Cointelegraph.com
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Cointelegraph.com - 21:12 Apr 17, 2026
Traders on the Polymarket prediction market platform place the odds of the Strait returning to normal traffic by May 31, 2026, at 73%. Polymarket prediction market odds of the Strait of Hormuz “returning to normal” by the end of May spiked to 73% on Friday, following news that Iranian officials have temporarily opened up the Strait of Hormuz as part of a ceasefire deal. The odds climbed to a high of 82% on Friday, after Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced that the Strait of Hormuz is open. Since that time, the odds have fallen back down to 73%. He said in an X post: However, traders on the platform placed the odds of the Strait returning to normal activity by the end of April at just 40%. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:22 Apr 17, 2026
A letter from US Senator Richard Blumenthal said he was concerned about “mounting allegations of dangerously lax anti-money laundering prevention by Binance.” Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal questioned US authorities responsible for overseeing Binance about whether the company is complying with anti-money laundering laws and sanctions under its 2023 court-imposed monitoring program. According to a report published by Fortune on Friday, Blumenthal sent letters to the Justice Department and the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), asking for details on Binance’s compliance. Binance and its former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao reached a deal in 2023, in which the exchange would pay $4.3 billion to settle civil regulatory enforcement actions, and CZ would plead guilty to one felony charge. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 19:14 Apr 17, 2026
A confirmed cup-and-handle breakout on Ether’s chart and a double-digit increase in ETH accumulation wallet balances could be earlier signs of a longer-term rally for the altcoin. Ether’s (ETH) rally to $2,400 is nearly 38% above its swing low at $1,750, but is ETH’s price move simply a momentum trade, or do longer-term data points suggest a paradigm shift at play? Ether’s recent rally was preceded by an 89% surge in daily active addresses (DAA), which jumped to 730,278 from 384,763 on April 5. The increase in Ethereum’s active addresses indicates increased user interaction with the network, which is generally a positive. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 18:27 Apr 17, 2026
Nearly a billion dollars in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours as the Bitcoin price rallied above $78,000. Bitcoin (BTC) rallied above $78,000 to hit another 10-week high on Friday as crypto and equity markets reacted to cooling tensions in the US and Israel war in Iran. The rally above range highs also resulted in a large liquidation of leveraged Bitcoin positions. More than $660 million in short positions were liquidated, with Bitcoin accounting for $353 million of that total. Ether (ETH) followed with $160 million in short liquidations. Related: Three things Bitcoin must do to hold highs above $76K: Analysts Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 18:27 Apr 17, 2026
Payward, the parent company of the Kraken crypto exchange, cited Bitnomial's regulatory licenses as the primary driver for the acquisition. Payward, the parent company of the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, announced on Friday that it has entered into a “definitive agreement” to acquire Bitnomial, a US-licensed cryptocurrency and derivatives exchange; the deal values Bitnomial’s equity at $20 billion. Bitnomial is the “first” crypto-native exchange in the United States to hold all three regulatory licenses from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), including exchange, clearinghouse, and brokerage permits, according to Payward’s announcement. “Settlement mechanics, margin models, and contract structures define what products can exist and who can access them. The US has had no clearing infrastructure built for digital assets,” Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward and Kraken, said. He added: Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:37 Apr 17, 2026
Bitcoin pole vaulted to $78,000 and altcoins soared after Iran said that the Strait of Hormuz was fully open. Will bulls be able to sustain the upward momentum? Key points: Bitcoin soared above $76,000, opening the doors for a further rally toward $84,000. Several major altcoins are showing strength, signaling broad-based buying by the bulls. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:33 Apr 17, 2026
The Bahrain-based lender lets institutional clients convert fiat currency to US dollar-pegged stablecoins directly from their accounts. Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB) has introduced a service that lets institutional clients mint and redeem stablecoins directly from their bank accounts, using the Solana layer-1 blockchain network to enable round-the-clock settlement between fiat and digital assets. The service will initially support Circle USDC (USDC) transactions above $100,000 and includes temporary fee waivers for minting and redemption on the Solana network, according to SGB’s announcement. Additional assets such as Tether’s USDT (USDT), Ethena’s USDe (USDe) and Global Dollar (USDG) are expected to follow, the company said. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 17:14 Apr 17, 2026
The country's finance minister supported the Qivalis initiative, launched in 2025, to create a euro-pegged stablecoin under the MiCA framework. Roland Lescure, France’s finance minister, backed an initiative by European banks to launch a euro-pegged stablecoin in 2026 to compete with US dollar-backed tokens, which currently dominate the market. According to a Friday Reuters report, Lescure supported the euro-pegged Qivalis stablecoin plan launched in September 2025 by EU banks, including Dutch lender ING and Italy’s UniCredit. The goal of the banks was to create a stablecoin in compliance with the EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework; the MiCA-compliant euro stablecoin is expected to be launched in the second half of 2026. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:52 Apr 17, 2026
Bitcoin price rallied above $77,000 amid cooling geopolitical tensions and record-high back-to-back closes for the S&P 500. Bitcoin (BTC) refreshed February highs on Friday as attention focused on the upcoming weekly close and a longer-term rally to $88,000. Key points: Bitcoin hits its highest levels in ten weeks as markets abandon geopolitical nerves. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:50 Apr 17, 2026
Neo’s proposed overhaul would restructure its foundation, return tokens to the community and impose formal oversight, as co-founders clash over governance and control. Neo co-founder Da Hongfei has proposed a sweeping overhaul of the Neo Foundation after years of deadlock with co-founder Erik Zhang left one of crypto’s oldest networks effectively paralyzed. The plan follows Neo’s first public financial disclosure since 2019, showing about $461 million in assets held across the Neo Foundation (NF) and Neo Global Development (NGD) at the end of 2025. The proposed restructuring aims to replace what Hongfei described as informal, founder-driven governance, arguing the outcome could serve as a test case for how aging blockchain networks manage large treasuries and transition away from founder control. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:45 Apr 17, 2026
Notable crypto execs descended on Paris Blockchain Week, bringing more attention to personal security as kidnapping and ransom attempts skyrocket. The frequency of kidnap and ransom attempts on prominent cryptocurrency executives has skyrocketed in recent years. Referred to, perhaps crudely, in the crypto community as a “$5 wrench attack,” these attempts to extract millions from crypto bigwigs have spurred politicians to mitigate risk. Policymakers in France are currently working on safeguards, including a prevention platform announced at Paris Blockchain Week yesterday. In the private sector, insurance companies are offering bespoke coverage to crypto execs, which includes awareness and prevention training. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:23 Apr 17, 2026
Bitcoin surged above $77,000 as oil futures fell 10% after Iran’s foreign minister declared the Strait of Hormuz open for the remainder of the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran. Update (4.17.26 6:43 PM UTC): This article has been updated to reflect updated BTC prices and rally data. Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial vessel traffic for the remainder of the current ceasefire, prompting quick market reactions. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in a Friday X post. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:15 Apr 17, 2026
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov cited claims the EU’s new age-check app was hacked in minutes, warning it could expand into wider online identity controls. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov warned Friday that the European Union’s new age-verification app could become a stepping stone toward broader online identity tracking, days after the European Commission said the system was technically ready for rollout. In a Telegram post on Friday, Durov cited analysis from security consultant Paul Moore, who said the app is hackable in “under two minutes” after examining its technical design. “This product will be the catalyst for an enormous breach at some point,” Moore said in an X post on Thursday, adding that the system could be tricked so the age check isn’t properly tied to the actual user or their device. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 13:00 Apr 17, 2026
The crypto infrastructure company said its new wallet lets users buy, sell, swap and cash out digital assets in one app without relying on outside providers. Fintech company Ramp Network said Friday it launched a multichain self-custodial wallet designed to tackle a common friction point in crypto of needing to rely on outside providers for core actions such as buying, swapping and cashing out. The company said the wallet allows users to buy, sell, trade and cash out digital assets inside a single application, using Ramp’s own on-ramp, off-ramp and cross-chain infrastructure rather than handing users off to external services, according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph. Ramp said the wallet launches with support for Ether (ETH) across eight networks: Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Linea, MegaETH, Optimism, Polygon zkEVM and zkSync Era. It will also offer support for additional networks, including Bitcoin, Solana, Binance Smart Chain, Polygon, Apechain, Avalanche, Celo and Gnosis. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 11:52 Apr 17, 2026
Bloomberg reported Flow Capital plans to tokenize its private credit fund to raise additional capital, but crypto execs warn tokenization doesn’t magically make hard-to-trade assets liquid. Flow Capital Partners is planning to tokenize its private credit fund through Singapore-based DigiFT, Bloomberg reported Friday, as the Hong Kong credit manager looks to tap blockchain-based distribution for its next capital raise. According to the report, Flow Capital plans to bring its $150 million private credit fund on the blockchain through Singapore-based tokenization platform DigiFT by the end of April, seeking to raise an additional $30 million in tokenized shares by the end of 2026, Jacky Tian, chief investment officer of Flow Capital, said. The $30 million raise is part of the company’s plans to expand the size of the fund to $250 million with a target net return of 12%. The fund launched in mid 2025, with $125 million in seed capital, according to the company. Cointelegraph has approached Flow Capital and DigiFT... -
Cointelegraph.com - 11:22 Apr 17, 2026
Tempo’s new “Zones” feature offers private, permissioned stablecoin transactions on its layer-1 for enterprises, but critics warn the operator‑controlled design adds back centralized trust. Tempo unveiled a new “Zones” feature Thursday aimed at giving enterprises bank-style privacy on public stablecoin rails, but not everyone in crypto is convinced the trade-offs are worth it. The payments-focused layer-1, co-developed with backing from Stripe and Paradigm, said Zones will let companies run transactions in permissioned environments while still tapping public blockchain liquidity. The pitch targets a long-standing issue for institutions: sensitive data like payroll, merchant volumes or treasury activity being exposed on public ledgers. Some privacy-focused developers argue that the design sacrifices too much. Because each Zone is controlled by an operator that can see full transaction data and suspend a user’s ability to transfer or withdraw funds based on its own compliance rules, critics say it introduces ce... -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:26 Apr 17, 2026
Foundation is shutting down after a failed sale to Blackdove, having processed about $230 million in NFT primary sales since its launch in 2021. Foundation, one of the better-known Ethereum-based non-fungible token (NFT) marketplaces of the 2021 boom, is shutting down after the sale that was supposed to keep it operating fell apart. Kayvon Tehranian, Foundation’s founder and CEO, took to X on Wednesday to announce the marketplace’s closure following a failed acquisition by the digital art distribution platform Blackdove. Although Tehranian did not directly mention Blackdove, he said the original goal of the sale was to ensure the platform would continue operating under new ownership. “That’s no longer possible,” he said, adding that Foundation is not in a position to bring the marketplace back online. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 10:04 Apr 17, 2026
Industry speakers at Paris Blockchain Week said tokenization can broaden access and issuance, but it does not by itself create active secondary markets for illiquid assets. Tokenization does not automatically make hard-to-trade assets liquid, industry executives said at Paris Blockchain Week, pushing back on the idea that putting private credit, real estate or other illiquid products onchain will by itself create active secondary markets. Speaking during a panel moderated by Cointelegraph CEO Yana Prikhodchenko, Oya Celiktemur, Ondo Finance sales director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said there is still a misconception that tokenizing illiquid assets can make them easier to trade. “I think there’s still this idea that tokenizing something illiquid will somehow magically make it a liquid asset, which is just not true,” said Celiktemur. She added that assets like real estate and private credit “were never that liquid” to begin with. Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 06:25 Apr 17, 2026
Meta-1 Coin was sold and marketed from 2018 to 2023 as an investment backed by $44 billion in gold and $1 billion in artworks, which turned out to be fictional. A Texas man found guilty of helping orchestrate a cryptocurrency scam project that defrauded $20 million from nearly 1,000 investors has been sentenced to 23 years behind bars by a US judge on Tuesday. US District Judge LaShonda Hunt sentenced Robert Dunlap, who served as a trustee of the project that sold the fictional token Meta-1 Coin, to prison and ordered him to pay restitution to victims of the fraud, according to the Illinois US Attorney's office. Assistant US attorneys Jared Hasten and Paige Nutini said in the government’s sentencing memorandum that Dunlap was “unrepentant” and that his lies grew “over the years.” Read more -
Cointelegraph.com - 06:16 Apr 17, 2026
March was the “weakest month" with $800 billion in centralized crypto exchange trading volume, the lowest since November 2023. The cryptocurrency market has entered a “sustained crypto winter,” according to CoinGecko, as spot trading volumes on centralized crypto exchanges rapidly fell over the first quarter of 2026. Crypto market capitalization fell by more than 20% during the first quarter as “bearish momentum from late 2025 collided with global geopolitical instability,” CoinGecko said in a report on Thursday. That caused the top 10 centralized exchanges by spot volume to record a 39% decrease in trading volume over the quarter ended in March, dropping to $2.7 trillion from $4.5 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2025. Read more
9157 items