Author: John Smith

Senator Bernie Moreno declared at a Washington event on April 22 that the CLARITY Act must clear Congress by the end of May, stating plainly that missing that deadline could shelve the legislation indefinitely as midterm election politics consume the remainder of the congressional calendar. Summary Senator Bernie Moreno set an end-of-May deadline for the CLARITY Act at a DC event on April 22, 2026, warning that failure to meet it could permanently delay the bill. Moreno’s statement pushed Polymarket odds of the CLARITY Act passing in 2026 from 38% to 46%, but Galaxy Research still puts chances at roughly…

XRP spot ETFs have not recorded a single day of outflows since April 9, pulling in $71.31 million so far in April and putting the month on track to be the strongest of 2026, fully erasing March’s $31.16 million loss, which was the first monthly loss XRP ETFs had ever posted. Summary XRP spot ETFs have gone two consecutive weeks without a single outflow day since April 9, their longest positive streak ever recorded. The funds have pulled in $71.31 million in April, fully erasing March’s $31.16 million loss and pushing cumulative net inflows back to $1.28 billion. Bitwise and…

XRP is grinding in the mid‑$1.40s, trapped between stubborn resistance and strong support as fresh “digital commodity” clarity, ETF rails and April seasonality fight flat flows. Summary XRP trades around 1.42–1.45, still roughly 60% below its 2018 all‑time high near $3.65, with a key 1.30–1.35 support band and 1.50–1.52 acting as near‑term resistance. April is historically XRP’s strongest month with average returns above 20%, and 2026 is already shaping up as one of its better Aprils thanks to renewed regulatory clarity, ETF access and altcoin rotation. A joint SEC–CFTC statement now treats XRP as a digital commodity, Ripple is leaning…

Summary Iranian state-linked media reject claims Tehran is already collecting Strait of Hormuz tolls in Bitcoin or stablecoins. Maritime security firms warn of parallel scam emails demanding crypto “clearance” fees from stranded vessels. The controversy comes after Western media detailed Iranian plans to charge about $1 per barrel for oil transit, potentially worth tens of billions of dollars a year. Iranian media have dismissed reports that Tehran is currently collecting transit tolls for the Strait of Hormuz in cryptocurrency, underscoring the confusion surrounding a wartime payment regime that has rattled global shipping and crypto markets. Tehran moves to quash ‘crypto…

XRP price is eyeing a bullish breakout from a symmetrical triangle pattern that could position it for a breakout above $1.50, a level it has remained below for the past 5 weeks. Summary XRP trades near the upper trendline of a symmetrical triangle, with a breakout above $1.50 potentially signaling continuation of the prior uptrend. Bullish signals emerge as Supertrend flips green and MACD trends upward, indicating rising buying momentum. Downside risk remains if the $1.20 support breaks, which could trigger a deeper correction toward the $1.00 level. According to data from crypto.news, XRP (XRP) price fell 3% to an…

A coalition of crypto firms and advocacy groups has urged U.S. senators to move ahead with a markup of the Clarity Act, warning that delays risk pushing the industry offshore. Summary Crypto groups have urged the Senate Banking Committee to advance a markup of the Clarity Act, warning that delays could push investment and innovation overseas. The April 23 letter calls on lawmakers to act, highlighting unresolved issues around stablecoin rewards, regulatory oversight, and protections for decentralized developers. The push came through an April 23 letter led by the Crypto Council for Innovation and the Blockchain Association, addressed to Senate…

Two Polymarket accounts are under scrutiny after they won about $37,000 from weather prediction markets tied to Paris temperatures.  Summary Two traders made $37,000 after short-lived temperature spikes settled Paris weather markets on Polymarket unexpectedly. Bubblemaps flagged one account that bought before the April 15 spike and later exited profitably. Météo France filed a complaint after reports linked unusual airport temperature readings to possible tampering. The contracts used the highest temperature recorded at the Charles de Gaulle Airport station on April 6 and April 15. On both dates, the market outcome appeared to turn on short-lived jumps in temperature readings.…

AI-driven exploits and cross-chain flaws have pushed crypto security risks into focus in 2026, experts at CertiK warn, with losses already crossing $600 million. Summary Crypto losses have crossed $600 million in 2026, driven largely by major exploits linked to North Korean actors. A $293 million Kelp DAO breach tied to LayerZero infrastructure failure and a $280 million Drift Protocol hack accounted for most April losses. Security experts warn that AI-driven phishing, deepfakes, and automated exploit tools are making attacks faster and harder to detect. According to the blockchain security firm, attackers have leaned on a mix of social engineering,…

Kalshi has suspended three political candidates after an internal review found that they placed bets on their own races.  Summary Kalshi suspended three candidates after finding they traded on their own election races in violation. Mark Moran admitted placing a self-bet, while Kalshi treated the trades as exchange rules breaches. The case adds pressure on prediction markets as lawmakers question election-linked contracts and trading conduct. The company said the conduct broke exchange rules approved by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The platform described the trades as “political insider trading” and said it took disciplinary action even though the bets were…

US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned from the Trump administration amid an active inspector general investigation into misconduct allegations, making her the third cabinet member to depart during the president’s second term. Summary Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned on April 21 amid an inspector general investigation into alleged travel fraud, an inappropriate relationship with a security staffer, and other misconduct. Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling has been named acting secretary while Trump’s team determines a permanent replacement. Her departure is the third cabinet exit of Trump’s second term, following former Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam…