Crypto

Crypto hackers stole over $168.6 million in cryptocurrency from 34 decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols in the first quarter of 2026, falling significantly from the same period last year, according to data from DefiLlama.  The $40 million private key compromise of Step Finance in January was the largest exploit of the quarter, the data shows, followed

Crypto-focused venture capital firm Paradigm is reportedly building a prediction markets terminal, joining a wave of Wall Street companies looking for a way to serve the fast-growing sector. Led by Paradigm partner Arjun Balaji, the prediction market offering will cater to professional traders and market makers, Fortune said in a report on Wednesday, citing sources

The United Kingdom’s move to pause political donations in cryptocurrency is colliding with rising digital asset awareness among younger people, according to a new survey shared with Cointelegraph. Research by Coinbase Institute and JL Partners, shared with Cointelegraph, found that crypto, led by Bitcoin (BTC), has overtaken traditional banking products as many young people’s entry

AI and stablecoin sectors continued to grow amid broader market weakness in 2026, showing remarkable resilience driven by the “strongest structural tailwinds,” a new analysis shows.  Key takeaways: AI sector posts smallest loss in Q1/2026, down just 14%. Stablecoin market cap hits a record $320 billion, with monthly transaction volumes at a record $1.8 trillion.

Crypto investment products maintained their inflow streak last week but momentum slowed amid ongoing Middle East tensions and a “hawkish pause” interpretation of the US Fed’s meeting. Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) recorded $230 million in inflows last week, with $405 million in outflows following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in the US, CoinShares

Crypto and the wider markets tumbled on Monday as the US and Iran escalated threats toward one another for the fourth week, sending oil prices seesawing.  US President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday that the US would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants, “starting with the biggest one first,” if the country

The recent guidance from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission establishing a taxonomy for digital assets put a “final nail” in the coffin of SEC policy under former Chairman Gary Gensler, according to Alex Thorn, the head of firmwide research at investment firm Galaxy. The SEC guidance

Institutional demand for crypto is holding up despite ongoing turbulence, with new data showing large investors are preparing to increase allocations even after the market’s sharp sell-off since October. At the same time, stablecoins are gaining traction across both retail and institutional channels. Japan is moving ahead with regulated USDC (USDC) lending products, while new

Stablecoin issuers and fintech-linked firms are launching payment-focused blockchains as they try to control more of the settlement infrastructure behind US digital-dollar transfers. Some stablecoin issuers and fintech-linked companies are building a new wave of blockchain networks designed for institutional payment flows rather than the broader token issuance and smart-contract activity associated with general-purpose layer-1

The SEC chair signaled that the agency would defer to a market structure bill if passed by Congress, but needed a ”bridge” to clarify crypto regulation. US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Paul Atkins has clarified how the agency intends to approach digital asset regulation following an interpretative notice issued this week. In prepared

Today in crypto, the European Central Bank (ECB) is looking for experts to help build out the digital euro’s real-world integrations, the US Securities and Exchange Commission approved Nasdaq’s tokenization pilot, and SEC Chair Paul Atkins offered further clarity on why NFTs generally fall outside securities laws. ECB opens digital euro work on ATMs and