ChainCatcher news, according to News.bitcoin, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on April 9 that a Nigerian man has been charged in Massachusetts with orchestrating a complex romance scam that defrauded over $2.5 million, funneling the funds into cryptocurrency accounts he secretly managed.According to prosecutors, the man created false online identities from 2016 to 2019, establishing fake romantic relationships with victims across the United States. He currently faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

ChainCatcher news, according to the Straits Times, more than half of cryptocurrency holders in Singapore have used digital assets for daily transactions. The latest research shows that 52% of cryptocurrency holders have started using cryptocurrencies for payments, and 67% of holders plan to use them in the future.The study found that Generation Z and millennials hold 40% of the country's cryptocurrencies, primarily for online shopping, bill payments, and in-store purchases. Notably, Sony has partnered with Crypto.com to support USDC stablecoin payments in its online store.According to data from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, Singapore's cryptocurrency trading volume approached $1 billion in the second quarter of 2024. However, 60% of users still express concerns about the complexity and security of digital assets, and 54% of holders are troubled by the limited acceptance by merchants.

According to ChainCatcher news, as reported by Decrypt, several commissioners of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) expressed support for establishing a regulatory sandbox for digital assets during the second digital asset roundtable, allowing cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase to experiment freely in new areas, including the provision of tokenized securities trading.SEC Acting Chair Mark Uyeda stated in a pre-recorded video statement, "I encourage market participants developing new ways to trade securities using blockchain technology to provide input on what exemptions may be applicable." Uyeda specifically noted that a "time-limited, conditional exemption relief framework" could provide unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges the freedom to innovate in areas such as tokenized securities before relevant rules and laws are established.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, based on Finery Markets' Q1 report, driven by the shift in U.S. regulation and increased market confidence in stablecoins, the cryptocurrency trading volume on institutional trading platforms continued its upward momentum from Q4 2024, with over-the-counter (OTC) volume increasing by 141% year-on-year and stablecoin trading activity rising by 158% year-on-year.In the first 100 days of President Trump's administration, the trading volume between cryptocurrencies and stablecoins recorded the strongest growth, with trading volume in the first three months of 2025 increasing fivefold compared to the same period in 2024. Overall, 95.3% of trades involved Bitcoin, Ethereum, or stablecoins, and institutions have not widely adopted altcoins.Finery analysts noted: "The differences between various types of trades indicate that institutions clearly prefer stablecoins, likely due to their enhanced utility in connecting traditional finance with the crypto space."

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, cryptocurrency lending provider APX Lending has completed a $20 million flexible financing round, funded by private credit investment firm Cypress Hills. The flexible financing terms allow borrowers to increase their loans without renegotiating the entire agreement.APX Lending offers loan services backed by digital assets and plans to use this funding to accelerate its expansion in Canada to meet the growing demand for cryptocurrency-backed loans.

ChainCatcher news, according to the official announcement, Grayscale updated its list of "under consideration" and "included in products" for cryptocurrency assets on April 10. This update shows that several emerging blockchain projects such as Babylon, Berachain, Monad, and Movement have been included in the scope of consideration. Grayscale categorizes assets into five major categories: currency, smart contract platforms, finance, consumer and culture, and utility services. The company stated that the asset consideration list will be updated regularly based on the expansion of the crypto ecosystem, but not all assets under consideration will become investment products, and the final products may include assets not on the list.

ChainCatcher news, North Carolina legislators have introduced the "Digital Asset Freedom Act" (H.B. 920), which aims to allow the use of crypto assets in tax and other economic transactions. The bill stipulates that eligible digital assets must have a market capitalization of at least $750 billion, a daily trading volume of no less than $10 billion, and a public market operating history of over 10 years with resistance to censorship. It also requires decentralization, no pre-mining, no internal distribution, and no centralized control. The bill does not specifically mention assets like BTC. Previously, the state had proposed several cryptocurrency-related bills, including allowing state treasurers to invest in Bitcoin and allocating part of pension funds to crypto assets.

ChainCatcher news, New York Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter to U.S. congressional leaders on April 10, calling for stronger federal regulation of the cryptocurrency industry and explicitly opposing the inclusion of digital assets in U.S. retirement plans. James stated that cryptocurrencies have "no intrinsic value" and are highly volatile, making them unsuitable for retirement savings. She also warned that unregulated cryptocurrencies could undermine the dollar's dominance, threaten national security, and disrupt financial market stability. James proposed regulating stablecoin issuers, requiring them to establish a physical presence in the U.S. and ensure anti-money laundering compliance.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cryptonews, the Russian logistics company ETE Group has submitted a request to Prime Minister Mishustin, urging the government to establish a legal framework for businesses to use cryptocurrencies for international settlements. ETE Group proposed amendments to the Civil Code, the Tax Code, and other relevant foreign exchange regulatory laws to grant legal status to crypto assets and establish standard procedures for their issuance, circulation, and accounting. ETE pointed out that since 2024, the interest of Russian companies in crypto payments has increased by about 40%.

ChainCatcher news reports that, according to 4E monitoring, the threat of an escalation in the China-U.S. tariff war has overshadowed the positive effects of slowing inflation. Investor concerns have taken precedence, and U.S. stocks failed to maintain Wednesday's significant rebound. On Thursday, the three major indices at one point dropped by at least 5%, although the decline narrowed towards the end of trading. By the close, the S&P 500 index fell by 3.5%, having at one point dropped by 6.3%, nearing the 7% first-level circuit breaker, marking the largest intraday drop since March 2020; the Nasdaq fell by 4.31%, and the Dow Jones by 2.5%. Major tech stocks collectively declined, with the seven giants index dropping by 6.67%.In the cryptocurrency market, the strong rebound from the previous day reversed sharply last night alongside the U.S. stock market. Bitcoin fell from $82,000 to a low of $78,464, nearly erasing all gains from the previous day. As of the time of writing, it is reported at $80,258, down 2.67%. Among the top ten mainstream coins, Ethereum performed the weakest, influenced by whale sell-offs and the decoupling of sUSD, briefly falling below $1,500. Before the deadline, it is reported at $1,541, down 6% in nearly 24 hours.In the forex commodities sector, the U.S. dollar index fell by 1.89%, marking the largest single-day drop since 2022. Oil prices dropped over 3% due to weak supply and demand expectations. Risk aversion surged, with gold reaching $3,220, setting a new historical high.Latest data shows that the U.S. March CPI fell short of expectations across the board, but the impact of tariffs has yet to be fully realized, which may soothe investors in the future. As Trump's chaotic tariff policies continue to disrupt the market, expectations of a tightening global supply chain have intensified, raising broader concerns about an economic recession. The market remains skeptical about whether the 90-day tariff delay can lead to substantial negotiation outcomes.

ChainCatcher message indicates that, according to SoSoValue data, the cryptocurrency market sector is generally experiencing a pullback, with only the AI and DePIN sectors remaining relatively strong. The AI sector has risen by 0.66% in the last 24 hours, with Bittensor (TAO), Render (RENDER), and Fartcoin (FARTCOIN) increasing by 2.30%, 7.51%, and 7.94%, respectively. The DePIN sector has risen by 0.60%, with Helium (HNT) and Grass (GRASS) increasing by 2.47% and 3.82%, respectively.Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency sector indices reflecting historical market trends show that the ssiAI and ssiDePIN indices have increased by 1.72% and 1.19% in the last 24 hours, respectively, with the ssiAI index having a weekly return rate of 3.79%.Additionally, Bitcoin (BTC) has narrowed its decline to 2.47%, rebounding above $80,000. Ethereum (ETH) has dropped by 6.16% in the last 24 hours, falling below $1,600.In other sectors, the CeFi sector has decreased by 0.03%, but Hyperliquid (HYPE) has risen by 6.01%; the Meme sector has fallen by 0.85%, and the Layer1 sector has decreased by 0.99%, with Avalanche (AVAX) rising by 1.20% and Hedera (HBAR) increasing by 1.71%; the Layer2 sector has dropped by 1.09%, with Arbitrum (ARB) rising against the trend by 1.21%; the PayFi sector has decreased by 1.39%, and the DeFi sector has fallen by 1.45%.

ChainCatcher news, according to Digital Today, South Korean financial regulators have decided to postpone the application of the Credit Information Act to virtual asset service providers (VASP) until December 1, 2025. Previously, the Financial Services Commission defined cryptocurrency user transaction information as "credit information," requiring cryptocurrency exchanges to comply with this law. Considering the insufficient preparation time for the industry, the Financial Supervisory Service has decided not to impose penalties for related violations during the grace period, unless there are exceptions such as intentional misconduct or gross negligence.

ChainCatcher news, according to the official website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to further clarify the applicability of federal securities laws in the cryptocurrency market, the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance has issued a statement guiding the registration and disclosure requirements for relevant securities. The statement covers equity and debt securities related to networks, applications, and cryptocurrency assets, including cryptocurrency assets that are part of investment contracts. The guidance includes key disclosure elements in documents such as Regulation S-K, Form S-1, and Form 10, such as business descriptions, risk factors, securities characteristics, management information, financial statements, and requirements for displaying smart contract code.

ChainCatcher News, President Trump has signed a bill that prevents the IRS from collecting tax data from decentralized cryptocurrency platforms, marking a historic move. This signifies the first time legislation specifically targeting cryptocurrency has become law in the United States.The bill was introduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) under the Congressional Review Act, aiming to repeal the IRS's so-called "DeFi broker rule." The bill passed the Senate on March 26 with an overwhelming bipartisan support of 70-28 votes. Just two weeks prior, a similar version led by Congressman Mike Carey (R-OH) also passed with a similar "supermajority." The controversial DeFi broker rule was proposed in the final days of the Biden administration, requiring decentralized crypto entities (such as exchanges without central management) to comply with traditional IRS reporting requirements. Critics argue that this regulation is overly burdensome, potentially stifling innovation and severely hindering the growth of the DeFi industry."This regulation would undermine America's leadership in the cryptocurrency space, and I am grateful to President Trump for signing my resolution into law," Cruz told Crypto In America during the signing ceremony on Thursday afternoon. "This resolution is a victory for innovation, privacy, and economic freedom."

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, despite a dramatic shift in the regulatory environment for digital assets in the U.S. under Trump’s leadership, one of the most popular and risky crypto products—perpetual futures contracts—remains off-limits to American investors.Many in the industry believe that this situation may change soon. Cryptocurrency perpetual futures contracts account for a large portion of the daily trading volume on global crypto exchanges and are expected to be opened to U.S. investors.

ChainCatcher news, according to Fortune magazine, cryptocurrency insurance company Meanwhile completed a $40 million Series A funding round on Thursday, led by Framework Ventures and Fulgur Ventures, with participation from Wences Casares, the founder of cryptocurrency bank Xapo.This funding round values Meanwhile at $190 million, nearly double its valuation during the most recent funding round in 2022. Meanwhile will use the funds raised in this round for global expansion and to ensure its products comply with regulatory requirements.It is reported that Meanwhile's life insurance policies are similar to regular life insurance. Policyholders are required to pay a monthly premium calculated by actuaries. However, unlike payments made from bank accounts or using checks, customers must pay in Bitcoin from their cryptocurrency wallets. When the policyholder passes away, their family will receive the claim amount in Bitcoin.

ChainCatcher news, the social infrastructure platform UXLINK has tweeted to announce its participation in Stanford University's Future Development of Digital Currency Initiative (FDCI).UXLINK has launched innovative products such as "link-to-earn," social payment finance (PayFi), and the socially native blockchain—UXLINK OneChain, aimed at enhancing trust and accelerating mass adoption.The strategic partnership between UXLINK and Stanford FDCI demonstrates both parties' steadfast commitment to ongoing investment in research and development and a focus on innovation, which will drive the global adoption of digital currency.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, the five major commercial banks in South Korea and several regional banks met with ruling party lawmakers this week, calling for the relaxation of restrictions on the number of partner banks for cryptocurrency exchanges. Current regulations require each exchange to cooperate with only one bank to comply with anti-money laundering regulations.Woori Bank President Jung Jin-wan pointed out that this model limits user choices and affects system stability, suggesting that "one exchange should be able to connect with multiple banks." Meanwhile, as the institutional investment ban gradually eases, several exchanges in South Korea are preparing to welcome corporate clients.