Blockchain technology is set to enhance AI security and efficiency while 
protecting user data privacy.
The post Illia Polosukhin: AI will replace traditional operating systems, blockchain serves as a root of trust for secure AI, and the need for user-owned AI is crucial | Bankless appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Illia Polosukhin: AI will replace traditional operating systems, blockchain serves as a root of trust for secure AI, and the need for user-owned AI is crucial | Bankless

OKX introduces equity perpetual swaps allowing traders in eligible global 
markets to trade major stocks 24/7 using cryptocurrency as margin. On March 
24, 2026, OKX launched over 20 equity perpetual swaps for traders across Asia, 
Latin America, Türkiye, and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) 
region. These USDT-denominated contracts enable real-time exposure to the 
“Magnificent […]

OKX Adds Over 20 Equity Perpetual Swaps for Global Stock Exposure

Fidelity’s latest quarterly crypto livestream framed the second quarter of 
2026 as a transition period for crypto assets, with the firm’s speakers 
pointing to a mix of macro, regulatory, and on-chain developments that could 
shape the next phase of the market. The discussion centered on bitcoin’s 
current consolidation, the growing role of stablecoins, and whether smart 
contract platforms could find new momentum through tokenization and AI-driven 
developer productivity. Crypto Outlook For Q2 2026 Jurrien Timmer, Fidelity’s 
director of global macro, described the recent selloff as a “mild winter” 
rather than the kind of deep crypto washout seen in prior cycles. Bitcoin, 
which he said peaked around $126,000 before falling to roughly $60,000, has 
already endured a drawdown of more than 50%, but he argued that such declines 
should become less severe as the asset matures. “I’m not looking for an 80% 
drawdown, which would be a pretty harsh winter,” Timmer said. “I think a 50% 
to 60% drawdown, which is what we’ve had, is probably as much as it needs to 
go. Again, not market timing here, but I think we’re in the zone. So yes, a 
mild winter, but maybe spring is around the corner.” That view ties into a 
broader Fidelity debate around whether bitcoin’s four-year cycle is still 
intact. Max Wadington of Fidelity Digital Assets said Q1 likely confirmed the 
timing component of the cycle, given that the prior all-time high in November 
2021 lined up closely with the market peak in late 2025. But both speakers 
argued that the mechanism behind the cycle is changing as halvings matter less 
and demand-side factors take on greater importance. Related Reading: Sen. 
Lummis Predicts Crypto Market Structure Markup In April, Senate Passage By 
Year-End For Timmer, the immediate setup is less about a fresh breakout than a 
base-building phase. He said bitcoin appears to be testing a range around 
$60,000 to $70,000 while the market searches for a new narrative after both 
the “hard money” and speculative trades lost momentum. “We’ve done the hard 
money narrative. Gold is running that show right now. We had the speculative 
narrative,” Timmer said. “And so I think it’s sitting here waiting for a new 
storyline, if you will. It’ll still be related to those two. But something 
needs to happen.” One possible catalyst is macro policy. Timmer said he is 
watching prospective leadership changes at the Federal Reserve closely, 
arguing that a closer alignment between the Fed and Treasury in managing the 
debt load could eventually revive the hard-money case for bitcoin if markets 
begin to question central bank independence. In his telling, gold has already 
responded to that theme, while bitcoin has lagged. The macro picture is not 
one-dimensional, however. Timmer said bitcoin is currently caught between two 
identities: an “aspirational store of value” tied to monetary debasement and a 
speculative asset that often trades in line with tech risk. Related Reading: 
Crypto Adoption No Longer Optional, Survey Finds As 72% Of Finance Leaders 
Signal Commitment He pointed to a disconnect between rising global money 
supply, which he pegged at around $120 trillion and up roughly 12% year over 
year, and bitcoin’s weaker recent performance. At the same time, he noted that 
software stocks have been under pressure, and bitcoin has moved more in that 
direction than alongside hard-money assets. Wadington’s Q2 focus sits further 
down the stack. He highlighted tokenization, DeFi, and stablecoins as major 
themes already gaining traction, especially after Fidelity Digital Assets 
launched its own dollar-backed stablecoin, FIDD. He stressed that stablecoins 
should not be viewed as long-term investments so much as on-chain cash 
instruments designed for round-the-clock, low-cost global transfers. More 
interestingly, he said the next leg for Ethereum and Solana may come not only 
from AI agents transacting on-chain, but from AI making crypto developers more 
productive in the near term. “What I’m looking for are any signs or signals 
that show the thousands of crypto developers getting marginally or 
incrementally more productive,” Wadington said. “And I think that’ll have a 
direct impact on the underlying value of these assets. I personally don’t 
think it’s something that’s been talked about much that we could see come up 
in the metrics pretty shortly here.” At press time, the total crypto market 
cap stood at $2.41 trillion. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from 
TradingView.com

Fidelity Sees Key Crypto Catalysts Emerging For Q2 2026

Cryptography startup Zama is plugging its privacy tech into T‑REX in a bid to 
let banks and asset managers trade sensitive assets on public blockchains 
without losing confidentiality.

Zama integrates with Apex-backed T-REX for private tokenized assets

Onchain analyst EmberCN warned that Siren’s rally may stem from one party 
cornering spot supply to profit via derivatives.

Cryptocurrency price in LKR