1.43B Bybit Hack Fallout Triggers Radical Reorg appeared first on Cryptonews.

The world's sixth-largest crypto exchange by daily trading volume is now accessible to the American market. In a statement, OKX says that it is accelerating its expansion in the US with the official launch of its centralized exchange and web3 wallet in the country.

The steep decline in crypto valuations and a breakdown of key technical indicators may signal the start of a new bear market for digital assets, according to a new report from Coinbase.