crypto

According to Caixin, the one-month public consultation for the "Financial Law of the People's Republic of China (Draft)" ended today (April 19). This is the first overarching law in China and the world with "finance" in its name. The expansion of "quasi-judicial powers" for financial regulation is a topic of great concern in the market.According to Article 55 and related provisions, financial regulatory authorities have the right to access and copy property rights information, communication records, and transaction records of relevant entities and individuals when investigating financial violations. They can directly freeze or seal assets if there is evidence suggesting the transfer or concealment of illegal funds and securities. They can even decide that individuals suspected of violations cannot leave the country during the investigation.In addition, Zeng Gang, chief expert and director of the Shanghai Financial and Development Laboratory, believes that the "Financial Law" should also strengthen its focus and coverage on emerging financial formats. Topics such as AI-driven financial decision-making, the legal status of digital currencies, and the regulatory boundaries of crypto assets have sparked widespread controversy globally, but the draft addresses them very little. How to maintain a dynamic balance between lawful regulation and inclusive innovation is a problem left to be solved by legislation.

According to DL News, a South Korean forgery gang is selling fake official documents to users via Telegram, prioritizing payments in cryptocurrency or digital gift cards. Among them, a counterfeit Yonsei University diploma is priced at about $200, a certificate of enrollment is quoted at about $100, and a fake diploma from overseas universities is priced at about $341.The report points out that the gang also offers forged materials such as driver's licenses, proof of relationship, certificates of no criminal record, and bank loan documents. South Korean police stated that the number of arrests for forgery cases nearly doubled from 2021 to 2023.

At the "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum held in Hong Kong, guests including Sign partner Sarah, HashKey Chain Senior Business Development YuYi, Monad Greater China Ecosystem Head Harvey Chen, OmenX Chief Marketing Officer Gisele, and SVP Chain Market Head Celest engaged in a roundtable discussion on "The Revaluation of Crypto and the New Cycle."Regarding why they remain firmly invested in Crypto amid the AI boom, Sarah pointed out that the hotter AI gets, the more use cases there are for Crypto assets, and future transactions between AI Agents will rely on digital assets. YuYi believes that the bear market is precisely when the wheat is separated from the chaff, with compliant RWA (such as Hong Kong's first physical silver token) being implemented, speculative assets being eliminated, and the era of on-chain infrastructure arriving. Harvey Chen stated that high-performance public chains are the foundation for supporting large-scale applications, and Monad is committed to this. Gisele noted that Crypto addresses fairness and value transfer, complementing AI's focus on efficiency. Celest emphasized that AI lacks a native value system and increasingly requires Crypto to provide value authentication and decentralized trust.On the changing understanding of Crypto's value, the guests unanimously agreed that the industry is shifting from "issuing tokens for the sake of issuing tokens" to pursuing sustainable business models, with greater focus on capital efficiency, low costs, and 24-hour settlement as practical values. The value of public chains should be assessed based on real business scenarios and user transaction volumes, rather than narratives and financing.Regarding future growth engines and entrepreneurial advice, the guests generally expressed optimism about compliant RWA, AI payments, and sovereign blockchain directions, advising entrepreneurs to focus on real application scenarios, avoid empty concepts, and maintain a long-term construction mindset.

At the "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum held in Hong Kong, Dr. Daxue Wang, CFO of Lotus Technology Inc., delivered a keynote speech titled "Crypto Links to the Physical Industry, Smart Mobility Running on the Chain."Dr. Daxue Wang stated that smart mobility is the pioneering carrier of the smart economy. Lotus, a luxury electric vehicle brand with a 78-year history, has been listed on NASDAQ and is actively exploring the deep integration of crypto technology with the physical industry. He proposed three major integration directions:First, safeguarding data value by utilizing the immutable nature of blockchain and privacy computing, allowing users to have absolute control over their personal data, achieving credible data circulation and value flow. Second, releasing asset value by exploring efficient circulation and fair trading of assets such as vehicle sales, brand value, autonomous driving technology patents, and global sales networks through RWA, while promoting credible traceability of carbon assets in green mobility. Third, co-creating ecological value by recording data on driving, charging, and maintenance through on-chain smart nodes, allowing users to upgrade from "car owners" to "participants in the brand ecosystem" through on-chain rights confirmation.Dr. Daxue Wang pointed out that the current challenges include compliance implementation, technology adaptation, and ecological co-construction, but the opportunities lie in open cooperation, promoting smart mobility as a practical landing scenario of the smart economy. Lotus hopes to work hand in hand with the crypto ecosystem to realize the vision of "from buying a Lotus car to sharing the growth value of Lotus technology."

At the "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum held in Hong Kong, guests including KiteAI's Asia Pacific head Laughing, Sentient's Asia Pacific head Anita, Brevis content director Nic Tang, Mentis product head Jerry, and Predict.fun's Asia Pacific BD head Ah Huang Ricardo engaged in a roundtable discussion on the theme "AI × Crypto --- The Foundation of the Next Generation Digital Economy."Regarding whether the outbreak of open-source AI Agents (such as "raising lobsters") is a short-term sentiment or a long-term trend, Laughing believes this marks a paradigm shift of AI from "conversational" to "executive," signaling the beginning of a long-term trend. However, Agents lack a physical identity, making it difficult for merchants to trust their trading behavior, and issues of data leakage and uncontrollability remain obstacles that must be overcome for scaling. Jerry pointed out, based on his own usage experience, that current Agents face security risks such as memory fuzziness, token consumption in dead loops, and accidental file deletion. Although newly emerged Agents have improvements, they still have shortcomings. Ah Huang Ricardo stated that behind the short-term sentiment is real user demand, but truly reproducible profitable trading Agents are still very rare, and there is a long way to go.Addressing core bottlenecks such as trust, security, and verifiability, Nic Tang emphasized that the current execution process of Agents is like a black box, where users cannot verify whether their decisions are executed as promised. Zero-knowledge proof technology can mathematically prove the source of an Agent's output and compliance with behavior, while not exposing privacy. Anita added that Sentient is committed to building an open and collaborative AI agent network, promoting the deep integration of AI and blockchain in identity, data, and incentive layers, providing foundational support for the next generation digital economy.Regarding the application scenarios that are likely to scale first, the guests generally believe that the programming field is relatively mature, and Agents in prediction markets perform better than humans in specific tracks due to their rationality and lack of emotions. In the short term, they are optimistic about API Marketplace and cross-platform consumer shopping Agents, while in the medium term, they are optimistic about content creation AI (such as AI influencers). Agent-to-Agent interaction and the Agent/Skill Marketplace are seen as important future trends.

At the "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" forum held in Hong Kong, Arda Senoz, the head of the Alchemy Pay ecosystem, delivered a keynote speech titled "Bridging the Fiat and Crypto Global Economies."Arda Senoz highlighted the recently launched Alchemy Chain, whose core value lies in connecting the settlement links between wallets, merchants, and payment partners. The ACH token serves three main functions on the chain: covering Gas fees, incentives, and governance. According to the technical roadmap, the core payment and ACH fee settlement will be implemented in Q4 2025, liquidity and interoperability will be advanced in Q1 2026, and the issuance of the Alchemy Chain stablecoin and the establishment of payment channels are planned for Q2 2026.Arda emphasized that Alchemy Pay always adheres to a compliant and secure product approach, promoting the mainstream adoption of digital assets through innovative solutions such as RWA integration, truly achieving a seamless connection between fiat currency and the crypto economy.

The Hong Kong police disclosed a fraud case that lured investors into cryptocurrency with the gimmick of "AI quantitative trading," in which a woman was scammed out of approximately 7.7 million Hong Kong dollars. The fraudster impersonated an "investment expert" and proactively contacted the victim through Telegram, claiming to use "quantitative trading" and "AI algorithms" to achieve stable high returns. The victim transferred USDT and ETH worth about 7.7 million Hong Kong dollars from her electronic wallet to a designated address 17 times, only to realize she had been scammed when her withdrawal attempts were rejected.The Hong Kong police remind the public that while cryptocurrencies have high return potential, they also come with high volatility and high risks. The so-called "AI trading" and "quantitative guaranteed profits" are often bait for scams. The public should be wary of the "impossible triangle" trap of high returns, low risks, and low thresholds.

According to Coinglass data, the cryptocurrency Fear and Greed Index is currently at 26, up 1 point from yesterday. The average over the past 7 days is 21, and the average over the past 30 days is 14.

Lotus Technology Inc. (Lotus Technology, Nasdaq: LOT.US) Chief Financial Officer Dr. Wang Daxue confirmed his attendance at the forum themed "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" held in Hong Kong on April 19, where he will present on the topic "Crypto Links to the Physical Industry, Smart Mobility on the Chain." This event is co-hosted by ChainCatcher and RootData and is one of the important peripheral activities during the Hong Kong Web3 Carnival.Lotus Technology has operational entities in the UK, EU, and China, with a sales network covering major markets worldwide. The company is committed to creating high-end luxury lifestyle vehicles, focusing on world-class R&D in next-generation automotive technologies such as electrification and intelligence.In recent performance communications from Lotus Technology, Dr. Wang Daxue emphasized cost optimization and operational efficiency improvements. As AI, crypto networks, and the physical industry accelerate their integration, his presentation will explore how on-chain technology can more deeply serve real-world applications from the perspective of the smart mobility industry. This forum will focus on the paradigm shift under the deep integration of AI technology and crypto networks, engaging in in-depth discussions around cutting-edge tracks such as AI Agent economy, smart payments, RWA, and crypto infrastructure.Event registration: https://luma.com/18v6vwpf

The "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum, sponsored by Monera Digital and co-hosted by ChainCatcher and RootData, will be held today, April 19, from 14:00 to 18:00 (GMT+8) in Hong Kong. This forum has received joint support from partners including Tencent Cloud, HashKey Chain, Alchemy Pay, Kite AI, Sentient, Sign, Predict.fun, Monad, Brevis, UXLINK, OneBullEx, SVP Chain, OmenX, TurboFlow, LOTUS, Mentis, NeoSoul, Swap315, Electric Soul, and others.As an important peripheral event of the "Hong Kong Web3 Carnival," this forum will focus on the paradigm shift under the deep integration of AI technology and the crypto network, engaging in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge tracks such as AI Agent economy, smart payments, RWA, and crypto infrastructure.Event registration: https://luma.com/18v6vwpf

According to CoinDesk, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin stated that artificial intelligence will be a key turning point in the next phase of development for the cryptocurrency industry. However, if computing power and infrastructure are controlled by a few large tech companies, it could pose systemic risks.In the future, AI agents could autonomously execute transactions, collaborate, and verify on blockchain networks, becoming the foundation of a "machine economy." Cryptographic technology and decentralized systems will ensure transparency and accountability, allowing machines to supervise each other.Additionally, he believes that traditional finance and DeFi are accelerating their integration, driving the global economy towards a more refined and programmable direction, while the risks of quantum computing are a long-term manageable issue that Ethereum developers have already prepared for.

OneBullEx confirms participation in the "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum to be held on April 19 in Hong Kong. This event is co-hosted by ChainCatcher and RootData and is one of the important peripheral activities of the Hong Kong Web3 Carnival.OneBullEx is an AI-driven smart platform focused on contract trading. The platform deeply integrates AI automation, transparent execution, and trading infrastructure, providing users with a more efficient, transparent, and verifiable contract trading experience through tools like 300 SPARTANS robots and OneALPHA. This forum will focus on the paradigm shift under the deep integration of AI technology and crypto networks, engaging in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge tracks such as AI Agent economy, smart payments, RWA, and crypto infrastructure.

KiteAI Asia Pacific Head Laughing confirmed attendance at the "Crypto 2026: From Cryptocurrency to Smart Economy" themed forum to be held in Hong Kong on April 19, and will participate in a roundtable discussion. This event is co-hosted by ChainCatcher and RootData, and is one of the important peripheral activities of the Hong Kong Web3 Carnival.Kite AI is building the foundational layer of the Agentic Internet, aiming to create a vertically integrated artificial intelligence ecosystem to promote the realization of real business value and the long-term sustainable development of the network. This forum will focus on the paradigm shift under the deep integration of AI technology and crypto networks, engaging in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge tracks such as AI Agent economy, smart payments, RWA, and crypto infrastructure. At the intersection of technological leaps and economic restructuring, this themed forum not only provides insights into the current state of the industry but also offers a forward-looking reflection on the future intelligent economic system.

According to Coinglass data, the cryptocurrency Fear and Greed Index is currently at 25, up 3 points from yesterday. The average over the past 7 days is 20, and the average over the past 30 days is 13.

Crypto Council for Innovation announced the acquisition of Digital Energy Council, marking its first expansion into the energy policy sector.Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI) is a global industry advocacy organization, with members including several cryptocurrency and fintech companies, primarily promoting digital asset regulation, technological innovation, and policy communication, dedicated to building bridges between government and industry. Previously, the organization played an important role in U.S. policy lobbying. Digital Energy Council focuses on energy issues related to the digital economy, particularly the impact of cryptocurrency mining, data centers, and high-performance computing (HPC) on power systems, with core concerns about energy supply, grid stability, and national security. Following this integration, the energy sector will focus on promoting policy directions, including energy development, grid resilience, U.S. competitiveness, and critical infrastructure security.

Against the backdrop of easing tensions in the Middle East, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz is "fully open" during the ceasefire, leading to a rise in global risk assets. Boosted by the news, Bitcoin briefly surpassed $77,000, reaching a nearly two-month high, with an increase of about 5% in the past 24 hours. Major altcoins also rose, with Ethereum, XRP, and Solana recording gains of around 6%.Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated that all commercial vessels can pass through the strait during the ceasefire with Lebanon, but must adhere to the "coordinated shipping lanes" set by Iran. The strait accounts for about 20% of global oil transportation and is a critical energy corridor. In traditional markets, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both reached historic highs, indicating a significant rebound in risk appetite. U.S. President Trump also posted on social media that "the Strait of Hormuz has reopened for commercial activities," but emphasized that Iranian vessels may still face blockade measures until the U.S.-Iran agreement is fully implemented.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that a cryptocurrency company linked to "Russian gangs and intelligence agencies" is funding political opponents and influencing domestic cryptocurrency regulatory legislation.During a parliamentary vote on Friday, Tusk pointed out that some Polish politicians obstructing cryptocurrency regulatory legislation are serving the interests of a company named Zondacrypto, which is accused of providing "financial support" to political figures and has ties to Russia. Tusk further claimed that the company sponsored the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) event held in Poland last year, during which former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly supported President Karol Nawrocki's campaign. Tusk bluntly stated that the company's funding sources involve not only "money related to the Russian mafia (Bratva)" but may also be connected to Russian intelligence agencies.Meanwhile, President Nawrocki won the election in June last year, with support from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The president's office responded that it does not oppose cryptocurrency regulation itself but opposes the "flawed regulatory model" proposed by the government. This controversy arises amid the political tug-of-war in Poland over the cryptocurrency regulatory bill. The bill aims to align with the EU's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) framework, but the president previously vetoed the related bill and blocked parliament from overturning the veto in December, hindering the regulatory process.

Gate Research Institute recently released a report titled "The Evolution of Liquidity and Trading Strategies for Crypto Leveraged ETFs," which points out that crypto ETFs are gradually becoming key tools for market liquidity. During the phase of rising risk appetite, funds migrate from spot ETFs to leveraged ETFs to amplify returns, but the "daily reset" mechanism also exposes them to significant loss risks in high-volatility environments. Overall, leveraged ETFs are more suitable for short-term tactical allocations in one-sided trending markets rather than long-term holding tools.The report further indicates that there are significant differences in product structure and usage logic between crypto market leveraged ETFs and traditional financial markets, with investors more inclined to seek short-term volatility gains or hedge through high leverage (such as 5x products).Strategies built on trading data from the Gate platform show that focusing on "right-side entry," combined with volume-driven momentum breakout signals, and employing a phased position building, momentum scaling, and strict stop-loss mechanisms, can help achieve a dynamic balance of risk and return while controlling volatility losses.