Overall, although a few strong altcoins amplified the market effect, most assets are still in a liquidity vacuum.

The Bank of England's Chief Economist, Huw Pill, has expressed concerns about the risks associated with achieving the inflation target. According to Jin10, Pill emphasized the need to consider policies that would effectively prevent a recurrence of the economic challenges faced in 2022. He highlighted the importance of strategic measures to ensure stability and avoid repeating past mistakes in managing inflation.

Payward has announced an agreement to acquire Bitnomial for up to $550 million in a combination of cash and stock. According to NS3.AI, Bitnomial possesses the necessary approvals to function as a designated contract market, a derivatives clearing organization, and a futures commission merchant within the United States. The acquisition is anticipated to be finalized in the first half of 2026, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.

Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, announced it will acquire 100% of digital asset derivatives platform Bitnomial for up to $550 million (cash + stock). The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval. Bitnomial is the first crypto-native platform to simultaneously hold all three licenses for the full stack of derivatives in the United States (designated contract market, derivatives clearing, and futures commission broker). This acquisition will help Payward quickly acquire a complete compliant derivatives infrastructure, significantly accelerating its expansion in the US market. Upon completion of the transaction, Bitnomial's clearing and trading capabilities will be integrated with platforms such as Kraken and NinjaTrader, offering US clients products such as spot margin trading, perpetual contracts, and options, and will be regulated by the CFTC. This acquisition will also expand Payward Services, enabling banks, fintech companies, and brokerages to access the compliant US derivatives market through a single API. Industry insiders believe that with market recovery and valuation repair, M&A activity in the crypto sector is picking up again. Leading institutions are acquiring companies to enhance their key capabilities in compliance, custody, and derivatives, accelerating their transformation into institutional-grade comprehensive trading platforms. (CoinDesk)

Payward has acquired control of a fully licensed U.S. crypto derivatives platform, marking a significant step in its expansion into regulated markets. According to CoinDesk, this acquisition allows Payward to enhance its offerings and strengthen its position in the competitive crypto industry. By gaining access to a licensed derivatives stack, Payward can now offer a broader range of services to its clients, aligning with its strategic goals of growth and compliance. The acquisition is expected to provide Payward with a competitive edge as it navigates the complexities of the U.S. regulatory landscape. This move is part of Payward's broader strategy to establish a strong foothold in markets with stringent regulatory requirements. The company aims to leverage this acquisition to attract more institutional clients who prioritize compliance and security in their crypto dealings. As the crypto market continues to evolve, Payward's expansion into regulated derivatives is seen as a proactive measure to meet the increasing demand for compliant and secure trading options.

Canada's housing market saw a decline in new home construction in March, with housing starts reaching 235,900 units. According to Jin10, this figure fell short of the anticipated 255,000 units. The previous month's data was revised slightly upward from 250,900 units to 251,000 units. This decrease in housing starts may indicate a cooling in the Canadian real estate market.

The Bank of England's Chief Economist, Huw Pill, has stated that he believes inflation expectations have not become unanchored. According to Jin10, Pill emphasized the importance of maintaining stable inflation expectations to ensure effective monetary policy. He noted that while inflation rates have fluctuated, the underlying expectations remain consistent, which is crucial for economic stability. Pill's comments come amid ongoing discussions about inflation trends and their impact on the economy.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has requested a postponement of the nomination hearing for Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve Chair, originally scheduled for next Tuesday. According to Foresight News, Warren's request follows a meeting with Warsh, during which concerns were raised about his financial disclosures. Warsh reportedly failed to provide detailed information on investments exceeding $100 million, declaring only two investments in Juggernaut Funds, each valued at no less than $50 million. He cited existing confidentiality agreements as the reason for not disclosing the underlying assets, promising to divest these holdings if confirmed. Warren argues that this arrangement is insufficient to assess potential conflicts of interest and insists that further financial disclosures are necessary before proceeding with the nomination process.

Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump took significant steps to reduce the size of the federal government by cutting over 300,000 jobs. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting that this move was part of a broader strategy to streamline government operations. However, the administration has now shifted its approach and is quietly resuming hiring efforts. This change marks a notable pivot from the previous aggressive downsizing strategy. The reasons behind this shift in policy have not been explicitly detailed by the administration.

Intchains Group has announced that it has staked a total of 8,040 ETH as of April 16, 2026. According to NS3.AI, the Nasdaq-listed Ethereum treasury company has allocated 1,000 ETH on FalconX and 7,040 ETH on its proprietary Goldshell Stake platform. Additionally, Intchains Group is enhancing its operations by implementing an AI-driven model across various departments, including research and development, sales, marketing, and overall operations.

SpaceX is anticipated to publicly file for an initial public offering (IPO) in late May, with the pricing of the offering expected during the week of June 15. According to NS3.AI, the company aims to raise approximately $75 billion through this IPO. Sources familiar with the situation have indicated that SpaceX has also adjusted its employee stock vesting date from May to April, with the change potentially taking effect as early as next week.

Bitcoin successfully broke out of the $62.8k–$72.6k range, briefly touching the $74k mark. This breakout strategically signifies that the market has moved from a geopolitically induced "forced deleveraging" phase to an "initial stabilization period."

Discussions surrounding stablecoins have long focused on one question: who will issue the next dominant stablecoin?

A group of Drift Protocol investors are seeking to bring stablecoin issuer Circle to court, blaming the company for its inaction following the Drift Protocol hack.

OpenAI has paused its Stargate UK data centre plan, saying energy costs and regulation were the main reasons. The UK AI minister disputes this, saying conditions have not changed and pointing instead to OpenAI’s financial pressures.

The most valuable thing in the future will be the oldest thing. It's not computing power. It's not data. It's not models. It's when one person says "I believe in you" to another, and that promise is truly fulfilled.

A Brazilian cybersecurity researcher has raised alarm bells, warning others about counterfeit ledger devices that has been planted by scammers in the Chinese market in the attempt to steal users' crypto.

Exchanges are replacing traditional venture capital (VC) firms, gradually gaining control over initial public offerings (IPOs), pricing power, and liquidity. Exchanges are eroding the informational, investment, and lock-up advantages of traditional VCs, and arbitrage opportunities for VCs are being continuously squeezed.

Grinex halted trading after hackers stole around $13–15 million from its wallets in a coordinated attack involving 54 addresses. The stolen funds were quickly moved across multiple blockchains and converted into other assets to make them harder to trace.

Payments, Stablecoins, Web3 Compliance: Licensing Strategies for Stablecoin Payment Projects (Jinse Finance) This article analyzes the compliance and licensing strategies for stablecoin payment projects.