frontrunner

According to CoinDesk, Rick Rieder, the Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income at BlackRock and a popular candidate for the Federal Reserve Chair, has stated that Bitcoin will replace gold and has suggested that investors hold Bitcoin in their portfolios. In the prediction market, Rieder's chances of being elected have quickly risen to the top, and he has publicly supported cryptocurrencies multiple times.As early as 2020, when digital assets were still in their infancy, he stated in an interview with CNBC that Bitcoin would replace gold as a store of value, "because it is much easier to transfer than a gold bar." Recently, he mentioned in the same media that Bitcoin should be part of a smart portfolio, calling both Bitcoin and gold "assets that can provide a certain stability to a portfolio." At that time, Bitcoin was still above $112,000, and he predicted that "it will continue to rise." Currently, the price of Bitcoin is around $88,000, having recently dropped due to potential tariff measures and other geopolitical turmoil.Rick Rieder has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Reserve's slow pace of interest rate cuts, similar to Trump. In a recent interview during Trump's time in Davos, Trump praised him as "very outstanding." Currently, the probability of betting on Rick Rieder becoming the next Federal Reserve Chair on Polymarket is 46%.

The White House economic advisor and director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, recently stated that Trump is more likely to want him to continue in his current position at the White House. This statement has been interpreted by the market as a sign that he is essentially withdrawing from the race for the next chairman of the Federal Reserve.After Trump publicly released this signal, the prediction market quickly adjusted its expectations. Data from Kalshi and Polymarket shows that the probability of former Fed governor Kevin Walsh becoming the next chairman of the Federal Reserve has surged to about 60%, clearly leading; Hassett's chances have dropped to about 15%–16%, while current governor Christopher Waller stands at about 13%–14%. Previously, Walsh and Hassett were considered evenly matched.Analysts point out that Walsh has become the "clear frontrunner" for the first time, but Trump has a history of changing his mind on personnel issues, leaving the final outcome uncertain. Other major candidates still include Waller and BlackRock executive Rick Rieder.Meanwhile, the judicial investigation surrounding the Federal Reserve's headquarters renovation project adds uncertainty to the chairman selection process and has reignited market concerns about the Fed's independence. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin downplayed the related impact, stating that the market is generally stable and that the Senate is expected to accept Trump's final nominee.Current Fed Chairman Powell's term will end on May 15. Trump has stated that he will announce his successor within this month but has not provided a specific timeline.

ChainCatcher news, according to Crypto Briefing, SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda stated in an interview with Fox Business that he supports establishing a safe harbor and regulatory sandbox mechanism in the cryptocurrency space to promote innovation.As a leading candidate for SEC Chairman under the Trump administration, Uyeda emphasized the need to end the so-called "crypto war" and to create a clearer regulatory framework. Uyeda pointed out that "many crypto assets are not actually securities, yet they are labeled as such." He stressed the importance of collaboration between Congress, the White House, and regulatory agencies in establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework.

ChainCatcher news, the decentralized sports prediction market Frontrunner developed based on Injective has completed a $4.75 million seed round financing, led by Susquehanna Private Equity Investments, with participation from SOMA Capital, Toy Ventures, Ledger Prime, and WAGMI Ventures. (source link)