Crypto markets and investor confidence are poised for explosive growth as new SEC leadership vows to end overreach, restore fairness, and champion clear digital asset regulations. New SEC Leadership Signals Massive Win for Crypto Innovation and Investor Confidence Paul Atkins officially assumed leadership of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during a swearing-in ceremony […]

New SEC Chair Promises Radical Crypto Reforms—Vows to Make US the Top Investment Hub

The future of decentralization hinges not just on removing central authority, 
but on proving that the data we rely on is accurate and consistently 
accessible

The accountability paradox of DePIN | Opinion

Crypto projects prepare to battle for privacy in Switzerland

Onchain sleuth ZachXBT has flagged a suspicious transfer involving 3,520 
Bitcoin (BTC) (valued at $330.7 million) that may indicate a major theft. The 
transaction, reported on April 28, saw funds moved from a potential victim&#8217;s 
wallet to the address bc1qcry&#8230;vz55g.
Following the transfer, the stolen stash was quickly laundered through over 
six instant exchanges and swapped into privacy-focused cryptocurrency Monero 
(XMR).
The large-scale conversion led to a sharp 50% spike in XMR&#8217;s price, with the 
token reaching an intraday high of $339, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
_Source:__ZachXBT_
At the time of writing, XMR has settled slightly but remains up 25% in the 
past 24 hours, trading at $289.
When asked whether North Korea&#8217;s Lazarus Group was behind the attack, ZachXBT 
dismissed the theory, stating it was &#8220;highly probable it&#8217;s not,&#8221; suggesting 
independent hackers were responsible.
_**Related:**__**Kraken to end Monero support in European Economic Area**_
## Vast majority of hackers use mainstream cryptos
In a recent comment to Cointelegraph, Chainalysis noted that most criminal 
transactions still rely on mainstream cryptocurrencies.
&#8220;While there are concerns of more criminals moving to privacy coins for 
anonymity, the vast majority of criminal activity still uses mainstream 
cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoins,&#8221; Chainalysis 
said.
The firm added that these assets remain attractive because they offer the same 
benefits to bad actors as they do to legitimate users &#8212; cross-border 
functionality, instant settlement, and high liquidity.
Chainalysis noted that privacy coins pose limitations for criminals due to 
reduced liquidity and the fact that many major exchanges have delisted assets 
like Monero.
&#8220;Cryptocurrency is only useful if you can buy and sell goods and services or 
cash out into fiat, and that is much more difficult with privacy coins, 
especially as many mainstream exchanges have offboarded the use of privacy 
coins, such as Monero,&#8221; they explained.
The firm even said that blockchain transparency allows law enforcement to 
trace and recover illicit funds, regardless of the cryptocurrency used.
In 2024, a leaked Chainalysis video suggested that Monero transactions could 
be traceable despite the privacy-preserving nature of the blockchain.
The video reportedly showed how Chainalysis could track transactions back to 
2021 via its own &#8220;malicious&#8221; Monero nodes.
_**Related:**__**The IRS offers a $625,000 bounty to anyone who can break 
Monero and Lightning Network**_
## Monero accepted at Spar stores in Switzerland
The suspected laundering operation comes as Monero is gaining wider retail 
acceptance. Two Spar supermarket locations in Switzerland recently began 
accepting XMR for payments.
The announcement, shared by Monero&#8217;s official X account, credits partnerships 
with DFX Swiss and OpenCryptoPay for enabling the integration.
One user, posting on April 25, shared their experience of purchasing organic 
cacao using XMR at a Spar store in Kreuzlingen.
_User paying for goods with Monero. Souce:__Schmidt_
In April 2025, Spar first tapped into the crypto market by introducing Bitcoin 
payments through the Lightning Network at outlets in Zug, Switzerland.
_**Magazine:**__**Bitcoin $100K hopes on ice, SBF &#8216;s mysterious prison move: 
Hodler&#8217;s Digest, April 20 &#8211; 26**_

ZachXBT flags suspicious $330M Bitcoin transfer triggering Monero surge

James O’Beirne, a Bitcoin Core developer, has raised concerns about the state 
of Bitcoin’s security budget and how its ongoing erosion might jeopardize what 
he refers to as ‘property rights.’ O’Beirne emphasized that there is little 
time to address this issue. Bitcoin Core Developer James O’Beirne Warns About 
Possible Erosion of Bitcoin ‘Property Rights’ as […]

Bitcoin Core Developer: Erosion of Security Budget May Undermine Bitcoin’s Monetary Fundamentals

Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, has criticized the US Federal 
Reserve for quietly maintaining a key anti-crypto policy that favors big-bank- 
issued stablecoins, despite relaxing crypto partnership rules for banks.
In an April 27 thread on X, Long explained that while the Fed recently 
rescinded four prior crypto guidelines, it left intact a Jan. 27, 2023, 
statement issued in coordination with the Biden administration.
The guidance, according to Long, blocks banks from engaging directly with 
crypto assets and prohibits them from issuing stablecoins on permissionless 
blockchains.
&#8220;THE FED HAS MAINTAINED A REGULATORY PREFERENCE FOR PERMISSIONED STABLECOINS 
(ie, big-bank versions),&#8221; Long stated.
She warned that this move gives traditional financial institutions a &#8220;head 
start&#8221; in launching private stablecoins while the broader market waits for 
stablecoin legislation to pass through Congress.
_Caitlin Long criticizing the Fed &#8216;s preference for permissioned stablecoins. 
Source: __Caitlin Long_
## Long urges Congress to pass stablecoin bill
Long noted that once a federal stablecoin bill becomes law, it could override 
the Fed&#8217;s stance. &#8220;Congress should hurry up,&#8221; she urged.
Beyond stablecoins, Long pointed out how the Fed&#8217;s policy hampers banks from 
participating in crypto markets as principals, preventing them from market- 
making in assets like Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) or Solana (SOL).
_**Related:**__**US banks are &#8216;free to begin supporting Bitcoin&#8217;**_
She also noted operational challenges for banks looking to offer crypto 
custody services, particularly around covering gas fees for onchain 
transactions &#8212; a standard practice for crypto custodians but restricted under 
current Fed rules.
Summing up her concerns, Long argued that the Fed&#8217;s decision keeps &#8220;sand in 
the wheels&#8221; of banks entering crypto custody, while simultaneously advancing 
permissioned stablecoins backed by major financial institutions.
&#8220;The Fed definitely won on PR spin&#8211;its press release listed a long list of 
guidance it rescindedbut omitted ANY mention of the guidance it kept. That 
duped *a lot* of smart people, understandably,&#8221; she wrote.
_**Related:**__**Fed&#8217;s Powell reasserts support for stablecoin legislation**_
## Senator Lummis calls Fed&#8217;s move as &#8220;lip service&#8221;
Senator Cynthia Lummis, a vocal supporter of digital assets, also condemned 
the Fed&#8217;s move as mere &#8220;lip service,&#8221; signaling potential legislative pushback 
in the near future.
Lummis mentioned the Fed&#8217;s policy statement in Section 9(13), which hasn&#8217;t 
been withdrawn, stating that Bitcoin and digital assets are considered &#8220;unsafe 
and unsound.&#8221;
_Senator Cynthia Lummis criticizing the Fed. Source: Senator Cynthia Lummis_
However, other crypto executives praised the Fed&#8217;s announcement as a positive 
development for the industry. Strategy&#8217;s Michael Saylor said in an April 25 X 
post that the Fed&#8217;s move means that &#8220;banks are now free to begin supporting 
Bitcoin.&#8221;
_**Magazine: **__**Financial nihilism in crypto is over &#8212; It&#8217;s time to dream 
big again**_