Из жизни альткоинов

Global credit rating agency Kroll has assigned an inaugural investment‑grade issuer rating of BBB to Ripple Prime, marking a notable endorsement from a traditional credit agency for a firm rooted in the crypto sector. 

Ripple Prime was formed after Ripple acquired Hidden Road for around $1.2 billion late last year and operates as the clearing and intermediation arm for exchange‑traded derivatives (ETD) and related financing activities. 

Reasons Behind Ripple Prime’s BBB Score 

Kroll’s analysis emphasizes that Ripple Prime is in a scaling phase. The company’s ETD platform, launched in 2024, and its fixed‑income repo activities — which reached meaningful scale in 2025 and are concentrated in short‑duration US Treasuries and agency securities — are central to the rating. 

The agency pointed to an expanded balance sheet over the past year and noted that Ripple Prime achieved profitability in 2025. That performance was supported by significant capital injections from its parent, Ripple Labs: roughly $500 million following the acquisition. 

Kroll observed that while Ripple Prime’s activities are more narrowly focused than some peers, management’s experience and a clear strategy to broaden the platform through new business lines and added hires underpin the rating.

A key factor in Kroll’s view is the parent‑company support Ripple provides. The report highlights Ripple’s capital resources — nearly $5.0 billion in cash as of the third quarter 2025, along with more than 40 billion units of XRP on the balance sheet — which offer a substantial, though largely unrealized, source of value. 

Kroll said that, should Ripple Prime issue debt and encounter regulatory or liquidity constraints that limited dividends from the operating company, Ripple would likely step in to provide financial support. That implicit backing was an important element in assigning the BBB grade.

Experts See A Turning Point

Kroll also examined the firm’s risk profile. Revenues at Ripple Prime are still concentrated in spread‑based financing tied to balance sheet size and interest rate dynamics, which makes earnings sensitive to market conditions. 

Nonetheless, Kroll expects margins at Ripple Prime to improve in 2026 as the balance sheet expands, aided by the additional capital infusion of about $500 million from Ripple and by operating leverage as the business grows. 

The rating agency anticipates that planned expansions into Delta1 products (total return swaps and synthetic equity financing for leveraged ETF providers) and equity prime brokerage could materially diversify revenue and bring profitability in line with similarly rated firms if execution proceeds as planned.

Market experts greeted the rating as a turning point in the perception of crypto native firms within traditional finance. Egrag Crypto, among others, interpreted Kroll’s BBB assignment as a sign that institutional trust in Ripple Prime is rising. 

According to Egrag, the grade supports Ripple Prime’s growing prime brokerage business and highlights the company’s efforts to establish institutional-quality infrastructure that connects traditional finance and digital assets. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com 

Биткоин завершил первые три месяца года падением на 23,2%, примерно на $20 500. Для первой криптовалюты это самые плохие январь — март за последние восемь лет.

Coinbase chief legal officer has suggested that negotiators in the Senate are “very close” to a deal on the CLARITY Act’s most contentious crypto issue.

Coinbase: “Very Close To A Deal”, Despite Stablecoin Dispute

It’s all about the stablecoins. Whether and how exchanges can pay yield on stablecoin balances continues to be the bone of contention for CLARITY’s lawmakers, but according to Paul Grenwal, the long-standing dispute could be resolved as soon as this Friday.

Grenwal claimed in a Wednesday interview on Fox Business that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act is “moving toward” a markup session in the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. He stressed the need to “finish the job” with cryptocurrencies that was started after the passage of the GENIUS Act last year.

This could later advance to a full floor vote, once senators finally settle the stablecoin yield dispute and formally put the markup on the calendar.

The Stablecoin Compromise

It is worth noting that Grenwal’s statement follows months of drama in which Coinbase derailed an earlier Senate markup by withdrawing support over provisions it said would amount to a “de facto ban” on tokenized equities, heavy DeFi restrictions, and a tilt in power toward the SEC. Bitcoinist covered the story back then.

If the SBC moves to markup this month, as Grewal suggests, the bill could see a floor vote and land on President Trump’s desk as early as this year.

Stablecoin rewards have become the pressure point between banks and crypto firms because banks fear deposit flight, while exchanges view yield‑bearing stablecoins as core to their business models and user growth.

The emerging compromise consists in no rewards for idle, parked stablecoin balances, but limited yields linked to “active” use such as spending or on‑chain transactions. Some big banks, including JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon, appear willing to live with such a framework.

A successful compromise would end a year of committee delays and canceled markups, and could finally give exchanges a federal framework instead of “regulation by enforcement” through the SEC.

The Tension Between The Crypto Industry And The Regulators

Even if the bill passes in an agreeable way for both parties, there’s still a big split between the official narrative and what many in crypto fear it will really do.

Regulators and the administration are selling the CLARITY Act as the moment the U.S. finally becomes the global benchmark for digital‑asset rules: clear, predictable, and safe. CFTC chairman Michael Selig said in another interview with Fox Business this February that the pending U.S. crypto market‑structure bill would make the United States the “gold standard” for digital‑asset regulation.

However, builders and power crypto users continue asking whether that same law quietly locks in a bank and exchange‑centric model, with DeFi, tokenized markets, and true self‑custody pushed to the margins or offshore. This recent Reuters’ overview of the CLARITY Act emphasizes how the legislation will define who regulates which parts of the market and under what licensing regimes, reinforcing concerns that smaller or non‑custodial players could be squeezed.

Stablecoin yield surviving in “transaction‑linked” form would support exchange fees and interest income. But if talks collapse, markets may re‑price U.S. regulatory risk and rotate liquidity toward offshore venues.

Cover image from Perplexity, BTCUSDT chart from Tradingview

Правительство внесло в Госдуму пакет законопроектов о госконтроле за обращением криптовалют. Сомнений, что документы будут в нынешнем или чуть измененном приняты, нет. Что именно изменится для россиян?

Bithumb is now looking at an initial public offering sometime after 2028, a further slip from its earlier 2025 target, after a year of compliance trouble, board changes, and a costly internal blunder that briefly showed more than $40 billion in fake balances on its books.

According to reports tied to the company’s shareholder meeting, the South Korea-based exchange says it wants to spend the next stretch fixing its accounting and control systems before it tries to list.

Internal Error Raised Fresh Questions

The exchange’s most damaging recent episode came in February, when it mistakenly credited users with about 2,000 Bitcoin instead of 2,000 won. The mix-up was quickly reversed, and most of the money never left Bithumb’s internal ledger, but the scale of the error was hard to ignore.

It turned a routine systems failure into a public test of trust, and it arrived at a bad time for a company trying to convince regulators and investors that it is ready for the scrutiny that comes with a stock listing.

That mistake followed earlier pressure from South Korean authorities. Under CEO Lee Jae-won, Bithumb faced a six-month suspension and a $24 million fine tied to alleged anti-money-laundering breaches.

Shareholders have now backed Lee for another two-year term, even as the company keeps moving the IPO goal farther down the road. The exchange had once expected to list in 2025, but the new plan is to focus on preparation through 2027 before any filing process advances.

A Slower Road To The Market

Bithumb’s latest timeline fits a broader pattern of delay. CFO Jeong Sang-gyun told shareholders that the company is strengthening its accounting policies and internal controls after bringing in Samjong KPMG as an IPO adviser.

That language points to work that usually happens before a listing window opens, not after a target year has already passed. The change in pace also shows how much the exchange’s public debut now depends on proving basic governance, not just market demand.

The exchange is not the only one moving through the South Korean market with listing plans in view. Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, is also said to be preparing for an IPO after a share swap with Naver Financial, with September mentioned as a possible timing point.

Featured image from Moneyseth, chart from TradingView

Суд Южного округа Нью-Йорка обязал бывшего технического директора рухнувшей криптобиржи FTX Нишада Сингха (Nishad Singh) заплатить штраф $3,7 млн для урегулирования обвинений Комиссии по торговле товарными фьючерсами США (CFTC).

Губернатор Алабамы Кей Айви (Kay Ivey) подписала законопроект, наделяющий децентрализованные автономные организации (DAO) юридическим статусом.

Правительство России внесло в Госдуму законопроект, который собирается обязать «российских резидентов» с 1 июля уведомлять налоговую службу о зарубежных криптовалютных кошельках.

Блокчейн-исследователь ZachXBT обвинил эмитента стейблкоина USDC компанию Circle в бездействии, из-за которого украденные во время взлома криптопротокола Drift $230 млн свободно перемещались через протокол межсетевых переводов Circle с Solana на Эфириум.

Over the last few months, the Bitcoin price has dropped as the crypto market has responded to negative news coming out. One of the major news stories that has contributed to this decline was the attack by the United States on Iranian armed forces. Since war has negatively affected the broader financial markets, the Bitcoin price was not left out. And even now, when the digital asset seems to be forming something akin to a bottom, there are still expectations that the price will continue to crash.

Bitcoin ABC Wave Says The Last Drop Has Not Happened

The Bitcoin price continues to struggle after bears had initially broken the support at $70,000, and the resulting weakness has threatened further downtrend. This move aligns with crypto analyst Minga’s prediction that the digital asset was actually stuck in an ABC wave trend.

In the analysis, which was shared on the X (formerly Twitter) platform, the analyst explained that Bitcoin was actually sticking to this trend. Despite the fact that historical movements do not always play out the same way, there is still enough possibility for investors to be cautious.

Deep-diving into the wave pattern, the analyst’s chart shows that the start of the wave began with the price above $100,000. As the price had declined, so did the wave continue to play out. The latest of these now is the fact that the Bitcoin price has now entered the final leg of the wave pattern and this is the most bearish part.

The last wave, Wave C, is the wave that usually leads to the most decline. Here, it is expected to trigger an almost 50% decline in the digital asset’s price. Going by historical performance, following this trend would see the Bitcoin price eventually fall below $40,000.

As for the end of this decline, the analyst places the bottom of the decline somewhere around $34,000. While there is some wiggle room for this, it is still highly likely that the price goes this low. Thus, it is important to factor such a move into the performance of Bitcoin.

As for the major support levels through all of these, the analyst highlighted some support just below $50,000. More specifically, support lies at $49,577 if the price begins to decline. Beneath this level, though, there is hardly any support left for the cryptocurrency.

Аналитики группы XWIN Research заявили, что прямо сейчас рынок биткоина не переживает падение, но «проходит через структурное разделение» на два сегмента, а также через смену владельцев актива.

Японская инвестиционная компания Metaplanet, один из крупнейших корпоративных держателей биткоина, докупила 5075 BTC, потратив $398 млн.

Биткоин торгуется в диапазоне $60 000–70 000 из-за отсутствия сильного катализатора роста, заявили аналитики платформы Glassnode. По их мнению, давление на цену первой криптовалюты усиливает спотовый спрос, который частично поглощает предложение,

20-летний житель Челябинска пойдет под суд по статье о мошенничестве: по версии следствия, он совершил покупку за поддельную криптовалюту.

На фоне глубокого медвежьего тренда биткоин-трейдеры демонстрируют «агрессивную осторожность», заявил глава исследовательского подразделения компании K33 Research Ветле Лунде (Vetle Lunde).

US Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor has warned about the potential risks that stablecoin may pose to financial stability and urged for strong oversight, as the industry awaits the final text of the highly anticipated crypto market structure bill.

Fed Governor Calls For Stablecoin Clarity

On Tuesday, Fed Governor Michael Barr discussed the importance of stablecoin regulations, noting that landmark legislation, the Guiding and Establishing Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, provides “some needed clarity” to issuers about how they can fit into the regulatory framework.

During a Federalist Society event, Barr listed main use cases for tokens pegged to the US dollar, including facilitating crypto trading and as a store of value in some foreign jurisdictions. He also highlighted that they can be used to offer reduced remittance costs, expedite trade finance processing, and assist firms in managing their treasury functions.

However, the Fed Governor emphasized that “a great deal” of the clarity will “depend on how federal and state regulators implement the statute.” Therefore, regulators still need to address multiple risks, he warned, explaining that caution is warranted due to “a long and painful history of private money created with insufficient safeguards.”

Key issues include regulation of reserve assets, the potential for regulatory arbitrage, the scope of permissible activities for stablecoin issuers beyond issuance, appropriate capital and liquidity requirements, anti-money-laundering controls, and consumer protection requirements.

The federal regulator called for regulatory and technological measures to ensure that stablecoins are not used for illicit activity, affirming that “tight control over reserve assets, coupled with supervision, capital and liquidity requirements, and other measures, could enhance the stability of stablecoins and make them more viable payment instruments.”

His remarks come as the US Treasury Department seeks public feedback on the GENIUS Act Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) concerning state-level regulatory regimes, issued on April 1.

Final Text On Yield Compromise Delayed

Barr’s warning also follows the clash between the crypto and banking industries over stablecoin-related language that is set to be included in the crypto market structure bill, also known as the CLARITY Act, which was expected to be released as soon as this week but might be delayed until later in the month.

In a shift from last week’s guidance, the bill’s final text of the compromise between industry stakeholders and the Senate Banking Committee is no longer expected to be published this week, a spokesperson for Senator Thom Tillis’s office told Crypto In America on Wednesday.

A source familiar with the matter stated that the delay reflects concerns that releasing the text ahead of a markup, now expected in the back half of the month, could give opponents an opening to slow the bill’s progress.

Notably, the two parties have been fighting over the potential prohibition of yield and rewards on stablecoin balances, stalling the crypto bill for over two months. Last week, the crypto industry got its first look at the latest version of the CLARITY Act, set to address the long-standing dispute.

As reported by Bitconinist, the proposal seemingly prohibited platforms from offering yield, directly or indirectly, for holding a stablecoin, or in a manner that resembles a bank deposit. This restriction would broadly apply to digital asset service providers, including exchanges and brokers, as well as their affiliates.

The text aimed to limit workarounds and prohibit any activity “economically or functionally equivalent” to interest, addressing concerns from the banking industry side, but facing renewed backlash from crypto players like Coinbase.

According to the Wednesday report, the update follows ongoing talks between crypto and banking groups due to dissatisfaction with the earlier draft agreed upon by Tillis, Senator Angela Alsobrooks, and the White House.

Совкомбанк планирует в этом году запустить операции с криптовалютой для квалифицированных инвесторов — после принятия соответствующего законодательства, заявил зампред правления кредитного учреждения Михаил Автухов.

Научный сотрудник Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) Джейкоб Лангенкамп (Jacob Langenkamp) предложил властям Тайваня рассмотреть включение биткоина в стратегические государственные резервы. По его мнению, это может снизить зависимость от доллара США и повысить устойчивость страны к геополитическим рискам.

Вечером 1 апреля правительство России внесло в Госдуму поправки в Кодекс об административных правонарушениях (КоАП) РФ, предусматривающие ответственность за нарушения в сфере обращения цифровой валюты. Документ зарегистрирован на портале парламента.

The US Treasury on Wednesday published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that launches the administration’s first formal effort to implement the GENIUS Act, the new federal law governing payment stablecoins that was signed by President Donald Trump last year.

The NPRM is the Treasury’s initial regulatory proposal to give effect to the statute’s requirements and solicits public comment on how the department intends to apply the law.

GENIUS Act’s Proposed Rules

Under the GENIUS Act — formally titled the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act — Treasury is charged with setting out, through notice-and-comment rulemaking, high-level principles for assessing whether a state regulatory regime is “substantially similar” to the federal framework. 

The department’s 87-page proposed rule explains how it expects federal and state authorities to interact under the new regime and identifies matters on which Treasury seeks input from stakeholders.

Treasury’s proposal signals that it anticipates states will look to federal guidance, including standards the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has proposed, when deciding how prescriptive their own rules should be. 

The NPRM cites the OCC’s approach, which the OCC says is intended to be flexible and calibrated to the nature, scope, and risks posed by a permitted payment stablecoin issuer’s activities. 

Treasury’s draft leaves room for states to adopt principles-based requirements, indicating that state regulators will have discretion to design standards for issuers who qualify under a state regime.

The ultimate effects will depend on the specific content of each state’s regulatory regime, which the proposal anticipates could vary widely because the GENIUS Act grants states discretion in implementing their own frameworks.

Treasury Draft Sets Timeline

The draft rule also sets out the transition timeline and market consequences contemplated by the statute. Once the GENIUS Act takes effect, entities will be barred from issuing payment stablecoins in the United States unless they are authorized as permitted payment stablecoin issuers. 

In addition, the statute makes it unlawful, beginning July 18, 2028, for digital asset service providers to offer or sell unlicensed stablecoins to persons located in the United States. 

To preserve a state-option pathway for smaller issuers, the law allows a state to license payment stablecoin issuers with a consolidated total outstanding issuance of no more than $10 billion, but only if the state certifies that its regulatory regime is substantially similar to the federal framework.

Taken together, the department is seeking public input on the proposal’s details as it moves toward finalizing rules intended to implement the GENIUS Act’s structure for supervision, licensing, and consumer protections in the stablecoin market.

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com