Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Ethereum Foundation Q1 2026 grants double down on ZK, cryptography, and core protocol infrastructure

Ethereum Foundations Q1 2026 grants pour into ZK research, core clients, validator security, and public-goods infra, signaling long-term conviction in cryptography-first scaling.Q1 2026 allocations fund execution clients like Geth and Erigon plus Lighthouse consensus upgrades, focusing on post‑Pectra performance, monitoring, and validator security tools such as Vero and DISC‑NG.Cryptography and ZK grants target Poseidon hash analysis, Gröbner basis attack research, quantum-resistant schemes, and formal verification of a RISC‑V zkVM, aligning with Ethereums zkEVM and post‑quantum roadmaps.Ecosystem funding supports BuidlGuidl, WalletConnect clear-signing libraries, L2BEAT analytics, privacy and identity standards, and DAO-governance research as shared public goods for a multi-layer Ethereum economy.　　The Ethereum Foundation has released its latest Q1 2026 allocation report, highlighting fresh grants and ecosystem support across cryptography, zero‑knowledge proofs (ZK), protocol security, and core infrastructure. The funding continues a long‑running strategy of backing deep technical work on Ethereums underlying stack rather than short‑term speculative themes.　　At the protocol and client layer, the Foundation is directing resources to execution‑client optimizations for Geth and Erigon, aiming to improve performance, syncing, and resource efficiency for node operators. On the consensus side, the Lighthouse client is receiving support for upgrades tied to the post‑Pectra environment, alongside new network‑monitoring tools designed to track chain health,

04-29Industry

Kite Mainnet Launches on Avalanche, Processes 1.9B Interactions

Kite, a blockchain project designed for agent-driven payments and identity, has officially launched its mainnet on Avalanches Layer 1 (L1) network. This milestone follows extensive testnet activity, which saw over 1.9 billion agent interactions and 300 million transactions executed. The launch marks a significant step in developing infrastructure tailored for autonomous software systems.　　The core idea behind Kite is to enable economic behavior for AI agents—software that can perform tasks autonomously, including browsing, decision-making, and executing transactions. Traditional blockchain systems and payment networks are built around human actions. Kite flips that assumption, creating an execution and settlement layer optimized for high-frequency, programmatic transactions between agents and services.　　Key Mainnet Features　　Kites mainnet introduces three foundational elements:Cryptographic Identity: Persistent, verifiable IDs for agents.Programmable Permissions: Controlled authority and delegation for actions.Instant Settlement: Stablecoin-based payments built into execution workflows.　　These features allow agents to authenticate, operate within defined constraints, and transact in real time. For example, an agent can pay per API call, access datasets, or settle microtransactions for tasks without human intervention.　　Testnet Success and Backing　　Before going live, Kites testnet demonstrated its scalability and utility. Over 20 million users and 51 million addresses interacted with the network, with daily activity peaking at 30 million API calls. The

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Kalshi bettors prediction Powell to stay as Fed Governor

Finance　　Kalshi bettors prediction Powell to stay as Fed Governor　　Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell participates in a board meeting at the Federal Reserve on March 19, 2026 in Washington, DC.　　Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images　　Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is likely to stay on for a short time after his term as head of the central bank is over, bettors on prediction markets platform Kalshi estimate.　　Bettors place a 30% chance Powell resigns as a member of the Fed Board of Governors by June. However, bettors are more confident that he does that by August or the end of the year, with 66% and 81% odds, respectively.　　Powell said after the March Federal Open Market Committee meeting he would not step down as a governor until the criminal inquiry into him by the Department of Justice was resolved. On Friday, the justice department dropped its probe into Powell.　　When that happened, odds that Powell would resign by June surged to nearly 54.5%, but they have fallen in the days since.　　However, Polymarket bettors see Powell stepping aside imminently. They give it an 87% chance he steps down between May 15 and May 22.　　Powell is set to address reporters after the Fed meeting on Wednesday, likely his

04-29Industry

Ethereum Foundation Q1 2026 grants double down on ZK, cryptography, and core protocol infrastructure

Ethereum Foundations Q1 2026 grants pour into ZK research, core clients, validator security, and public-goods infra, signaling long-term conviction in cryptography-first scaling.Q1 2026 allocations fund execution clients like Geth and Erigon plus Lighthouse consensus upgrades, focusing on post‑Pectra performance, monitoring, and validator security tools such as Vero and DISC‑NG.Cryptography and ZK grants target Poseidon hash analysis, Gröbner basis attack research, quantum-resistant schemes, and formal verification of a RISC‑V zkVM, aligning with Ethereums zkEVM and post‑quantum roadmaps.Ecosystem funding supports BuidlGuidl, WalletConnect clear-signing libraries, L2BEAT analytics, privacy and identity standards, and DAO-governance research as shared public goods for a multi-layer Ethereum economy.　　The Ethereum Foundation has released its latest Q1 2026 allocation report, highlighting fresh grants and ecosystem support across cryptography, zero‑knowledge proofs (ZK), protocol security, and core infrastructure. The funding continues a long‑running strategy of backing deep technical work on Ethereums underlying stack rather than short‑term speculative themes.　　At the protocol and client layer, the Foundation is directing resources to execution‑client optimizations for Geth and Erigon, aiming to improve performance, syncing, and resource efficiency for node operators. On the consensus side, the Lighthouse client is receiving support for upgrades tied to the post‑Pectra environment, alongside new network‑monitoring tools designed to track chain health,

04-29Ethereum

White Tech secures MiCA authorization as W Group expands to EU

Tech　　White Tech secures MiCA authorization as W Group expands to EU　　WHITE TECH, part of W Group and majority-owned by WhiteBIT founder and CEO Volodymyr Nosov, has received authorization to operate as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) under the European Unions Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, according to details shared with Finbold on Wednesday, April 29.　　The authorization was granted by Croatia‘s financial regulator, HANFA, and allows WHITE TECH to provide regulated crypto services across the EU under MiCA’s unified framework.　　Under the W Group umbrella, WHITE TECH operates as a core infrastructure entity, supporting crypto exchange services, fiat-to-crypto conversions, and crypto-asset transfers for businesses and users.　　Regulatory clearance positions WHITE TECH within EUs crypto framework　　According to the announcement, the MiCA authorization enables WHITE TECH to offer services including the exchange of crypto-assets for fiat currencies and other crypto-assets, custody and administration of crypto-assets, and crypto-asset transfer services. The company will operate under ongoing regulatory supervision, in line with MiCA requirements covering governance, risk management, and user protection.　　WHITE TECH is among the first companies in Croatia to receive authorization under MiCA, to enter the EUs regulatory regime at an early stage. The framework is designed to standardize crypto-asset regulation across member states, to improve

04-29Industry

Dogecoin and Shiba Inu Surge as Altcoin Market Turns Green

Crypto　　Dogecoin and Shiba Inu Surge as Altcoin Market Turns Green　　The altcoin market staged a broad recovery on Wednesday. Meme coins led the charge, with Dogecoin and Shiba Inu posting some of the sharpest gains across the entire crypto market. Strong capital inflows, rising open interest, and technical signals all pointed in the same direction, up.　　Dogecoin Breaks Key Barrier as Short Squeeze Drives 15% Rally　　Dogecoin as much as 15% during Wednesdays session. The token moved swiftly from $0.099 to an intraday high of $0.112, its among the top ten cryptocurrencies by market cap. The memecoin has since retreated at the time of writing to trade at around $0.1058, up 7.77% in the last 24 hours.　　The $0.10 level had acted as a ceiling for most of 2025. Dogecoin had failed to hold above it since February of last year. Wednesdays break above that threshold drew immediate attention from traders.　　Futures markets reflected the surge in demand. in DOGE futures jumped more than 28% within a single day, reaching $1.81 billion. That figure marked the highest level recorded since October 10.　　The rapid price move caught bearish traders off guard. Short positions were forced to close, adding upward pressure to an already rising market. According

04-29Industry

EUR/GBP: Political uncertainty drives risk premium – Deutsche Bank

Finance　　EUR/GBP: Political uncertainty drives risk premium – Deutsche Bank　　Deutsche Banks Shreyas Gopal and Sanjay Raja note that EUR/GBP continues to trade above levels implied by Bank of England (BoE)-European Central Bank (ECB) rate differentials, leaving a measurable risk premium in the Pound (GBP). They argue this reflects ongoing United Kingdom (UK) political uncertainty and higher gilt yields after the energy shock. They also flag upside risks to Bank Rate and rising UK term premia.　　Pound holds election risk premium　　“To be sure, if the May election results are sufficiently bad for the Labour Party as to see a leadership challenge over the summer, we would expect these risk premia to remain in place in UK FIC markets. Whether they widen further will depend on the policy platform of any potential challengers, and actual measures taken thereafter.”　　“In that context, we highlight this recent Financial Times report suggesting that the ”soft left“ of the Parliamentary Labour Party are slowly moving in favour of some welfare spending reforms, which in isolation could be taken as positive by the gilt market, and offer a (partial) offset to any plans for higher spending elsewhere.”　　“Our basecase is that the BoE does not change Bank Rate, but we have

04-29Industry

BRK.B (Berkshire Hathaway) pullback to offer buying opportunity

Wave ((4)) is expected to continue lower in the near term, with a projected support zone between 433 and 388. This area aligns with key Fibonacci retracement levels, including the 1.0 and 1.618 extensions of the prior corrective swings. The blue box region on the chart highlights this high-probability area where the correction may find support.　　Once the stock completes wave ((4)), the next bullish leg higher in wave ((5)) should begin. This move would aim to break above the previous wave ((3)) high and continue the long-term uptrend. The overall structure supports further upside once the correction finishes.In the short term, traders should avoid selling into the decline and instead prepare for potential buying opportunities at extreme levels. The best setups typically appear once the correction completes a clear 3, 7, or 11 swing structure within the highlighted support zone.Summary　　Berkshire Hathaway remains in a long-term bullish trend, despite the ongoing wave ((4)) correction. The stock may continue to pull back toward the 433–388 region before finding support. This zone should offer a buying opportunity for the next move higher in wave ((5)), which is expected to extend the bullish cycle further.

04-29Industry

Bitcoin surges alongside oil as BTC price finally decouples from the war narrative... until US markets opened

Bitcoin　　Bitcoin surges alongside oil as BTC price finally decouples from the war narrative… until US markets opened　　Bitcoin is trading near $76,600 after reversing from an earlier intraday push toward $78,000, while crude oil trades near $103 and the S&P 500 fell as the US stock market opened.　　Before the US cash session, Bitcoin rose even as crude oil kept climbing, suggesting crypto-specific positioning was strong enough to resist the oil-inflation trade for part of the day.　　After the open, the picture turned back toward equities. The chart below shows Bitcoin rolling over as the S&P 500 moved lower, while crude oil remained elevated.　　That leaves two signals in tension: Bitcoin can trade independently of stocks while cash equities are closed, but US equity risk appetite can still pull it back once the main session begins.　　Broader market data shows roughly $2.6 trillion in crypto market cap, about $122 billion in 24-hour volume, and Bitcoin dominance near 60%.　　Bitcoin market page showed Bitcoin in the upper-$77,000s earlier today up about 1.6% over 24 hours, with market cap around $1.56 trillion. The latest chart shows why that intraday strength fell off: the US open turned the move from a simple oil-shock divergence into an equity follow-through test.　　The

04-29Industry

Here’s How The Ethereum Vs. Solana Rivalry Is Going

Ethereum and Solana are once again under close watch as fresh data reveals how both networks are performing, with recent fee metrics and on-chain activity offering a clearer picture of where momentum currently sits.　　Ethereum Vs. Solana: Fee Dominance And Growing Activity　　Recent figures directly address how both networks compare, showing Ethereum building a clear lead in economic activity. Data shared on April 24, 2026, by @ETH_Daily revealed that Ethereum had been generating more total fees than Solana for over a week. In the most recent 24-hour snapshot, Ethereum recorded approximately $2.7 million in fees, while Solana produced about $70,000. This 40 times gap highlights a sustained difference rather than a short-term fluctuation.　　The fee chart tied to this update provides further clarity. Ethereum‘s fee levels, which had been moving within moderate ranges earlier in the period, surged sharply toward nearly $2.75 million. In contrast, Solana’s fees fluctuated within a tighter band before declining significantly, eventually approaching minimal levels.　　Beyond fees, on-chain data adds another layer to the comparison. On April 27, 2026, @CryptoQuant reported that Ethereum‘s active addresses had climbed to record highs even as its price moved lower. The dataset, attributed to CryptoOnchain, shows activity nearing 600,000 addresses while price levels remain

04-29Ethereum