Ethereum Foundation&#8217;s new co-executive director Tomasz K. Stańczak says Buterin&#8217;s proposals are meant to spark discussions and invite scrutiny regarding the network&#8217;s future goals and breakthroughs. In a recent post following Buterin&#8217;s previous proposal on replacing Ethereum (ETH) Virtual Machine…

Ethereum Foundation new co-executive responds to Vitalik Buterin’s latest RISC-V proposal

Major cryptocurrency firms, including stablecoin issuer Circle and crypto 
custodian BitGo, are reportedly considering applying for bank charters or 
licenses.
According to an April 21 Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar 
with the matter, Circle, BitGo and other firms are considering applying for 
some form of banking license. Other firms cited include the publicly traded 
US-based crypto exchange Coinbase and the stablecoin issuer Paxos.
Back in 2021, the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency already granted 
a preliminary conditional approval for a US bank charter to Paxos. The report 
comes as the US continues to reshape local stablecoin regulations.
US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently said that as digital assets 
gain mainstream adoption, establishing a legal framework for stablecoins is a 
&#8220;good idea.&#8221; Speaking at a recent event in Chicago, Powell recognized that 
after a &#8220;wave of failures and frauds,&#8221; the crypto space delivered a consumer 
use case that &#8220;could have wide appeal.&#8221;
_**Related:**__**Stablecoins are powering deobanks**_
## A stable genius
The US House Financial Services Committee passed a Republican-backed 
stablecoin framework bill earlier in April. The bill approved by the committee 
is the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy 
(STABLE) Act.
This bill is moving forward alongside the Guiding and Establishing National 
Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. The STABLE and GENIUS bills differ 
in how they would regulate the stablecoin industry.
The latter was the first one to be introduced and made its way past the US 
Senate Banking Committee in mid-March. While the STABLE Act emphasizes strict 
federal oversight, the GENIUS Act seeks a more flexible path that includes 
state and federal regulation.
The STABLE Act enforces a two-year moratorium on issuing collateralized 
stablecoins backed by self-issued digital assets. It also mandates that 
stablecoin reserves be held separate from business funds to ensure that 
customer deposits are not used for operations.
The GENIUS Act establishes a legal framework for stablecoin payments and aims 
to support US-based stablecoin issuers to reinforce the dollar&#8217;s global 
dominance. The bill also includes stricter rules, such as enhanced Anti-Money 
Laundering (AML) safeguards, reserve and liquidity standards, and sanctions 
checks.
Under the GENIUS Act, stablecoin issuers are considered financial institutions 
covered by the Bank Secrecy Act, which means they fall under strict AML rules. 
User verification and reporting of suspicious activity would also be required.
_**Related:**__**Crypto &#8216;s debanking problem persists despite new 
regulations**_
## Why a bank charter?
The companies cited in the report had not responded to Cointelegraph&#8217;s 
inquiries by publication.
However, a bank charter potentially would allow crypto firms to operate like 
traditional lenders, taking deposits and making loans.
On the other hand, crypto firms that obtain a banking charter would be subject 
to much stricter reporting and regulatory oversight. One example is Anchorage 
Digital, a crypto firm holding a federal bank charter that reportedly spent 
millions to comply with regulations.
Despite this, recent reports indicate that the US Department of Homeland 
Security&#8217;s El Dorado Task Force has reportedly launched an investigation into 
Anchorage Digital Bank.
The news does not come as a complete surprise. In late March, reports 
indicated that cryptocurrency and fintech companies are increasingly seeking 
bank charters in an attempt to grow their businesses under the Trump 
administration.
_**Magazine:**__**Elon Musk &#8216;s plan to run government on blockchain faces 
uphill battle**_

Circle, BitGo about to apply for bank charter, others may follow: WSJ

Michael Saylor&#8217;s Strategy, one of the world&#8217;s largest publicly listed 
corporate Bitcoin holders, has added another major purchase to its growing 
portfolio as the cryptocurrency trades near $85,000.
Strategy acquired 6,556 Bitcoin for $555.8 million in the period from April 
14-20, at an average price of $84,785 per coin, the firm announced in its 
latest Form 8-K filing with the United States Securities and Exchange 
Commission.
The latest purchase accounts for 1.2% of Strategy&#8217;s total Bitcoin holdings of 
538,200 BTC as of April 20, acquired for the aggregate amount of $36.5 billion 
at an average price of $67,766 per BTC.
_An excerpt from Strategy &#8216;s Form 8-K filing. Source: Strategy_
The latest Bitcoin purchase was funded using proceeds from the Common ATM and 
STRK ATM stock offerings, including the sale of 1,755,000 Strategy shares for 
$547.7 million and 91,213 shares of Series A preferred stock sold for $7.8 
million.
## Strategy expands buying after a pause
The latest purchase follows Strategy&#8217;s 3,459 BTC acquisition reported on April 
14, which became the first announced purchase by the firm since March 31.
Prior to that, Strategy did not report a Bitcoin buy between March 31 and 
April 6, breaking its usual cadence as Bitcoin fell below $87,000.
Strategy has acquired 91,800 Bitcoin so far in 2025, accounting for 17% of its 
total BTC holdings.
This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it 
becomes available.
_**Magazine:**__**Your AI &#8216;digital twin&#8217; can take meetings and comfort your 
loved ones**_

Michael Saylor’s Strategy bagged 6,556 BTC for $555.8M last week

Michael Saylor, the visionary behind Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), has 
revealed the company’s latest bitcoin coup: a strategic acquisition of 6,556 
BTC for $555.8 million. The purchase translates to a crisp $84,785 per coin, 
further cementing the firm’s position as a titan in corporate crypto holdings. 
On Monday, Saylor highlighted an impressive milestone—the business 
intelligence (BI) […]

Bitcoin Whale Goes Bigger: Strategy’s Treasury Balloons to 538,200 BTC

The cryptocurrency market thrives on pivotal make-or-break moments at certain 
price levels where assets either collapse or catapult higher. For BNB, the 
$531 support level has proven to be a turning point. After a period of 
uncertainty, BNB has held this crucial zone and ignited a powerful rebound, 
confirming a shift in market structure from cautious consolidation to bullish 
momentum. This resurgence is more than just a technical bounce. It reflects 
growing confidence among traders, resilient demand at key levels, and a 
broader market appetite for altcoins as Bitcoin stabilizes. With strong 
volume, reclaiming key moving averages, and breaking near-term resistance, BNB 
is signaling that the correction phase may be over. BNB Chart Pattern 
Signaling Sustained Momentum In a recent post shared on X, UniChartz 
highlighted that BNB is currently displaying strong bullish momentum after 
rebounding from a key zone. This level, which once served as a major 
resistance barrier, has now flipped into solid support, a classic bullish 
signal that often reinforces the strength of an ongoing uptrend. Related 
Reading: BNB Price Eyes Breakout, But $600 Remains A Stubborn Ceiling 
According to the analysis, the successful retest of this zone validates the 
breakout and suggests that buyers are stepping in. With momentum building and 
price structure aligning in favor of the bulls, BNB could be primed for 
further climb if this support continues to hold firm. He further noted that as 
long as BNB maintains its position above this key support zone, the overall 
bullish structure remains intact, keeping the momentum firmly in favor of the 
bulls. This sustained strength reinforces the possibility of a continued 
climb, with the path toward a new all-time high (ATH) near the $794 level 
looking increasingly viable. This outlook is supported by the 50-day 
Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which continues to serve as dynamic support, 
closely tracking price action and cushioning minor pullbacks. The alignment of 
price above this moving average further solidifies the current uptrend, 
suggesting that BNB may be gearing up for a sustained rally if broader market 
sentiment remains favorable. Breaking Barriers: Key Resistance Levels To Watch 
Currently, BNB is on the verge of breaking above the crucial $605 resistance 
level. This level serves as a psychological barrier and aligns with a key 
technical area where selling pressure has historically emerged. A decisive 
break above this resistance, especially if supported by a strong surge in 
trading volume, might signal a clear confirmation of buyer dominance in the 
market. Related Reading: BNB Price Faces More Downside—Can Bulls Step In? Such 
a breakout would likely trigger a wave of new buying interest from retail 
traders and institutional participants. More importantly, clearing this level 
could open the door for BNB to target higher resistance zones, including the 
$680, $724, and all-time highs. Until then, traders should watch this level 
closely because BNB&#8217;s response here could shape the trajectory of its next 
major move. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

BNB Springs Back From $531 With Unshaken Bullish Conviction

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has expressed concerns over the growing threat to 
private messaging in France and other European Union countries, warning that 
Telegram would rather exit certain markets than implement encryption backdoors 
that undermine user privacy.
In an April 21 post to his &#8220;Du Rove&#8217;s channel&#8221; on Telegram, he posted an 
alarming message about the EU&#8217;s increasing efforts to weaken messaging 
encryption by adding backdoors, a method that would allow authorities to 
bypass encryption and access private user data.
Durov cited initiatives from French and EU lawmakers to require messaging apps 
like Telegram to implement backdoors for police access and stressed Telegram&#8217;s 
commitment to digital privacy.
&#8220;Telegram would rather exit a market than undermine encryption with backdoors 
and violate basic human rights,&#8221; Durov stated, adding: &#8220;Unlike some of our 
competitors, we don&#8217;t trade privacy for market share.&#8221;
## Backdoors can be exploited by criminals
In his message, Durov highlighted that the biggest problem behind encryption 
backdoors lies in their accessibility not only to authorities but also to 
hackers and foreign agents.
&#8220;It&#8217;s technically impossible to guarantee that only the police can access a 
backdoor,&#8221; Durov said, adding that backdoors would put users&#8217; private messages 
at risk of being compromised.
He added that criminals would likely turn to lesser-known apps and use virtual 
private networks (VPNs) to avoid detection, rendering such regulations 
ineffective.
## Telegram &#8220;never disclosed a single byte&#8221; of private messages
Durov said that while Telegram complies with valid court orders in some 
jurisdictions, such as disclosing IP addresses and phone numbers found to be 
involved in criminal activity, it has never exposed any private messages: 
&gt; &#8220;In its 12-year history, Telegram has never disclosed a single byte of 
&gt; private messages. In accordance with the EU Digital Services Act, if 
&gt; provided with a valid court order, Telegram would only disclose the IP 
&gt; addresses and phone numbers of criminal suspects &#8212; not messages.&#8221;
He urged privacy advocates to keep communicating with lawmakers and promote 
encryption as a protection tool of privacy and safety for ordinary people, 
rather than see it as a criminal tool. &#8220;Losing that protection would be 
tragic,&#8221; Durov said.
## &#8220;The battle is far from over&#8221;
Although the French National Assembly rejected a proposal to allow hidden 
access to private messages in March, the EU&#8217;s war on digital privacy is far 
from over, Durov said.
Durov cited the European Commission&#8217;s &#8220;ProtectEU&#8221; proposal from early April. 
The proposal aims to find &#8220;technological solutions to enable lawful access to 
data by law enforcement authorities in 2026.&#8221;
_An excerpt from the EC&#8217;s ProtectEU proposal. Source: EU_
The proposal has been heavily criticized by digital privacy advocates and some 
European lawmakers, with Finnish MEP Aura Salla suggesting that introducing 
encryption backdoors &#8220;fundamentally undermines the very cybersecurity 
principles ProtectEU aims to uphold.&#8221;
_**Related:**__**EU could fine Elon Musk &#8216;s X $1B over illicit content, 
disinformation**_
&#8220;No country is immune to the slow erosion of freedoms. Every day, those 
freedoms come under attack &#8212; and every day, we must defend them,&#8221; Durov 
concluded.
Durov&#8217;s warning about threats to privacy and freedom in the EU comes amid an 
ongoing legal case in France against the Telegram CEO centered around 
allegations of facilitating a platform that enables illicit transactions.
According to French prosecutors, Durov faces up to 10 years of prison time in 
addition to a $550,000 fine if convicted.
_**Magazine:**__**Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra &#8216;s plan to win trust: 
Hodler&#8217;s Digest, April 13 &#8211; 19**_