The U.S. Department of Justice is expected to conclude its criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Powell as early as today.

A coalition of more than 20 crypto companies and organizations asked the SEC to turn its DeFi interface guidance into formal rules. The group, led by the DeFi Education Fund, said informal guidance does not provide long-term regulatory clarity. The request follows SEC guidance that suggested some DeFi front-ends and wallets may fall outside broker-dealer rules, while industry participants worry the definition could later widen.

Lighter launched Multi-Asset Margin today, letting traders use ETH as the first non-USDC collateral asset for perpetual futures. The rollout starts with per-user and global supply caps and is limited to accounts with Unified Trading Accounts enabled. Lighter said non-USDC collateral for USDC spot trading is slated to follow.

Jane Street asked a New York court to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the firm of using insider information during Terra's $40 billion collapse. The firm said its largest UST sale of 85 million tokens came 10 minutes after the allegedly non-public information was already visible to the market. Jane Street also said it started building short positions in UST and LUNA on May 8, before it allegedly received details of a proposed rescue package.

Sources cited by ABC News said the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to drop its criminal probe of Fed Chair Jerome Powell as soon as Friday. Jeanine Pirro said the matter will move to the Federal Reserve's internal watchdog, while keeping open the option to restart a criminal investigation if facts warrant. The probe focused on Powell's Senate testimony about the Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation and had threatened to delay confirmation of his successor, Kevin Warsh.

Nakamoto launched an actively managed Bitcoin derivatives program that uses part of its Bitcoin treasury as collateral to generate income and reduce downside exposure. Bitwise Asset Management manages the strategy through a separately managed account, and Kraken Institutional provides custody. Nakamoto said the program has operated since the first quarter of 2026 and expects to disclose first-quarter performance in its upcoming Form 10-Q filing.

The ECB signed agreements with three European standards bodies to reuse open payment standards for digital euro transactions. The ECB said the move is meant to lower integration costs for banks, merchants and payment service providers, but it does not settle the broader cost question. The central bank is also recruiting payment service providers for a 12-month pilot expected to start in the second half of 2027.

South Africa’s National Treasury released draft regulations that would bring crypto under capital controls, with penalties of up to R1 million or five years in prison for violations. Crypto transactions above a threshold would have to go through authorized providers. Cross-border transfers would require approval, and foreign crypto holdings would have to be declared.

Metaplanet said it will issue ¥8 billion ($50 million) in zero-interest bonds to fund additional Bitcoin purchases. The unsecured bonds mature in April 2027 and were allocated to EVO FUND.

China and Indonesia said QRIS cross-border payments will officially launch from April 30 after a trial processed 1.64 million transactions worth Rp 556 billion ($32 million). Bank Indonesia said the system will let travelers in both countries use compatible payment apps instead of relying on U.S. dollars. BI Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta said the technical and business aspects are ready for implementation.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs added $2.42 billion in net inflows between Apr. 6 and Apr. 22 while Bitcoin traded near $78,000, about 38% below its Oct. 6 peak. Gemini data show ETF-held Bitcoin fell from 1.38 million BTC at the October 2025 high to 1.28 million at the trough, then recovered to 1.31 million. Eric Balchunas said the selling pressure came from longer-tenured crypto holders rather than ETF buyers.

The U.S. Department of Justice froze more than $701 million in cryptocurrency tied to investment fraud operations targeting Americans. Authorities also seized a Telegram channel used to recruit job seekers and took down 503 fake crypto investment websites. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said the funds were restrained through exchange cooperation and formal legal processes.

Metaplanet raised 8 billion Japanese yen, or $50 million, through zero-coupon bonds to buy more Bitcoin. EVO FUND bought the unsecured bonds, which mature in April 2027 and carry no interest cost. Metaplanet held about 40,177 Bitcoin at the end of the first quarter after adding 5,075 Bitcoin during the quarter.

The ECB is working with the European Card Payments Cooperation, Nexo, and the Berlin Group on payment standards for the digital euro. The collaboration is meant to lower rollout costs by using existing open standards for tap-to-pay, merchant payment links, and phone number-based transfers.

Morgan Stanley launched the Stablecoin Reserves Portfolio for stablecoin issuers through its MSNXX money market fund, with a $10 million minimum investment and a 0.15% management fee. The fund is structured to preserve capital, maintain a $1 net asset value, and provide daily liquidity through cash, U.S. Treasury securities with maturities of 93 days or less, and overnight repurchase agreements backed by Treasury securities. Amy Oldenburg, head of Morgan Stanley's digital asset strategy, said the product is designed to comply with the GENIUS Act signed into law in July.

Polish prosecutors investigating Zondacrypto over alleged fraud and at least 350 million zloty in potential losses are now dealing with reports that CEO Przemyslaw Kral went to Israel. Kral said last week that Zondacrypto could not access a cold wallet holding 4,500 Bitcoin. Former board member Georgi Dzaniašvili said supervisors learned about the scale of the crisis through media reports rather than internally.

The EU's 20th sanctions package banned Russian crypto services for participants under EU jurisdiction, making transactions with Russian-registered crypto providers illegal from May 24, 2026. A Russian bill on digital currency and digital rights would require cryptocurrency storage in depositories and ban personal wallets. Experts said the combination could raise blocking and labeling risks for wallets tied to officially registered Russian platforms. Experts also said Russia may respond by deepening domestic oversight and relying more on channels outside the EU perimeter.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul sued Kalshi, Robinhood, Coinbase, Polymarket, and Crypto.com on April 23, alleging illegal sports betting through event contracts, and the complaint said about 90% of Kalshi's business comes from sports-related contracts that generate more than $1 billion in annualized revenue. Kaul asked the Dane County court for preliminary and permanent injunctions and said the platforms' operations violate Wisconsin gambling laws and constitute a public nuisance. The complaint also said Robinhood and Coinbase route user orders to Kalshi through distribution agreements. Regulators in Nevada, Arizona, and Tennessee have also taken similar legal actions or issued cease-and-desist orders.

The National Cyber Security Centre and 15 international partners issued a joint advisory warning that China-linked threat actors are hiding attacks behind botnets built from compromised internet devices. The NCSC said one such network, Raptor Train, infected more than 200,000 devices worldwide in 2024. Department of Justice filings cited in the advisory said Volt Typhoon established footholds on critical infrastructure in the United States and allied countries.

Caladan said 93% of Web3 gaming projects are now effectively dead after a ChainPlay review of more than 3,200 GameFi titles. Caladan estimated roughly $12 billion has been committed since 2020, while average token prices are down 95% from their 2022 peaks. Annual funding also fell from $4 billion in 2022 to about $360 million in 2025.