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According to DefiLlama data, the total locked value (TVL) of Plasma, a Layer 1 blockchain designed for global stablecoin payments, has reached $2 billion, with a weekly increase of 27% and a monthly increase of over 80%, rising to become the seventh largest blockchain. One of the key driving factors for this growth is that Plasma was selected as one of the first supported networks for Tether's self-custody wallet launched on April 14, alongside Ethereum and Arbitrum.This wallet supports USD₮, XAU₮, USA₮, and Bitcoin, allowing users to trade without holding a separate Gas token. According to CoinDesk, the driving factors behind the expansion of Plasma's TVL are not yet clear, but may be related to optimistic expectations regarding the potential approval of the U.S. CLARITY Act.

The "2026 Digital Asset Institutional Investor Survey" released by financial giant Nomura Securities shows that nearly 80% of institutional investors plan to allocate 2% - 5% of their total managed assets to the cryptocurrency sector. 65% of the surveyed institutions view cryptocurrencies as a diversification tool on par with stocks, bonds, and commodities.The survey covered institutional investors and family offices managing over $60 billion in assets. In terms of investment direction, more than two-thirds of respondents hope to earn returns through DeFi mechanisms such as staking, 65% are focused on lending and tokenized assets, and 63% are exploring derivatives and stablecoins. Additionally, 63% of respondents believe that stablecoins have practical uses for managing cash, cross-border payments, and investing in tokenized assets, with stablecoins issued by major financial institutions being the most trusted.Nomura Securities stated that regulatory clarity, increased awareness, and improved risk control frameworks are key to expanding investments. Although challenges such as the lack of clear methods for asset valuation and regulatory uncertainties still exist, the development of diversified investment products and improvements in risk management practices are accelerating institutional adoption.

Sharon Yeshaya, Chief Financial Officer of Morgan Stanley, stated that tokenization and on-chain finance will become key evolutionary directions for its wealth management business.The company is envisioning a "tokenized world," where customer assets and liabilities can flow as efficiently as funds through blockchain infrastructure, thereby reshaping asset allocation, lending, and cash management methods. Unlike viewing cryptocurrency as a standalone business, Morgan Stanley plans to embed on-chain capabilities into its core service system, including investment advisory, financing, and liquidity management, to drive an overall upgrade of the financial architecture. This strategy has been gradually implemented through digital asset pilots with ZeroHash and products like Bitcoin ETFs. Although the current share of cryptocurrency business in the overall system is still small, its position in the future wealth management system is rapidly increasing.

According to Jinshi reports, ECB President Lagarde stated that the central bank will not allow inflation expectations to become unanchored.

According to Jinshi reports, Federal Reserve's Goolsbee stated that if oil prices rise to $5 per gallon and remain there for several months, inflation expectations may become unanchored.

According to Jinshi reports, European Central Bank President Lagarde stated that if inflation expectations become unanchored, action will need to be taken.

JPMorgan CFO Jeremy Barnum stated during the earnings call that if regulatory rules are not aligned with traditional bank deposits, stablecoins may evolve into a "regulatory arbitrage" tool. He pointed out that some stablecoin models already exhibit deposit-like characteristics, such as providing incentives similar to yields, but are not subject to banking regulatory requirements like capital, liquidity, and consumer protection, which could create an unfair competitive environment. "If the same products are not regulated equally, it will open up arbitrage opportunities," Barnum said.Currently, U.S. legislation is pushing for a cryptocurrency regulatory framework, including the Clarity Act, to clarify the regulatory division of labor between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and to regulate the development of the stablecoin market. Additionally, whether to allow stablecoins to distribute reserve earnings to users has become a point of contention. Cryptocurrency companies, including Coinbase, support "interest-bearing stablecoins," while banks believe this would bring them closer to deposit products but lack corresponding regulatory constraints. JPMorgan expressed support for regulatory clarity but emphasized that "regulatory consistency" takes precedence over speed. At the same time, the bank is advancing product layouts, including JPM Coin and tokenized deposits, through its blockchain division Kinexys to modernize the payment system.

Bitwise Asset Management points out that the recent strength of Bitcoin is not contrary to a risk-averse environment, but is directly driven by geopolitical conflicts. Since the escalation of the situation in the Middle East at the end of February, BTC has risen by about 12%, while the S&P 500 index has fallen by about 1% and gold has dropped by about 10%, showing a clear divergence in performance.Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan and research director Ryan Rasmussen state that Bitcoin is simultaneously embodying two logics: "store of value asset" and "potential international settlement currency." As the financial system becomes "weaponized" and the global payment system fractures, the appeal of non-sovereign neutral assets continues to rise. The report suggests that geopolitical fragmentation is prompting some countries to explore alternative paths to bypass the traditional financial system, such as attempting to introduce Bitcoin settlements in trade. This trend enhances BTC's potential position in the global monetary system. Based on the aforementioned changes, Bitwise indicates that the Bitcoin valuation framework is being reshaped; if it captures both store of value and transaction settlement demand, long-term price expectations may be underestimated, and $1 million could shift from a target ceiling to a "benchmark level."

According to Theblock, institutional payment giants Visa and Stripe, as well as Zodia Custody under Standard Chartered Bank, have become early validators of Tempo.It is reported that Tempo is an Ethereum-compatible Layer 1 built for high-throughput payments and stablecoin settlements. The project is incubated by Stripe and Paradigm and launched on a private testnet in September. At the same time, Tempo also launched a proxy payment protocol aimed at enabling transactions through software proxies.

Global leading digital asset trading platform Gate announced an upgrade to its strategic partnership with Serie A club Inter Milan, officially becoming the sleeve sponsor of the Inter Milan U23 youth team starting in April 2026.Gate has decided to make additional targeted investments in the spring of 2026, expanding its sponsorship scope to the newly established U23 team of the club. Gate founder and CEO Dr. Han stated, "Gate has always been committed to empowering global users through the power of technology and innovation. Since becoming a partner of Inter Milan in 2024, we have felt a deep sense of pride. This extension of our partnership to the U23 youth team is because we believe this team represents the future of football."Gate's collaboration with Inter Milan began in 2024, and this expansion to the youth team reflects Gate's emphasis on the new generation of talent and long-term value. Gate will support the growth of young players through brand and resource backing, continuously strengthening its forward-looking brand positioning, and expanding its global influence in the exploration of the integration of sports and Web3.

According to official news, the decentralized exchange Aster announced that it has become a strategic partner of Aster Code ecosystem partner Genius and is the world's first DEX to launch the $GENIUS perpetual contract.The platform will simultaneously launch the Rocket Launch trading event on April 13 at 15:30 UTC, with a total prize pool of $200,000 worth of $ASTER, open to users participating in $GENIUS contract trading.

According to CoinDesk, Bitcoin is currently fluctuating around $70,000, and the overall performance of the cryptocurrency market remains resilient. Meanwhile, mainstream crypto assets like Ethereum, XRP, and Solana are also relatively stable. The key for the market in the short term is whether Bitcoin can hold the important support level of $70,000.This position has now become a dividing line for bulls and bears and has been defended multiple times by "bottom-fishing funds." If it effectively breaks down, the price volatility of Bitcoin may increase due to thin liquidity below. However, if it can stabilize, the market is expected to quickly recover stability. Some viewpoints suggest that with support from capital flows and macro factors, Bitcoin still has the potential to rise to $88,000.Overall, although Bitcoin's price performance is solid, speculative behavior and negative events may suppress market risk appetite in the short term.

On the occasion of its thirteenth anniversary, Gate founder and CEO Dr. Han published an open letter titled "Releasing the Power of Change Amidst Cyclical Transitions," reflecting on the platform's journey from early exploration to global development, and systematically elaborating on his judgments regarding industry cycles and future trends.Dr. Han pointed out that as CeFi continues to extend towards DeFi, the platform is moving from a centralized trading vehicle to a more open ecological structure. The cryptocurrency industry is shifting from "narrative-driven" to "infrastructure-driven," with the focus of competition shifting from products and scale to system capabilities and structural advantages. In the next cycle, platforms with infrastructure capabilities will no longer just be market participants but will become an important part of the rules.Dr. Han stated that Gate is gradually transitioning from a builder to a shaper of industry structure, continuously investing in trading depth, risk control capabilities, and global compliance systems, while simultaneously laying out in areas such as RWA, TradFi, DeFi, and AI. In addition, Gate is advancing its global brand building by establishing partnerships with top international sports IPs like the F1 Red Bull Racing Team and Inter Milan, accelerating connections with a broader global user base.In the future, Gate will continue to lay out around infrastructure capabilities, deepening investments in ecological connections, technological capabilities, and global systems to address a new stage of higher-dimensional industry competition.

According to a report by the Korea Herald, the nominee for the governor of the Bank of Korea, Shin Hyun-sung, stated in a written response during a personnel hearing at the National Assembly that central bank digital currency (CBDC) and commercial bank deposit tokens based on its issuance should become the core of the digital currency ecosystem. Shin Hyun-sung expressed basic support for the introduction of a Korean won stablecoin but emphasized that maintaining trust in the currency is the most important.Regarding the issuing entity of the Korean won stablecoin, he believes that South Korea is not a reserve currency country, and compliance capability is crucial. Therefore, he suggested prioritizing the issuance by a bank-centered alliance, allowing non-bank institutions to participate, and gradually expanding later. Shin Hyun-sung holds a cautious attitude towards the claim that stablecoins can enhance foreign exchange trading efficiency, believing that it is still unclear whether blockchain can comply with capital and foreign exchange regulations. He also stated that crypto assets, including stablecoins, have failed to meet the core functions of currency such as a measure of value, medium of exchange, and store of value, asserting that crypto assets cannot replace fiat currency.

As the infiltration and attacks targeting the cryptocurrency industry continue to escalate, security experts point out that the core difference from hackers with backgrounds in other countries is that cryptocurrency assets have become an important direct source of financing for military expenses in that country. Reports indicate that during a recent months-long infiltration operation against Drift Protocol, North Korean hackers once again caused a stir in the industry.Experts state that this model is not merely a "fund transfer tool," but rather a direct "predatory profit" mechanism used to bypass international sanctions and obtain immediately usable hard currency. Security researchers note that, unlike countries such as Russia and Iran, North Korea almost entirely lacks sustainable foreign economic and commodity export capabilities, making it more reliant on cryptocurrency theft as a core source of income to support its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.Experts also emphasize that North Korean hacker attack targets have expanded from simple phishing to exchanges, wallet services, and key holders of DeFi protocols, commonly employing long-term social engineering and identity disguise infiltration methods. Due to the characteristic of blockchain transactions being "irreversible once confirmed," the cryptocurrency industry is far weaker than the traditional financial system in terms of freezing and recovering funds, making such attacks more destructive in speed and scale. Security personnel warn that this type of "long-term infiltration + precise power seizure" attack model has yet to be effectively addressed by the industry.

Bitmine Chairman Tom Lee stated on the X platform that despite the overall market still exhibiting strong skepticism, more and more signs indicate that the current market "has found its bottom." In a highly uncertain environment, investors can focus on assets that have performed well since the Iran conflict, with Ethereum-related assets leading the way, followed by Bitcoin-related assets.Specifically, Tom Lee lists Ethereum and related assets (such as ETHA, BMNR) as his top choices, while also being optimistic about Bitcoin and its ETFs (such as IBIT). He previously emphasized that Ethereum has shown relative strength during geopolitical conflicts, becoming a "barometer" of market resilience.Overall, Tom Lee believes that cryptocurrencies have proven to be a "store of value in wartime," and the market has gradually digested negative factors, providing a basis for further rebounds in risk assets, but this still depends on the continued stability of macro and geopolitical situations.

According to CoinDesk, Bitcoin has risen nearly 7% since Sunday, but the upward momentum has slowed after reaching the $72,000 range, with institutional fund direction unclear. The market is focused on two major uncertainties: the U.S. March CPI data (expected to exceed 3% year-on-year, driven by energy prices) and the progress of U.S.-Iran negotiations over the weekend.The options market shows that institutions are simultaneously favoring $80,000 call options on Deribit and BlackRock's IBIT-related call options while maintaining a high proportion of put options to hedge against downside risks. If the CPI exceeds expectations, it may strengthen the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike expectations, putting pressure on risk assets, including Bitcoin.