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According to Hong Kong Radio, the Hong Kong government has decided to stop promoting basketball gambling projects. The Secretary for Home Affairs and Youth Affairs, Mak Mei-juan, stated in an interview with this station that the information collected by the authorities shows that the "prediction market" has developed rapidly in recent years, with monthly trading volume increasing from less than $100 million two years ago to over $13 billion last year, of which nearly 40% of the transactions are related to sports. The authorities are concerned that if new gambling projects are promoted at this time, it will lead to greater public concern and even participation in illegal gambling in the "prediction market." Therefore, it is believed that research should be conducted first before deciding on the next steps, and the promotion of new gambling projects should be halted for now.Mak Mei-juan stated that the existing regulated gambling projects have established a more mature monitoring and management system, which can help control risks. However, due to the uncertainty of the "prediction market," as a responsible government, there is a need to conduct research to understand the impact of the "prediction market" and its prevalence in Hong Kong. She also mentioned that the government has always maintained close contact with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, as the club has a rigorous monitoring system to oversee illegal gambling situations, and there are experts specifically targeting the fight against illegal gambling. The government will cooperate with the Jockey Club to obtain professional advice, allowing the authorities to implement measures specifically aimed at illegal gambling.Mak Mei-juan reiterated that the government's consistent policy is not to encourage gambling, and betting on sports projects in the "prediction market" is considered illegal gambling. The authorities will strengthen public education to help citizens understand the harms of gambling and refrain from participating in illegal gambling.

According to Tech in Asia, South Korean internet giant Naver plans to promote the IPO of its fintech subsidiary Naver Financial within five years after completing a share swap with Dunamu, the operator of the cryptocurrency exchange Upbit in which it holds shares. The transaction has been delayed due to an extended antitrust review period, and the specific timetable and structure will depend on market conditions and the regulatory environment. The proposed "Digital Asset Basic Law" in South Korea may change the transaction structure or timetable.On the same day the share swap contract was signed, both parties entered into a shareholder agreement, requiring the establishment of an IPO committee for Naver Financial within one year after the share swap is completed. If the IPO is not achieved within five years, the timeframe can be extended by another two years. Regulators are also discussing a proposal to limit the shareholding ratio of the major shareholders of the exchange to within 20%, which may lead to adjustments in the transaction terms.

According to Cointelegraph, the Cato Institute, a U.S. think tank, released a report stating that the U.S. government should eliminate the capital gains tax on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to make it easier for cryptocurrencies to be used as everyday currency and to promote fair competition among different currencies.Currently, U.S. tax law treats Bitcoin as a capital asset, triggering a taxable event when users pay for goods or services with Bitcoin, requiring the calculation and reporting of capital gains. This results in even small everyday purchases potentially generating hundreds of pages of tax documents, significantly increasing the compliance burden. Cato aims to remove the current U.S. tax policy barriers to the use of cryptocurrencies as currency. Cato researcher Anthony emphasized, "Congress should simplify the tax code so that ordinary Americans can easily fulfill their obligations, which will greatly alleviate the pressure of tax season and create a more competitive economic environment."According to a 2025 survey, 39% of U.S. cryptocurrency holders have used crypto assets to purchase goods and services, and currently, about 11,000 merchants worldwide accept Bitcoin payments.

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated that Circle has expanded its collaboration with Upbit operator Dunamu to support the compliant adoption of digital assets and has enhanced its partnership with Bithumb to improve stablecoin infrastructure and raise market awareness of stablecoins.Jeremy Allaire mentioned that South Korea is rapidly advancing regulations on stablecoins and digital assets, with a high local cryptocurrency adoption rate. During his time in Seoul, he also met with representatives from KakaoGroup, Coinone, Hashed, Shinhan Bank, KB Financial Group, and Woori Bank.

According to CriptoNoticias, an independent security researcher disclosed a prompt injection vulnerability in Coinbase AgentKit, allowing attackers to induce the AI agent to execute unauthorized token transfers through malicious commands, without the need for human confirmation.The vulnerability has been validated through actual transactions on the Base Sepolia test network. Additionally, the researcher pointed out that the vulnerability also exposes the infinite approval process for ERC-20 tokens, as well as access to remote servers within the same execution context of the agent, extending the risk beyond just wallet depletion; however, the report did not detail which specific infrastructures might be affected.The vulnerability was submitted to the Coinbase bug bounty program in February and was officially validated, ultimately classified as medium severity and a bounty of $2,000 was paid. However, the researcher emphasized that the actual impact of the vulnerability is far greater than the official rating.

The Ethereum liquid re-staking protocol Ether.fi announced that it will provide a total value of $3 billion worth of Ethereum as "validator liquidity" to the ETHGas market over the next three years, funded by the 2.8 million staked Ethereum it manages.ETHGas is a futures market for Ethereum block space that allows for the advance purchase of block space to ensure transaction execution. This initiative aims to enhance validator earnings by helping validators capture more maximum extractable value (MEV) through the sale of block space commitments, resulting in higher and more predictable returns. ETHGas has received institutional investments from firms like Polychain Capital and has launched the governance token GWEI, which currently has a market capitalization of approximately $120 million.Ether.fi's native token ETHFI has a market capitalization of about $332 million. This move will provide developers and enterprises with more predictable transaction costs and execution times, promoting the development of Ethereum as a global institutional capital settlement layer.

According to market news, Nauru has appointed cryptocurrency entrepreneur Dadvan Yousuf as the International Trade Commissioner to advance its digital asset strategy and attract global investment.Nauru President David Adeang stated that this move aims to strengthen cross-border cooperation with virtual asset service providers, financial institutions, and technology companies, and to establish Nauru as a hub for virtual asset activities. Previously, Nauru had legislated through the Command Ridge Virtual Asset Authority (CRVAA) to oversee the regulation of virtual asset activities such as cryptocurrency companies and digital banks. Officials stated that Yousuf will assist Nauru in promoting international cooperation and compliance standards. Notably, Yousuf has previously attracted regulatory attention for the unlicensed sale of tokens in Switzerland through the cryptocurrency project he founded. This appointment marks a shift for Nauru from establishing a regulatory framework to actively promoting the digital asset industry.

Patrick Witte, the Executive Director of the White House Digital Assets Presidential Advisory Committee, stated on Monday that substantive progress is being made in Senate negotiations surrounding the Clarity Act, with a compromise reached on the issue of stablecoin yields expected to hold, and the focus of negotiations has shifted to other unresolved topics.The issue of stablecoin yields was previously the biggest obstacle to advancing the bill. Banking lobbyists successfully persuaded some senators that providing yields similar to bank interest to stablecoin holders would threaten the traditional banking deposit base, causing the bill to reach an impasse. Witte stated, "We hope that the compromise reached will be durable and stable. Resolving this issue is a prerequisite for advancing other pending matters." Last week, the White House economic advisors released a report downplaying the risk concerns raised by the banking industry; in response, the American Bankers Association rebutted on Monday, claiming the White House's arguments were flawed.In addition to stablecoin yields, the bill also faces several disagreements, including illegal financial protection mechanisms in the DeFi space and a demand from Democrats to prohibit senior government officials (specifically targeting President Trump) from profiting from the crypto industry. Witte did not disclose which topics have reached consensus but indicated that negotiations have "made considerable progress behind the scenes," stating, "We are very close to comprehensively resolving these issues." The Clarity Act still needs to go through the Senate Banking Committee's markup review process before being submitted for a full Senate vote. Witte expressed optimism about reaching a final agreement, noting that many issues that previously seemed stuck have gradually been resolved.

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has stated that it is being extorted by a criminal organization, which threatens to release videos of its internal system access. The company emphasizes that there has been no systemic breach, customer funds remain secure, and it will not pay a ransom to the attackers.Kraken disclosed that the incident stemmed from improper access by personnel related to the customer service team, occurring in two separate incidents, involving limited data access for approximately 2,000 accounts (about 0.02% of total users). The company has identified the individuals involved and terminated their access, while also notifying affected users and strengthening security controls.Kraken's Chief Security Officer Nick Percoco stated that the company is cooperating with law enforcement to investigate and believes it has evidence to track and arrest the individuals involved. The current attack shows a trend of "internal infiltration + social engineering," reflecting the ongoing security challenges faced by the cryptocurrency industry in a high-value asset and complex technological environment.

The chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Mike Selig, announced the first members of the newly established Innovation Working Group, aimed at providing clear industry rules for American innovators. The working group is led by Mike Selig's senior advisor, Michael Passalacqua, and the first five members include former Latham & Watkins crypto lawyer Hank Balaban, former Patomak crypto and prediction markets advisor Sam Canavos, CFTC legal senior official Mark Fajfar, former Sidley blockchain lawyer Eugene Gonzalez IV, and CFTC Market Participants Division special advisor Dina Moussa.In addition, Mike Selig also released an Innovation Tracker, highlighting the agency's work in advancing regulatory clarity, market integrity, and technological progress, with a primary focus on areas including cryptocurrency and blockchain, AI and autonomous systems, contracts and prediction markets.

According to official news, Circle has released its vision for the development of the internet financial system in 2026, proposing to focus on building cross-chain interoperability infrastructure, liquidity orchestration capabilities, and an institutional-grade asset issuance system to promote the efficient flow of value in a multi-chain ecosystem.In terms of cross-chain infrastructure, Circle stated that it will launch features such as "Fast Transfer" in the future, achieving second-level settlement without waiting for final confirmation from the source chain, thus improving the efficiency of fund utilization. In the asset expansion layer, the CCTP plans to extend to more assets beyond USDC, including EURC, USYC, and cirBTC, and support the issuance and circulation of real-world assets (RWA) across multiple chains.In addition, Circle is advancing cross-chain process coordination, simplifying multi-chain operational processes through tools such as Bridge Kit, Deposit Kit, Fee Service, and Workflows, achieving "one-click" cross-chain interaction, reducing development complexity, and enhancing user experience.

According to official news, the decentralized GPU cloud computing infrastructure platform Aethir confirmed that its Ethereum-related bridging contract was attacked. The team promptly disconnected the affected contract and worked with major exchanges to blacklist the hacker's wallet, limiting the losses to under $90,000.Previously, blockchain security company PeckShield estimated the losses to be $400,000. The attacker exploited Aethir's cross-chain smart contract AethirOFTAdapter to transfer the stolen funds from the BNB Chain to Tron.Aethir stated that its Ethereum mainnet ATH token supply was unaffected and plans to announce a detailed compensation plan and incident analysis next week, collaborating with exchanges such as Binance, Upbit, and Bithumb to freeze funds. The Web3 security platform ZeroShadow is participating in the investigation. Aethir aims to achieve revenue of $127.8 million by 2025, with over 440,000 GPU containers deployed globally.

Cryptocurrency ATM operator Bitcoin Depot disclosed that it lost approximately 50.9 bitcoins in a cybersecurity incident, equivalent to about $3.7 million at current prices. According to documents submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the attack occurred on March 23, with hackers obtaining credentials related to the company's enterprise-level bitcoin wallet, allowing them to breach some internal systems. Bitcoin Depot stated that customer accounts, the platform, and personal data were not affected.

Gobi Partners announced an investment in Transak. Founded in 2019, Transak provides fiat and digital asset exchange capabilities through a single API for financial institutions, unifying KYC, AML, risk monitoring, and local payment integration.This investment aims to support Transak in expanding into the Asian market. Transak has established its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong and plans to deepen integration with payment networks and banking partners in the ASEAN region.

As USDC's trading volume continues to soar in South Korea, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire plans to visit Korea next week to meet with executives from several major commercial banks and leading cryptocurrency exchanges to discuss the application scenarios of stablecoins in Korea, international payment cooperation, and plans for a stablecoin based on the Korean won.On the banking side, Allaire intends to hold "continuous meetings" with leaders from market-leading institutions such as KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, and Hana Bank. Notably, KB Kookmin Bank met with Circle last June and has completed a feasibility concept test using the Circle Mint platform. On the trading platform side, Allaire also plans to meet with executives from Upbit operator Dunamu, as well as Bithumb, Coinone, and other trading platforms to discuss expanding USDC adoption, the Korean payment ecosystem, and measures to support cross-chain technology.

F2Pool co-founder Wang Chun stated on platform X that the Bitcoin protocol upgrade should not adopt practices similar to those of American politicians who forcefully advance "some necessary but unpopular provisions" through "omnibus bills." This is also a significant reason for his opposition to BIP-110 and BIP-54.In response to whether there were issues encountered when using any fixes for BIP-54, Wang Chun added that the Timewarp attack issue has been longstanding and does not provide significant advantages for miners, as it is impossible to predict who the next block miner will be. The only practical use is to disrupt certain altcoins, and since there are almost no actual benefits for Bitcoin miners, there is no urgent need for modifications.Furthermore, the efficiency of block verification has significantly improved due to libsecp256k1 and hardware upgrades, eliminating the need for protocol layer adjustments. The essence of "forging confirmed transactions" relies on breaking the double SHA256 collision, and if established, it would mean that Bitcoin core security has been compromised.Wang Chun added that the aforementioned issues are not sufficient to drive protocol modifications, and currently, only the "duplicate transactions" issue has some repair value, which may be one of the few changes worth implementing.

According to Jinshi reports, Fed's Schmid stated that inflation is a more prominent risk for the Fed and that inflation expectations cannot be taken lightly.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated that the company has established an internal venture capital program called "Next Bets," which allows employees to submit innovative projects and pitch directly to product leaders, and can proceed with implementation as long as they receive support. The program opens for proposals twice a year, typically executed by small teams of 2 to 3 people, focusing on high-potential directions.Armstrong mentioned that this mechanism aims to reduce the loss of excellent ideas and talent, inspired by historical cases in the tech industry. It was introduced that the Base blockchain project originated from this program, and more related developments will be announced in the coming weeks.

U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis and Bill Cassidy introduced the "Mined in America Act," aimed at promoting the development of the cryptocurrency mining industry and codifying President Trump's executive order establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve into law.The bill plans to strengthen the role of cryptocurrency mining in the U.S. economy while consolidating previous policy arrangements regarding the strategic Bitcoin reserve through legislation. This reserve is primarily composed of Bitcoin seized by the U.S. Treasury through law enforcement actions. The bill also requires the U.S. Department of Commerce to establish a voluntary certification system to regulate and manage mining pools and facilities.In addition, certified mining facilities must gradually reduce their reliance on mining equipment produced by companies associated with "foreign adversaries." The proponents state that this bill is one of the important measures to promote the U.S. as a global digital asset hub and aims to enhance the nation's strategic position in the cryptocurrency industry chain.

The Ethereum L2 project Linea tweeted that its cryptographic researcher Alexandre Belling announced on Ethproofs that Linea will transition to the RISC-V architecture. The main reason is that each Ethereum hard fork requires a complete rewrite of the constraint module, causing the team to struggle with complexity for a long time instead of pushing for cutting-edge performance. RISC-V only provides 32 registers and about 40 instructions. For the proof system, the tracking range is narrower, can be constructed in real-time, and the prover can immediately start processing proof fragments.In addition, RISC-V has a narrower execution trace and Type-1 compatibility, while retaining zkC (constraint native language), Vortex and Arcane (proof/aggregation stack), and formal verification. Linea stated that this move is highly consistent with the RISC-V roadmap being promoted by the Ethereum Foundation, and more technical details will be announced in a few weeks.