Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

ADGM, Hashed Release Web3 Policy Report After ADFW 2025 Roundtable

Approximately forty senior decision-makers from global financial institutions, regulators, and infrastructure firms participated in the roundtable discussion.Participants spoke on the rising prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the financial sector, particularly the implications of more autonomous decision-making and execution decisions.　　ADGMs Registration Authority (RA) and Hashed Open Research (HOR), a policy think tank affiliated with Hashed, have collaborated on the creation of a new policy paper that provides a synthesis of the insights gained from the “Web3 Leaders Roundtable,” which was held in collaboration with Hashed during Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025.　　Approximately forty senior decision-makers from global financial institutions, regulators, and infrastructure firms participated in the roundtable discussion that was held behind closed doors. These decision-makers included representatives from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), BlackRock, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Franklin Templeton, Circle, Consensys, Solana Foundation, the European Commission, and the Government of Liechtenstein. The confluence of artificial intelligence and blockchain-based financial infrastructure was the primary topic of discussion, along with the practical impediments that are influencing the adoption of digital assets by traditional institutions.　　AI Agents and Blockchain Infrastructure: Building Trusted Financial Systems at Scale　　Participants spoke on the rising prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in

04-28Industry

Visa is teaming up with a Tether co-founder to build onchain banks

Visa (V) is working with blockchain-based stablecoin infrastructure firm WeFi, to help establish the “last half mile” that can provide users with robust onchain payments and banking services, the companies said on Tuesday.　　WeFi, which is co-founded by former Tether OG Reeve Collins, describes its platform as “an orchestration layer between decentralized finance (DeFi) and regulated payment infrastructure, designed to support use cases such as cross‑border spending and on‑chain value storage,” according to a press release.　　“We‘re upgrading the plumbing and offering essentially people bank accounts, because they’ll soon have their IBAN numbers, and were getting the various licenses around the world to operate appropriately,” Collins said in an interview.　　As the platform scales, the plan is to partner with more banks and institutions, with a view towards the underbanked of the world, Collins said.　　The rollout will take place region by region, starting with selected markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Expansion into additional markets will depend on local regulatory approvals and issuing partnerships.　　“The partnership with Visa really closes that last half mile of onchain banking infrastructure,” Collins said.　　“This collaboration demonstrates how Visas global network interacts with onchain models, while operating within established regulatory frameworks and the reliability consumers and merchants expect,”

04-28Industry

Madonna Charts A New Top 10 Set Months Before Her New Album Arrives

This summer, one day before America‘s birthday, Madonna will release her upcoming album, . The project, which can also be called , as it has been marketed as a sequel to her Grammy-winning full-length, is one of the most highly anticipated of the year. Madonna’s forthcoming fifteenth full-length will mark her first in six years, and fans have already gotten a taste of the full-length via lead single “I Feel So Free.”　　As that song launches on several charts in the United Kingdom, Madonnas , a Record Store Day exclusive release, earns the superstar a new top 10 on a pair of rankings across the Atlantic, only months before she may score a new No. 1.　　Debuts　　appears on four lists in the U.K., launching on two and finding its way back to another pair. Madonnas live set, which was recorded at her show in August 2006 at Wembley Arena, opens at No. 8 on the Official Vinyl Albums chart and one space lower at No. 9 on the Official Albums Sales tally.　　Adds to Madonnas Top 10s　　The pop superstar earns her sixth top 10 on the Official Albums Sales chart, the U.K.s ranking of the bestselling titles of any style and via any

04-28Industry

ADGM, Hashed Release Web3 Policy Report After ADFW 2025 Roundtable

Tech　　ADGM, Hashed Release Web3 Policy Report After ADFW 2025 RoundtableApproximately forty senior decision-makers from global financial institutions, regulators, and infrastructure firms participated in the roundtable discussion.Participants spoke on the rising prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the financial sector, particularly the implications of more autonomous decision-making and execution decisions.　　ADGMs Registration Authority (RA) and Hashed Open Research (HOR), a policy think tank affiliated with Hashed, have collaborated on the creation of a new policy paper that provides a synthesis of the insights gained from the “Web3 Leaders Roundtable,” which was held in collaboration with Hashed during Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025.　　Approximately forty senior decision-makers from global financial institutions, regulators, and infrastructure firms participated in the roundtable discussion that was held behind closed doors. These decision-makers included representatives from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), BlackRock, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Franklin Templeton, Circle, Consensys, Solana Foundation, the European Commission, and the Government of Liechtenstein. The confluence of artificial intelligence and blockchain-based financial infrastructure was the primary topic of discussion, along with the practical impediments that are influencing the adoption of digital assets by traditional institutions.　　AI Agents and Blockchain Infrastructure: Building Trusted Financial Systems at Scale　　Participants spoke on

04-28Industry

Elton John Lands A Career-First Top 10 On One Chart In His Home Country

Elton John is not normally considered a dance artist, although quite a few of his biggest hits are quite danceable. The celebrated performer and piano man has scored several hits on dance and electronic charts throughout his career, especially more recently, thanks to collaborations with artists like Dua Lipa and Britney Spears, among others.　　In his home country of the United Kingdom, John lands on one dance tally for the first time, and as he visits the ranking, he reaches the top 10 on his initial visit.　　Debuts　　John recently released . The album was part of Record Store Day 2026, and the vinyl release, which was only available in limited quantities, became a quick bestseller across the U.K.　　This week, the project, which includes reworkings of tunes like “Dont Go Breaking My Heart” with RuPaul, “Rocket Man,” “Hold Me Closer” with Spears, and multiple versions of “Cold Heart,” his global win with Lipa, debuts on four rosters, and it performs best on the dance list.　　Elton Johns Starts Inside the Top 10　　kicks off its time on the Official Dance Albums chart, which ranks the bestselling full-lengths and EPs that can be considered dance when it comes to genre by the , at No. 10.

04-28Industry

64% of big private firms see strong AI returns: Deloitte Private Survey

Private companies are gradually moving past the early stages of experimenting with artificial intelligence, with many larger firms now beginning to report measurable returns from their investments.64% of private firms with $500M+ revenue report moderate to strong AI ROI, compared with 11% of smaller firms.52% of leaders rank expanding AI use as a top priority, while 63% are actively investing beyond pilot stages.Data quality (72%), talent gaps (53%), and scaling challenges (48%) remain key barriers despite rising adoption.　　According to a new survey by Deloitte, nearly two-thirds (64%) of private companies with an annual revenue of $500 million or more have achieved moderate to significant return on investment (ROI) from AI initiatives. This marks a sharp contrast from smaller firms, where only 11% reported such levels of returns.　　The findings also bring to light a broader shift in how private companies are now approaching AI. More than half (52%) of the business leaders surveyed said that expanding AI use across their organizations is now a top-three priority for the next 12 months, a figure that has gone up significantly from 22% a year earlier.　　At the same time, 63% of respondents said their organizations are actively investing in digital transformation initiatives, including AI,

04-28Industry

Visa is teaming up with a Tether co-founder to build onchain banks

Visa (V) is working with blockchain-based stablecoin infrastructure firm WeFi, to help establish the “last half mile” that can provide users with robust onchain payments and banking services, the companies said on Tuesday.　　WeFi, which is co-founded by former Tether OG Reeve Collins, describes its platform as “an orchestration layer between decentralized finance (DeFi) and regulated payment infrastructure, designed to support use cases such as cross‑border spending and on‑chain value storage,” according to a press release.　　“We‘re upgrading the plumbing and offering essentially people bank accounts, because they’ll soon have their IBAN numbers, and were getting the various licenses around the world to operate appropriately,” Collins said in an interview.　　As the platform scales, the plan is to partner with more banks and institutions, with a view towards the underbanked of the world, Collins said.　　The rollout will take place region by region, starting with selected markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Expansion into additional markets will depend on local regulatory approvals and issuing partnerships.　　“The partnership with Visa really closes that last half mile of onchain banking infrastructure,” Collins said.　　“This collaboration demonstrates how Visas global network interacts with onchain models, while operating within established regulatory frameworks and the reliability consumers and merchants expect,”

04-28Industry

TopNod and Pharos Roll Out AI-Driven Reward Mechanism with KiwiNod AI Agent

TopNod, a self-custodial wallet built for security and simplicity, has disclosed its strategic partnership with the Pharos ecosystem, a blockchain designed to bridge traditional fintech and Web3 by focusing on real-world assets (RWAs) and high-performance on-chain financial infrastructure. Basically, TopNod has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) agent called KiwiNod, which is running a $100000 prize pool on behalf of Pharos.　　After April 28, anyone can get access via Twitter or Telegram and try to convince by making a significant contribution to the Pharos community to earn a reward. KiwiNod has the decision-making power to contribute how much share and on what grounds. KiwiNod will divide $100000 worth of PROS, Phaross native token, to users who can make a persuasive case for their engagement with the Pharos ecosystem.　　AI Agents Gain Real Authority in Next-Generation Incentive Campaigns　　The persuasive case can be of various forms, like code, proposals, or proof of network activity. Users can make three attempts. The important thing to know about which make campaign structurally unique from the last prize distribution, in crypto or outside it, is two things. First, the AI has genuine autonomy: it was given a personality, its own standards, and no pre-set instructions to approve any specific

04-28Industry

Capital Gathering III: Prediction Markets Come to Dubai

Capital Gathering, the private community connecting the regions active founders, investors, and C-level executives across Web3, AI, and emerging tech, is hosting its third edition in Dubai. The theme: Prediction Markets, one of the fastest-growing verticals in finance right now.　　With Token2049 Dubai postponed, the community didnt disperse. Capital Gathering continues the momentum. The evening takes place at Birds, a fine dining venue 63 floors above the city with Burj Khalifa views with no panels and no pitch decks.　　The topic isn‘t accidental. Prediction markets hit nearly $26B in monthly volume in January 2026, up 13 times year-over-year. Driven by macro volatility, geopolitics, and a new wave of users, they’re moving from niche to real financial infrastructure. The key questions now: regulation, liquidity, and whos building the foundations.　　Tools like Pulse, the events co-sponsor, are already answering that last question, giving retail users institutional-grade access to prediction markets in one place.　　Capital Gathering was founded by Kristina Berezina and Daria Pakina, two Web3 founders who have spent years inside the ecosystem. The F1 Abu Dhabi edition last December welcomed over 300 guests to a private rooftop near Yas Marina Circuit. The Christmas edition at Armani/Privé inside the Burj Khalifa followed weeks later. With this

04-28Industry

Bruce Springsteen Blocked From A New No. 1 Album

Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures　　Bruce Springsteen‘s music can be classified under many different genres, and it’s true that throughout his decades-long career, he has released work that critics and even the singer-songwriter himself have labeled using different descriptors. In the United Kingdom, the celebrated rocker often finds himself on the Official Americana chart, though in the United States, he is more often present on rock rankings.　　Springsteen is one of dozens of musicians who took part in Record Store Day, a music industry initiative where popular acts release special projects that are, at least initially, only available in brick-and-mortar stores. The superstars debuts on several tallies in the U.K. after selling well throughout that country, and the beloved musician nearly scores another No. 1, but misses out by just one rung.　　Bruce Springsteens Debuts at No. 2　　, which is credited to Springsteen and the E Street Band, debuts at No. 2 on the Official Americana chart. Thats the only one of the four tallies where the set launches where it begins its time inside the top 10.　　Bruce Springsteens One Album to Miss the Top 10　　Springsteen collects his eighth top 10 on the list. Almost all of his projects that

04-28Industry