Trump’s pick for SEC chair makes it out of committee

Lawmakers in the US Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the nomination of Paul Atkins to be a member of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), paving the way for a full floor vote in the chamber.

In an April 3 executive session of the banking committee, lawmakers voted 13-11 for Atkins to serve two consecutive terms as an SEC commissioner, taking over former Chair Gary Gensler’s term and another term ending in 2031.

Atkins’ nomination will soon go to the Republican-controlled Senate for a full floor vote, where many experts suggest he is likely to be confirmed.

Senator Tim Scott addressing lawmakers on April 3. Source: US Senate Banking Committee

Before calling for a vote, committee chair Tim Scott said Atkins would bring “much-needed clarity for digital assets.” Ranking member Elizabeth Warren reiterated earlier concerns about Trump’s

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/paul-atkins-sec-donald-trump-senate-banking-vote?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Beyond the hype: How Bitcoin stays true to its values

Bitcoin’s (BTC) journey from a radical experiment to a trillion-dollar asset has been fueled by grand narratives: Digital gold, decentralized money and an alternative financial system. Beyond the hype, how does Bitcoin remain true to its core values? 

That’s the central theme of the latest episode of The Clear Crypto Podcast, where hosts Nathan Jeffay and Gareth Jenkinson are joined by Charlie Spears, co-founder of Blockspace Media, to unpack Bitcoin’s evolving role in the global financial system.

Bitcoin’s evolution

From the outset, Bitcoin was designed as a decentralized alternative to traditional money.

But as adoption has surged, so too has the debate over its scalability and usability. Jenkinson began the conversation by explaining the origins of the original cryptocurrency and how that has shifted over time:

“It started out as digital gold and electronic money, and it was supposed to be that. And this is

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/beyond-the-hype-how-bitcoin-stays-true-to-its-values?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Trump 'Liberation Day' tariffs create chaos in markets, recession concerns

US President Donald Trump introduced a slew of tariffs on April 2, sending markets into a tailspin and dividing crypto observers as to their possible long-term effects. 

At a special event at the White House, Trump signed an executive order and claimed emergency powers, leveling reciprocal tariffs at every country that has a tariff on US goods, starting at a 10% minimum.

The long-term effect that this swathe of new taxes could have on global markets is unknown. The uncertainty is compounded by the ambiguous methodology the Trump administration used to determine the tariff rates. 

Some believe that the crypto market is due for a boom as investors seek an alternative for traditional investments. Others note the effect tariffs could have on mining equipment, hampering profitability. More still are concerned about the broader impact of tariffs and a possible recession. 


Trump’s tariffs

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/trump-liberation-day-tariffs-markets-recession?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Wintermute transfers $75M FDUSD since depegs, in $3M arbitrage opportunity

Market makers’ blockchain transactions point to a potential $3 million arbitrage opportunity related to the depegging of the FDUSD stablecoin.

The First Digital US dollar-pegged stablecoin (FDUSD) depegged on April 2, after Tron founder Justin Sun claimed that the stablecoin issuer was insolvent.

Market marker Wintermute transferred over 75 million FDUSD tokens back to First Digital within a day since the stablecoin depegged to $0.87.

Source: Lookonchain

“Since $FDUSD depegged, #Wintermute has transferred 75M $FDUSD to First Digital Labs,” wrote blockchain intelligence platform Lookonchain, in an April 3 X post, adding:

“They likely bought $FDUSD at a discount during the depeg and redeemed it 1:1 through First Digital—making a solid profit.”

Source: Lookonchain

Wintermute with over 31 million FDUSD tokens from Binance right after the depegging occurred. “Assuming they bought $FDUSD near the bottom at $0.90,

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/wintermute-fdusd-depeg-market-makers-arbitrage?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

CEX listings outperform Nasdaq and Dow IPOs with 80% average returns

Cryptocurrency listings have outperformed the average of traditional stock listings, despite recent community criticism regarding the manipulation potential of token listings on centralized exchanges.

Token listing procedures on centralized cryptocurrency exchanges (CEXs) drew significant controversy after Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, co-founder and former CEO of Binance, called the process flawed after disappointing performances of some token listings.

Despite the criticism, crypto exchanges have outperformed traditional stock exchanges in terms of listings with positive returns on investment (ROI) and average ROI, according to an April 3 CoinMarketCap report shared exclusively with Cointelegraph.

Over the past 180 days, crypto exchange listings had an average return of over 80%, outperforming the largest traditional stock indexes such as the Nasdaq and Dow Jones, as well as Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).

CEX listings, top indexes, average ROI. Source: CoinMarketCap

The 80% return refers to the average performance of all listed

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-token-listings-outperform-stocks-80-roi?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

US sanctions 8 crypto wallets tied to Garantex, Houthis

The US Treasury Department sanctioned eight cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to Russian crypto exchange Garantex and the Houthis.

The United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned eight crypto addresses that data from blockchain forensic firms Chainalysis and TRM Labs had linked to the organizations. Two are deposit addresses at major crypto platforms, while the other six are privately controlled.

Visualization of transaction flow related to OFAC sanctions. Source: Chainalysis

The addresses in question reportedly moved nearly $1 billion worth of funds linked to sanctioned entities. Most of the transactions funded Houthi operations in Yemen and the Red Sea region.

Slava Demchuk, a crypto-focused money laundering specialist and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime consultant told Cointelegraph that “the inclusion of Houthi-linked wallets reflects a broader recognition of

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-sanctions-crypto-wallets-garantex-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Crypto donations top $1B in 2024, gain traction after Myanmar, Thailand quake

Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao donated over half a million dollars worth of crypto to the earthquake disaster relief effort in Thailand and Myanmar, in another testament to the growing utility of blockchain-based emergency charity efforts.

Zhao donated 1,000 BNB (BNB) tokens worth almost $600,000 to the disaster relief funds for the region on March 3, blockchain data shows.

Zhao donates 1,000 BNB. Source: BscScan

“Sent 1000 BNB for the donation for Myanmar and Thailand,” wrote Zhao in an April 3 X post.

The crypto donation comes after Thailand and Myanmar were hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28, causing severe damage to buildings and widespread flooding.

Related: 70% chance of crypto bottoming before June amid trade fears: Nansen

At least 2,719 people have been confirmed dead in Myanmar and 18 in Thailand, with

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/cz-donates-1000-bnb-thailand-myanmar-earthquake-relief?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Alabama, Minnesota lawmakers join US states pushing for Bitcoin reserves

Lawmakers in the US states of Minnesota and Alabama filed companion bills to identical existing bills that if passed into law, would allow each state to buy Bitcoin.

The Minnesota Bitcoin Act, or HF 2946, was introduced to the state’s House by Republican Representative Bernie Perryman on April 1, following an identical bill introduced on March 17 by GOP state Senator Jeremy Miller.

Meanwhile, on the same day in Alabama, Republican state Senator Will Barfoot introduced Senate Bill 283, while a bi-partisan group of representatives led by Republican Mike Shaw filed the identical House Bill 482, which allows for the state to invest in crypto, but essentially limits it to Bitcoin (BTC).

Twin Alabama bills don’t explicitly name Bitcoin

Minnesota’s Bitcoin Act would allow the state’s investment board to

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/minnesota-alabama-bitcoin-investment-bills?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Bitcoin gets $71K target as tariffs deal rare US business outlook slump

Bitcoin (BTC) faces conditions similar to the 2022 bear market bottom as US business sees “very high risk” to come.

In his latest analysis, Charles Edwards, the founder of quantitative Bitcoin and digital asset fund Capriole Investments, queried when the US would start printing money.

”Higher than expected” US tariffs pressure Bitcoin

Bitcoin reacted noticeably worse than US stocks after President Donald Trump announced worldwide reciprocal trade tariffs on April 2.

BTC/USD fell up to 8.5% on the day, while the S&P 500 managed to end the Wall Street trading session 0.7% higher.

Despite this, Edwards notes that US business expectations reflect the type of uncertainty seen only three times since the turn of the millennium.

“Consider this as tariffs come in higher than expected. The Philly Fed Business Outlook survey is showing expectations today comparable to 2000, 2008 and 2022,”

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-71k-target-tariffs-deal-rare-us-business-outlook-slump?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Treasure DAO announces huge pivot in hopes of extending runway to February

Decentralized video game ecosystem Treasure DAO is restructuring as “a matter of survival” to extend its financial runway to at least February 2026.

Treasure DAO’s chief contributor John Patten says in an April 2 video posted to X that he has resumed a leadership role and is taking a plan to the DAO to streamline operations, eliminate unnecessary costs, and center the organization around a few key projects.

“I will introduce this after all of you provide your opinions at this time. I have my own thoughts, but we must make this decision as a community through long deliberation. The best ideas need to rise to the surface,” he said. 

The Next Chapter of Treasure ✨

We’re releasing an official statement on our pivotal transition, outlining the rationale behind leadership changes, financial restructuring, and our bold new strategic direction.

Full details 👇 pic.twitter.com/BjWgZxc98l

— Treasure (@Treasure_DAO)

Read More at https://cointelegraph.com/news/treasure-dao-announces-huge-pivot-attempt-extend-runway?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound