On Thursday, World Liberty Financial said it is developing World Swap to support currency conversion and cross‑border remittances. The DeFi venture linked to the Trump family aims to offer a lower‑cost alternative to traditional transfer providers. It plans to compete in FX and payments markets, where activity reached $9.6 trillion per day in April 2025.

Standard Chartered has reduced its short-term and end-2026 price projections for major cryptocurrencies, warning that persistent spot Bitcoin ETF outflows and macroeconomic uncertainty could keep the market under pressure. The bank now sees Bitcoin potentially dropping toward $50,000 in the near term and finishing 2026 at $100,000, with Ethereum's outlook also lowered alongside revised targets for Solana, BNB and Avalanche.

U.S. discussions around the proposed GENIUS Act have intensified as critics warn that stablecoin issuers may be able to freeze stolen assets without clear mechanisms to return funds to victims. Industry figures such as Circuit chief of staff and Circle Alliance Program lawyer Kieran Donnelly argue the core challenge is operational, citing slow, high-friction recovery decisions and the lack of uniform procedures across issuers. Donnelly also highlights broader concerns around self-custody risks, the emergence of stablecoin-native payment rails, and the impact of political timelines on how quickly a comprehensive regulatory framework is finalized.

During a Wednesday House Financial Services Committee hearing, Democratic lawmakers criticized SEC Chair Paul Atkins for a perceived softening of crypto enforcement, saying it undermines investor confidence. They cited dropped or paused cases, including Binance, and questioned the halt in the Justin Sun lawsuit, linking the climate to a market drawdown exceeding $1 trillion.

BlackRock said on Wednesday it will roll out trading for its tokenized USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) on Uniswap, initially targeting qualified institutions. Following the announcement, UNI rose more than 3%, according to CoinMarketCap. The integration is coordinated by Securitize, and BlackRock will purchase an undisclosed amount of UNI.

A brief Super Bowl halftime appearance by Cardi B during Bad Bunny’s show has led to conflicting outcomes on major prediction platforms over whether she actually "performed." Kalshi handled more than $47.3 million on its related market and later returned user funds after settling at last traded prices, while Polymarket, which saw over $10 million in volume, resolved the contract as a "Yes." The dispute has escalated into a CFTC complaint seeking $3,700 in damages and comes amid record NFL-related trading activity on Kalshi.

Wallets holding more than 1,000 BTC accumulated about 53,000 BTC over the past week, a haul worth over $4 billion that helped steady prices. Bitcoin rebounded from around $60,000 to the $69,000–$70,000 range, while analysts caution the upswing still lacks broad participation from ETF investors and corporates.

LayerZero Labs has launched a new blockchain network named Zero to target institutional-scale financial markets, with backing from Citadel Securities, ARK Invest and Tether Investments. The network is built on a heterogeneous, zero-knowledge-proof-based architecture that separates transaction execution from verification and distributes work across specialized zones. Early institutional partners are exploring use cases in tokenization, collateral management, continuous trading and AI-related micropayments.

Research firm Bernstein has reiterated its $150,000 Bitcoin price target for 2026 even after the cryptocurrency fell about 50% from its all‑time high and was trading near $69,400. The firm argues the drawdown reflects a crisis of confidence driven by macro conditions and risk sentiment, not structural failure, while institutional investors reportedly see the pullback as a chance to re‑enter the market. Some traders and technical analysts, however, still warn of potential downside ahead, pointing to the possibility of a deeper correction.