Key Takeaways: Netblocks reports Iran’s 50-day blockade slashed connectivity to 2%, spurring $1.8B in economic losses. Blocked from the internet, Iranian citizens now face $5,000 Starlink prices and costly VPNs to bypass ongoing censorship. Parliament’s Fazlollah Ranjbar opposes restoring access and supports the ongoing digital blackout. 1,176 Hours Without Internet Connectivity: Iran Enters 50th Day
This Week in Crypto Law The opinion editorial below was written by Alex Forehand and Michael Handelsman for Kelman.Law. This week in crypto law reflected a clear shift from experimentation to integration. Courts reinforced federal authority, regulators refined enforcement priorities, and traditional financial institutions moved deeper into digital assets. At the same time, policymakers at
Key Takeaways: Ark Invest is using Kalshi data to sharpen event-driven research signals. Prediction markets could boost active stock picking across disruptive sectors. Cathie Wood said the signals could play a bigger role in research. Ark Invest Adds Kalshi Signals to Research Process Alternative data is becoming a bigger force in investment research as firms
Key Takeaways: Ripple says XRP ETFs are gaining ground alongside bitcoin and ethereum in institutional portfolios. JPMorgan forecasts $4 billion to $8.4 billion in inflows, pointing to bullish market expansion. Goldman Sachs disclosed a $153.8 million XRP ETF stake, underscoring rising institutional exposure. XRP ETFs Push Further Into Institutional Finance Institutional adoption of XRP is
Key Takeaways: Arkham Intelligence labeled three onchain wallets backing Morgan Stanley’s MSBT ETF, which holds 1,348 BTC worth more than $100M. MSBT launched on April 8, 2026, with a 0.14% expense ratio, the lowest among major U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs, including Blackrock’s IBIT. Anyone can now monitor Morgan Stanley’s BTC accumulation in near real-time via
Key Takeaways: Bitcoin ETFs drew $663.91 million, pushing net assets above $100 billion. Ether ETFs added $127.49 million for seven straight days of inflows, showing steady institutional demand growth. XRP gained $13.74 million and Solana $13.04 million, signaling broader ETF participation across funds. Crypto ETFs Sustain Rally as Bitcoin Reclaims $100 Billion Milestone The week
Key Takeaways: ZachXBT flagged a $280M+ theft across Ethereum and Arbitrum DeFi protocols on April 18, 2026. KelpDAO’s exploit created bad debt on Aave V3, with AAVE token dropping roughly 10-13%. KelpDAO has not confirmed the exploit; analysts are monitoring six identified attacker wallets for recovery clues. Ethereum DeFi Exploit: KelpDAO rsETH Attack Drains Over
Key Takeaways: Bitcoin futures open interest fell 4.20% in 24 hours to $58.44B, led by a 35.92% OI collapse at BingX. CME posted a rare 2.61% OI gain while put options dominated its options book, signaling institutional hedging demand. Max pain for the April 24 expiry sits near $72K on Deribit and OKX, roughly $4K
Key Takeaways: Circle launched the USDC Bridge this week, enabling native 1:1 cross-chain USDC transfers via CCTP. The bridge processed over $600 million in a single 24-hour period, signaling rapid adoption across EVM chains. CCTP V1 is being phased out by July 31, 2026, pushing developers toward the upgraded V2 protocol. USDC Bridge Goes Live:
Key Takeaways: Iran re-imposed Strait of Hormuz controls on April 18, 2026, blaming the U.S. blockade and accusing Trump of making 7 false claims. Brent crude rebounded toward $94-$96 per barrel after dropping 9% on April 17, whipsawing oil futures markets. Bitcoin pulled back to the $75,800-$77,100 range after briefly clearing $78,000 on April 17,