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Tether profit of $1.04 billion in Q1 represents a buffer growth of 47% year on year, with excess reserves rising from $5.6 billion in Q1 2025 to $8.23 billion in Q1 2026 and total assets reaching $191.77 billion against $183.54 billion in liabilities.The $141 billion US Treasuries position makes Tether the 17th-largest holder of American government debt globally, with $20 billion in physical gold and $7 billion in Bitcoin rounding out the reserve base.A formal KPMG audit commenced in March 2026, moving Tether toward a full Big Four audit for the first time after years of relying on attestations from BDO and a previous Italian accounting firm.

Cointelegraph data show crypto venture funding fell to $659 million across 63 deals in April, down 74% from $2.6 billion and 84 rounds in March.Since peaking at $3.84 billion in October 2025, monthly crypto VC flows have trended lower even as 2026 year‑to‑date funding still totals about $5.64 billion.DeFi led sector activity with 12 deals, while blockchain services and AI‑linked crypto projects each saw 8 rounds; market maker GSR’s VC arm was the most active investor, with Tether, Animoca Brands, and Coinbase Ventures close behind.

Tether reported generating $1.04 billion in first-quarter profit on Friday, helping the stablecoin issuer boost its excess reserves to a record $8.23 billion.Tether’s approximate $141 billion exposure to U.S. Treasurys positions it as one of the largest holders globally.

Stablecoin giant Tether says it holds over $141 billion in U.S. Treasuries, a figure that has never been verified by a full audit.

Gate’s BTC/USDT market shows Bitcoin trading at about $78,004, up 2.15% over the past 24 hours and back above a key resistance area traders have been watching all week.The move extends a broader rebound from lows near $76,000, keeping BTC within striking distance of the psychologically important $80,000 level highlighted in recent price commentary.Derivatives and ETF flows remain the main drivers, with prior sessions already seeing BTC oscillate between the mid‑$70,000s and just under $79,000 as traders test the upper end of the current range.

Brazil’s central bank has banned the use of cryptocurrencies for settlement inside regulated cross‑border payment rails, forcing banks and fintechs to use only traditional FX and real‑denominated accounts.The move, formalized in a new foreign‑exchange resolution, comes as authorities say roughly 90% of reported cross‑border crypto remittances involve stablecoins, raising concerns over tax evasion, money laundering, and monetary sovereignty.The rule does not outlaw crypto in Brazil, but it walls off virtual assets from the supervised eFX system that underpins formal remittance channels and instant‑payment integrations like the central bank’s Pix network.

The probe follows reports that Dynasty Trust A, which benefits Lutnick’s children, borrowed an undisclosed sum from the stablecoin issuer.

Stablecoins accounted for 40% of crypto purchases on Bitso in 2025, overtaking Bitcoin at 18% for the first time.Bitso said nearly 10 million users are increasingly using dollar-pegged tokens to store value and send payments in inflation-hit economies.Bitcoin remained in 52% of portfolios in 2025, with Bitso describing it as the region’s primary long term store of value.

Bessent said Operation Economic Fury has seized roughly $350 million in crypto assets plus an additional $100 million seized separately, bringing the total close to $500 million as part of a broader campaign targeting Iranian bank accounts, retirement funds, and overseas real estate.Tether froze over $344 million in USDT across two Tron addresses on April 23 after receiving direction from OFAC, with Chainalysis confirming on-chain patterns consistent with IRGC-linked wallets and Central Bank of Iran intermediary addresses.Bessent warned that the pressure campaign would leave the Iranian regime unable to pay its soldiers or fund proxy networks including Hezbollah and Hamas, and said secondary sanctions are now being deployed against buyers of Iranian oil.

Crypto VC firm Hashed has obtained a Financial Services Permission from the Abu Dhabi Global Market.With the license, Hashed plans to collaborate with Middle Eastern institutional investors within a regulated environment.

The £5 million payment was classified as a personal gift to Farage for security costs.Christopher Harborne has already donated more than £12 million to Reform UK, making him one of the party’s largest financial backers.

The personal gift to the Reform UK leader from billionaire Christopher Harborne comes amid scrutiny over crypto industry political funding.

ZetaChain’s post-mortem explained that the attacker took advantage of three vulnerabilities to drain $333,868 from team wallets.The team said the exploiter invested significant time and resources in preparation before executing the attack.

FTC settlement has barred Alexander Mashinsky from promoting asset-related products and tied a $10 million payment to a $4.72 billion suspended judgment.A court order has allowed the larger penalty to be revived if Mashinsky is found to have misstated or concealed assets in financial disclosures.U.S. prosecutors secured a 12-year sentence in 2025 after Mashinsky pleaded guilty to fraud tied to misleading Celsius customers.

Tether has launched a Bitcoin faucet within its self-custody wallet, distributing small BTC amounts through the Lightning Network.Users must link their tether.me usernames and interact with official posts to receive instant payouts.

Amboss has launched RailsX, a peer-to-peer exchange on the Lightning Network that enables users to trade bitcoin against stablecoins natively.RailsX debuts with two stablecoin-bitcoin pairs: USDT-L and USDC-L, issued by Speed Wallet, with users maintaining full control of their private keys.