Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Fed Interest Rate Tomorrow: What to Expect, Will It Be Powell’s Last Speech

The post Fed Interest Rate Tomorrow: What to Expect, Will It Be Powells Last Speech appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News　　The U.S. Federal Reserve is set to announce its April interest rate decision tomorrow. Markets are pricing in a 100% chance that rates stay unchanged at 3.5%–3.75%, making the actual decision almost a formality.　　But the biggest catalyst is tomorrow‘s Jerome Powell’s last speech and every word will carry extra weight.　　Fed Likely to Hold Rates Steady At 3.5% – 3.7%　　Nobody on Wall Street or in the crypto space is seriously expecting a rate cut on 29th April.　　Even according to CME FedWatch and prediction markets Polymarket, there is almost a 100% chance that rates remain unchanged after this meeting. If that happens, it would be the third straight pause in 2026.　　And the reason is simple as the inflation is still above the Feds 2% target.　　As the latest CPI data showed the annual inflation rate jumping to 3.3% in March, the highest level since 2024, fueled by geopolitical instability and rising energy costs.　　Even the job growth has slowed, but unemployment is still low, and growth remains positive.　　Is This Powells Last Press Conference Ever？　　Even if rates stay unchanged, what really matters tomorrow is Powells

04-28Industry

OKX boosts tokenized RWA push with BlackRock BUIDL

OKX has added BlackRocks BUIDL tokenized U.S. Treasury fund to its institutional collateral framework with Standard Chartered. The move allows eligible institutional and VIP clients to use BUIDL as trading margin.OKX now lets eligible institutional and VIP clients use BlackRocks BUIDL fund as trading collateral.Standard Chartered will custody BUIDL off-exchange while OKX manages margining and liquidation processes.BUIDL will be treated like USD, USDC and other dollar assets inside OKXs margin system.　　Clients can hold the asset off-exchange with Standard Chartered while trading on OKX Middle East. They can also deposit BUIDL directly on the exchange, depending on their setup.　　The companies described the arrangement as a G-SIB bank-backed off-exchange tokenized collateral framework. It builds on OKXs existing collateral mirroring program with Standard Chartered.　　Rifad Mahasneh, CEO of OKX Middle East, North Africa and CIS, said the update shows how tokenized assets can support active trading instead of staying idle.　　He said BUIDL will be treated as fungible with USD, USDC and other dollar-based stablecoins inside OKXs margin system. Clients will keep ownership of the fund and its yield.　　Standard Chartered holds client collateral　　Standard Chartered will act as the off-exchange custodian. The bank will hold client collateral separately from OKXs own assets.　　OKX will manage real-time margining

04-28Industry

Top Bitcoin dev is launching a new BTC fork giving holders new eCash, but claiming it may be a real risk

Bitcoin　　Top Bitcoin dev is launching a new BTC fork giving holders new eCash, but claiming it may be a real risk　　Paul Sztorc, LayerTwo Labs CEO and longtime Bitcoin developer, is planning an August 2026 Bitcoin hard fork called eCash, targeted around Bitcoin block 964,000.　　His April 24 announcement described a new chain that would copy Bitcoin history, give holders 1 eCash for every 1 BTC at the split, and launch with a Bitcoin-Core-like base layer mined with SHA-256d alongside Drivechain-style sidechains.　　For ordinary Bitcoin holders, the practical question is more specific than the backlash. The fork can create a new asset, new confusion, and new operational decisions, while BTC balances remain governed by Bitcoin software, Bitcoin consensus, and Bitcoin private keys.　　In a later clarification, Sztorc said the current eCash plan would give Satoshi Nakamoto 600,000 eCash rather than 1.1 million eCash. He also repeated that BTC balances are untouched by eCash and that moving BTC always requires Bitcoin software plus the relevant Bitcoin private key.　　That distinction sets the holder map. A Bitcoin holder can ignore a fork and still keep the same BTC.　　The unresolved issue is whether eCash becomes a supported asset that exchanges, wallets, custodians, miners, and tax records have to

04-28Industry

OKX boosts tokenized RWA push with BlackRock BUIDL

OKX has added BlackRocks BUIDL tokenized U.S. Treasury fund to its institutional collateral framework with Standard Chartered. The move allows eligible institutional and VIP clients to use BUIDL as trading margin.OKX now lets eligible institutional and VIP clients use BlackRocks BUIDL fund as trading collateral.Standard Chartered will custody BUIDL off-exchange while OKX manages margining and liquidation processes.BUIDL will be treated like USD, USDC and other dollar assets inside OKXs margin system.　　Clients can hold the asset off-exchange with Standard Chartered while trading on OKX Middle East. They can also deposit BUIDL directly on the exchange, depending on their setup.　　The companies described the arrangement as a G-SIB bank-backed off-exchange tokenized collateral framework. It builds on OKXs existing collateral mirroring program with Standard Chartered.　　Rifad Mahasneh, CEO of OKX Middle East, North Africa and CIS, said the update shows how tokenized assets can support active trading instead of staying idle.　　He said BUIDL will be treated as fungible with USD, USDC and other dollar-based stablecoins inside OKXs margin system. Clients will keep ownership of the fund and its yield.　　Standard Chartered holds client collateral　　Standard Chartered will act as the off-exchange custodian. The bank will hold client collateral separately from OKXs own assets.　　OKX will manage real-time margining

04-28Industry

Fed Interest Rate Tomorrow: What to Expect, Will It Be Powell’s Last Speech

Tech　　Fed Interest Rate Tomorrow: What to Expect, Will It Be Powells Last Speech　　The U.S. Federal Reserve is set to announce its April interest rate decision tomorrow. Markets are pricing in a 100% chance that rates stay unchanged at 3.5%–3.75%, making the actual decision almost a formality.　　But the biggest catalyst is tomorrow‘s Jerome Powell’s last speech and every word will carry extra weight.　　Fed Likely to Hold Rates Steady At 3.5% – 3.7%　　Nobody on Wall Street or in the crypto space is seriously expecting a rate cut on 29th April.　　Even according to CME FedWatch and prediction markets Polymarket, there is almost a 100% chance that rates remain unchanged after this meeting. If that happens, it would be the third straight pause in 2026.　　And the reason is simple as the inflation is still above the Feds 2% target.　　As the latest CPI data showed the annual inflation rate jumping to 3.3% in March, the highest level since 2024, fueled by geopolitical instability and rising energy costs.　　Even the job growth has slowed, but unemployment is still low, and growth remains positive.　　Is This Powells Last Press Conference Ever？　　Even if rates stay unchanged, what really matters tomorrow is Powells press conference, his comments on future rate cuts.

04-28Industry

Pi Network Price Prediction: Smart Contracts Land In May as Double Bottom Targets $0.2045

PI trades at $0.1882, up 2.73%, breaking into the Bull Market Support Band with the Supertrend at $0.1670 confirmed bullish.Protocol 22 completed its hard deadline on April 27, with Protocol 23 smart contract deployment now expected in May.Over 10 billion PI migrated to Mainnet with 6 billion still locked, most holders are not selling into the upgrade.　　Pi Network trades at $0.1882 on April 28, up 2.73%, having completed its mandatory Protocol 22 upgrade yesterday without disruption, as the 4-hour chart prints a double bottom approaching the $0.1900 neckline and smart contract deployment moves to the front of the roadmap for May.　　PI Daily Chart: Inside The Bull Market Support Band For The First Time　　PI has been inside a descending channel since its June 2025 high near $0.55. April‘s recovery pushed price into the Bull Market Support Band for the first time, with the band running between $0.1841 and $0.2045. Today’s session at $0.1882 sits inside it, and the Supertrend at $0.1670 is rising below price, confirmed bullish after the recovery built a series of higher lows through April.　　The channels descending upper boundary and the top of the Bull Market Support Band both converge near $0.2045, making that the level that determines

04-28Industry

Bitcoin Price Today: Can BTC Hold $76,500 After $79,500 Rejection?

Bitcoin　　Bitcoin Price Today: Can BTC Hold $76,500 After $79,500 Rejection？　　Bitcoin is back near a key short-term support level after failing to hold gains above the $78,500 area. BTC is trading close to $77,000, with sellers stepping in near $79,500 during intraday trading and pushing the price back below $78,000.　　The latest rejection does not fully cancel the recent recovery, but it shows that bullish momentum has weakened. For now, the $76,500 level is the line buyers need to defend. A clean 4H close below this area could expose Bitcoin to a deeper pullback, while a daily close above $78,000 would improve the short-term setup.　　BTC Returns to the Lower Side of Its Short-Term Range　　Bitcoin attempted to extend its recovery toward the $80,000 area, but the move lost strength in the $79,000 to $79,500 zone. This area remains the main resistance region in the current structure.　　The first resistance now sits near $77,600, followed by $78,000. A move above $77,600 would ease immediate selling pressure, but BTC needs a daily close above $78,000 to show stronger buyer control.　　For a broader recovery attempt, Bitcoin would need to reclaim $78,500 and hold above it on the 4H chart. If that happens, BTC could retest the $79,500

04-28Industry

CLARITY Act Now Faces August Deadline: Will It Pass In 2026?

Now, netizens are questioning whether the bill will pass in 2026. Polymarket odds for the CLARITY Act approval dropped to 46% from 65% earlier, which shows declining optimism.　　Also, JPMorgan analysts has previously warned that midterm elections could chuck the CLARITY Act off Congress priority list if Democrats regain control of the House. Along similar lines, now Senate Democrats are demanding ethics provision in the bill.　　Stablecoin Yield Debate Continues　　One of the main issues is how to deal with rewards and yields associated with stablecoins. Senator Thom Tillis has called for a measured approach, insisting on a broad consensus. “It‘s very important to me not to accelerate things, to hear everybody and give them a rational basis for what we do accept and what we don’t accept,” Tillis said.　　However, bankers are ramping up, citing risks of regulatory loopholes, especially for stablecoin yield. Meanwhile, crypto companies and lobby groups are urging legislators to accept the CLARITY Act. They have warned that delays could put the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage in digital finance.　　There could be further impetus for markup in the next few weeks. Senator Cynthia Lummis said last week that the Senate could consider the bill in May, after the Senates current

04-28Industry

OpenAI Fell Short of Its Own Targets as Compute Costs Piled Up: Report

OpenAI missed internal targets for both weekly active users and annual revenue for ChatGPT, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.CFO Sarah Friar warned company leaders that OpenAI might not be able to pay for future computing contracts if revenue doesnt grow fast enough.Experts are divided on whether the stumbles signal a broader AI market correction or a temporary recalibration.　　OpenAI is facing a reckoning over the gap between its ambitions and its finances, experts told Decrypt, after the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the company missed key internal targets for ChatGPT users and revenue while CFO Sarah Friar privately warned that ballooning compute costs could outpace the money coming in.　　Friar raised the alarm after the company fell short of its goal of reaching one billion weekly active users for ChatGPT by the end of last year, a milestone it never hit and never announced, unsettling some investors, the WSJ reported.　　“When the dust settles, I think companies will find out something they already knew—a lot of the work still depends on human judgment, collaboration, and contextual understanding that AI cant yet replicate,” Alice Li, Investment Partner at Foresight Ventures, told Decrypt.　　Li sees the current pressure as an internal rebalancing within the

04-28Industry

Irans hardliners consolidate power despite economic challenges

Al Jazeera reports that Irans key institutions remain intact despite economic hardships, with hardliners consolidating power. The probability of the Iranian regime falling by May 31 is at 3% YES, down from 5% a day ago.　　The May 31 market prices regime collapse at just 3% YES. The June 30 market is at 7.5% YES, down from 8% yesterday. With 67 days until resolution, traders are pricing in continued regime stability under Mojtaba Khamenei. The Reza Pahlavi entry market sits at 5.5% YES, with traders skeptical about his return by June 30.　　The regime fall markets show daily actual USDC volume of $37,360 and $35,587, indicating moderate interest. It takes $7,057 to move the May 31 odds 5 points, so the market isn‘t easily pushed by small trades. The June 30 market requires $16,830 for the same move, suggesting deeper conviction about longer-term regime stability. Reza Pahlavi’s entry market trades at $736 actual USDC daily, thin enough for a single trader to influence.　　The IRGC continues to back Iran‘s hardliners, maintaining a strong regime grip despite civilian unrest. Buying YES in the May market at 3¢ pays $1 if the regime falls, a 33x return. But that bet requires believing in imminent collapse,

04-28Industry