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.

The United States of America Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has raised fresh concerns about inflation and signaled a shift in focus toward digital assets, stablecoin regulations, and banking rules. In his recent Speech, he addressed key issues affecting the U.S. economy, including trade changes, labor pressures, and the rise of digital currencies.

U.S. stocks plunged Wednesday as Nvidia flagged $5.5B in China-related charges and Fed Chair Powell warned tariffs may drive inflation and slow growth. U.S. stocks tumbled Wednesday as investors reacted to new U.S.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated the need for a regulatory framework for stablecoins and signaled that the Fed has no intention of limiting the banking sectors interaction with the crypto industry.

What do Binance's recent outages, token volatility, and legal disputes tell us about the broader challenges it faces across different regions? Binance is back in the headlines Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume, has hit a turbulent

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled on Tuesday that crypto banking regulations will be partially relaxed. He also made it seemingly clear that a near-term interest rate cut remains unlikely.

The investment manager is aiming for a May 14 launch of its crypto-related ETF made up of 30 to 60 investments tied to digital assets.

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has stated that crypto is becoming more mainstream due to the changing regulatory climate.

There could be a "loosening" of crypto-related rules in banks' future, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

The former Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Gary Gensler is warning that the future of non-Bitcoin (BTC) crypto assets is looking bleak.

As digital assets gain mainstream adoption, establishing a legal framework for stablecoins is a “good idea,” said US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.In an April 16 panel at the Economic Club of Chicago, Powell commented on the evolution of the cryptocurrency industry, which has delivered a consumer use case that “could have wide appeal” following a difficult “wave of failures and frauds,” he said. Powell delivers remarks at the Economic Club of Chicago.

Crypto exchange Bybit announced that it will discontinue a wide range of its Wweb3 products and services by the end of May, according to an April 16 notice. The exchange said the decision is part of a shift in its operational focus as it enters a new phase of growth and innovation.

Bitwise launched four of its most liquid European ETP on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), targeting institutional investors.

Russia should be eyeing its own fiat-backed stablecoins, a senior finance ministry official has said. According to a Reuters report on April 16, Russia should unveil its own stablecoins after recent events related to the popular U.S.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the U.S. is preparing to relax certain cryptocurrency and banking regulations, marking a notable shift in tone toward the digital asset sector. What Happened: Speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago on Wednesday, Powell acknowledged that the crypto market has become more mainstream and emphasized the need for a clear regulatory framework, particularly around stablecoins.

Former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried has moved from a transit facility to a California prison that once housed infamous gangster Al Capone.According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, officials moved Bankman-Fried from the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City briefly to the Federal Correctional Institution in Victorville before transferring him to a facility in Terminal Island in Los Angeles, California. The federal institution was once home to criminals like former Theranos chief operating officer Ramesh Balwani and Capone, who was convicted of tax evasion in 1931.

Crypto prices dropped after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned that higher tariffs and rising prices could slow down the economy. Speaking in Chicago, he said these changes might lead to stagflation, a mix of high inflation and low growth.

Panama City now joins other cities across the globe, such as Detroit, in permitting cryptocurrencies for municipal payments.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reportedly investigating the cryptocurrency company Anchorage Digital Bank. According to a new Barron's report, the federal agency's El Dorado Task Force, which combats money laundering and other financial crimes, has contacted Anchorage Digital Bank employees to inquire about the company's practices and policies.

AI-powered asset management platform Glider hopes to offer a non-custodial solutions that makes trading easier for new users.

Local Chinese governments are reportedly contemplating how to get rid of their burgeoning stashes of seized crypto assets. According to a new report by Reuters, local governments in China are debating how to efficiently dispose of digital assets seized from illegal transactions.

Russia is exploring the creation of its own stablecoins following the recent freeze of digital wallets linked to Russian entities, which held large amounts of the USDT (CRYPTO: USDT) stablecoin. What Happened: A senior Finance Ministry official indicated that such an initiative could help maintain financial autonomy amid growing restrictions from Western sanctions, according to Reuters.

A South Korean presidential candidate promised to implement Trump-style crypto regulations reform, drawing comparisons to US deregulation policies. With 15 million cryptocurrency users in South Korea, this stance on crypto regulations could influence election outcomes as digital asset holders represented a substantial voting bloc. The post South Korean Candidate Vows ‘Trump-Style' Crypto Deregulation—Will 15M Users Put Him in Office? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Optimum Funding:- In a major stride toward addressing blockchain scalability and state access challenges, Optimum, a Web3 infrastructure startup, has raised $11 million in a funding round led by prominent crypto investors. The company is building a “memory layer” that aims to enable instant and permissionless access to historical on-chain data across all major blockchains.

Russia's Finance Ministry is evaluating the creation of domestic stablecoins pegged to foreign currencies after access to Tether's USDT was restricted for wallets linked to the sanctioned Russian exchange Garantex, as Reuters reported.

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

Bitwise launched four physically-backed crypto exchange-traded products on the London Stock Exchange, including Bitcoin and Ethereum offerings. Following Bitwise's acquisition of ETC Group, these products provided institutional investors regulated exposure through cold storage custody and independent trustees, further expanding the firm's European presence. The post Breaking: Bitwise Unveils 4 Crypto ETPs on LSE—Will Institutions Finally Flock to Crypto? appeared first on Cryptonews.

Crypto giant Bitwise says that parts of the digital asset ecosystem are experiencing “raging bull markets” despite underwhelming sentiment in the asset class at large.

Digital asset custody platform Copper is teaming up with institutional staking provider P2P.org to bring secure staking services to institutions. In this strategic collaboration, the companies will leverage P2P.

The U.S. Secret Service teamed up with Canadian authorities in a cross-border crackdown on a sophisticated crypto scam that drained $4.3 million from victims' Ethereum wallets.

A Coinbase Research report suggests that the 41% drop in the cryptocurrency market capitalization (excluding bitcoin) from its December 2024 peak to mid-April 2025 may signal a new crypto winter. Uncertainty Stokes Indecision The 41% decline in the total cryptocurrency market capitalization, excluding bitcoin, from its December 2024 peak of $1.

A senior official from Russia's Finance Ministry has called for the development of stablecoins linked to foreign currencies after wallets connected to Russian users and holding USDT were frozen last month.

Italy's Economy Minister warned that U.S. dollar stablecoins threaten euro stability more severely than trade tariffs. As stablecoins become popular for cross-border transactions, the ECB accelerated its digital euro project to counter fragmentation of the EU payment industry. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers advanced the STABLE Act to regulate stablecoin issuers. The post Bigger Threat Than Tariffs? Italy's Minister Warns US Stablecoins Could Destabilize the Euro appeared first on Cryptonews.

Tokenization company Securitize has expanded its digital asset operations by acquiring MG Stover's fund administration business, in a move the company said has significantly grown its assets under management and ability to serve institutional clients.With the acquisition, MG Stover's fund administration business has been absorbed into Securitize Fund Services, Securitize's wholly owned subsidiary, the company disclosed. Securitize Fund Services now manages more than $38 billion in assets across 715 funds.