Autor Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai

World Liberty Financial filed a defamation lawsuit against Tron founder Justin Sun in Florida, escalating a legal fight between the Trump family-linked crypto platform and one of its largest investors.The lawsuit, filed Monday in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, accused Sun of making false public statements about World Liberty and violating WLFI token-sale terms through alleged prohibited transfers, short-selling and straw purchases.The lawsuit also accused Sun of spreading defamatory statements surrounding the crypto platform, demanding a court-ordered retraction and compensation from the founder. Sun denied the allegations in a Monday post on X, calling the lawsuit a “meritless PR stunt” and saying he looked forward to defeating the case in court.The lawsuit comes less than two weeks after Sun sued World Liberty over the freezing of his WLFI tokens, a dispute that has intensified scrutiny of the project’s token controls and governance structure.The escalating legal battle follows a period of growing backlash towards the crypto platform, which came under scrutiny for a proposal seeking to add a further two-year lock-up period for early investors holding the WLFI token, Cointelegraph reported on April 16.Sun called the proposal “one of the most absurd governance scams I have ever seen.” WLFI court filing against Justin Sun. Source: World Liberty Financial / BusinesswireUS President Donald Trump and his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, are listed as the co-founders of the platform, according to World Liberty’s white paper.Related: Justin Sun presses WLFI to identify wallets behind freeze powersSun was fully aware of WLFI’s token freezing rights, lawsuit claimsSun’s WLFI token address was blacklisted in September 2025 after blockchain data platforms flagged it for a roughly $9 million transfer. Sun said his presale tokens were unreasonably frozen and urged the team to unlock his investment. However, the lawsuit claims that Sun was “fully aware of World Liberty’s right to freeze user tokens to protect its token holders and its community” and that he agreed to it in the project’s Terms of Sale.“Rather than acting in good faith, Justin Sun chose to defame World Liberty — repeatedly, publicly, and to millions of followers,” Tom Clare, attorney for World Liberty Financial, claimed, adding that the lawsuit was a “last resort” measure seeking to protect its tokenholders and employees.The lawsuit claims that Sun previously agreed to WLFI’s “freezing authority” before publicly calling it a hidden “trap door” in a calculated effort to “harm World Liberty while potentially benefiting his own financial positions.”The lawsuit adds to WLFI’s prior governance concerns, after a March vote showed that 76% of voting power came from 10 wallets. Sun called that an alarming sign of concentrated influence. WLFI clapped back and accused Sun of spreading baseless allegations to cover up his own misconduct and threatened legal action.WLFI/USD, all-time chart. Source: CoinMarketCapThe WLFI token rose 5% in the 24 hours leading up to 1:43 p.m. UTC on Monday, but is down over 80% since launch, according to CoinMarketCap data.Magazine: Quitting Trump’s top crypto job wasn’t easy: Bo Hines Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin mining and energy infrastructure company Hut 8 secured a $200 million Bitcoin-backed credit facility from institutional crypto prime brokerage FalconX, replacing its prior credit facility with Coinbase Credit. The new facility reducwd the company’s fixed interest rate to 7% from 9% under the prior Coinbase credit structure, as part of the company’s focus on lowering the cost of debt on its Bitcoin-backed credit and broader cost of capital, said Hut 8 in a Monday announcement.The refinancing unencumbered about 3,300 BTC, worth roughly $260 million, from the collateral package after replacing the prior Coinbase facility, Hut 8 said.The deal shows how Bitcoin miners and energy infrastructure firms are using BTC reserves to manage liquidity without selling their holdings, as Hut 8 expands into AI data centers and prepares to report first-quarter earnings on Wednesday.“Our capital strategy is designed to lower our cost of capital, reduce risk, and expand strategic flexibility,” said Asher Genoot, CEO of Hut 8, adding that the new facility helps improve the company’s cost of debt on Bitcoin-backed credit and “expands our position of unencumbered Bitcoin.”On Feb. 25, Hut 8 posted a fourth-quarter net loss of a $279.7 million, from income of $152.2 million a year earlier, Cointelegraph reported. The results were affected by a $401.9 million loss on digital assets in the quarter, compared with a $308.2 million increase a year earlier. Top Bitcoin mining companies by market capitalization. Source: Companiesmarketcap.comHut 8 is the third-largest Bitcoin mining firm by market capitalization, currently worth about $8.6 billion according to Companiesmarketcap data. However, it only ranks as the 17th-largest Bitcoin miner in terms of hash rate, according to Bitcoinminingstock.Related: Capital B raises $1.3M from Adam Back for Bitcoin strategyHut 8 shares rise in pre-market tradingShareholders welcomed the new Bitcoin-backed credit facility, as Hut 8 shares rose over 1.1% in pre-market trading on Monday, data from Yahoo Finance shows.Hut 8 stock price, year-to-date chart. Source: Yahoo FinanceHut 8’s stock price is up over 67% year-to-date and has gained significant traction since the Bitcoin miner announced its expansion to AI data center infrastructure.On Dec. 17, 2025, Hut 8 signed a 15-year lease for 245 megawatts of AI data center capacity at its River Bend campus valued at $7 billion. The agreement includes payments financially backstopped by Google and builds on Hut 8’s broader expansion into AI. Other Bitcoin miners that announced strategic pivots to AI infrastructure include  CleanSpark, Core Scientific, HIVE Digital and MARA Holdings.Magazine: Bitcoiners eye ‘sell in May,’ SBF’s bid for new trial shut down: Hodler’s Digest, April 26 – May 2Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Capital B raised 1.1 million euros ($1.28 million) through a warrant issuance subscribed by Blockstream CEO Adam Back, extending the cryptographer’s backing of the French-listed Bitcoin treasury company.Back subscribed to 10 million subscription warrants at $0.13 each, according to a Monday announcement from Capital B. Each warrant gives Back the right to buy one new share of future company stock at the exercise price of $0.98, corresponding to the company’s market net asset value (mNAV) of 1.1 per share, the company said.The deal would increase Back’s exposure to Capital B, where he is already one of the company’s largest strategic investors. Back now holds over 39.5 million shares or 9.97% of Plan B’s shares on a fully diluted basis. Back is best known as the inventor of Hashcash, the proof-of-work system cited in the Bitcoin white paper.The raise comes as some Bitcoin treasury companies continue seeking capital for accumulation strategies, while others are using derivatives or asset sales to manage balance sheet risk during Bitcoin’s downturn. Capital B and the United Kingdom-based Connecting Excellence Group (XCE) were the only Bitcoin treasury companies to raise capital in Europe over the past month. XCE’s $794,000 capital raise on April 23 was also backed by Adam Back.Capital B raises $1.28 million from Adam Back. Source: Capital BCapital B shares rise 6% after capital raise announcementCapital B’s said the new capital will be used to “accelerate” its Bitcoin treasury strategy, which was perceived as a positive signal from shareholders.Capital B’s stock price rose by over 6.5% on Monday, but is still down over 16% since the beginning of 2026, data from Yahoo! Finance shows.Capital B (ALCB.PA) stock price, year-to-date chart. Source: Yahoo! FinanceCapital B is the 25th largest Bitcoin treasury company, holding 2,943 BTC currently worth about $234 million, according to Bitcointreasuries.net data.Related: Adam Back says Bitcoin’s post-quantum shift may reveal true Satoshi stashOther Bitcoin treasury companies are reducing the balance sheet risk associated with Bitcoin’s downturn.On April 24, Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin treasury company Nakamoto announced an actively managed Bitcoin derivatives program seeking to generate recurring income from volatility and hedge part of its corporate BTC holdings against downside exposure.Nakamoto is the 20th-largest Bitcoin treasury firm and the largest to disclose selling part of its holdings earlier this year. The company announced a sale of 284 Bitcoin (worth about $20 million at the time) in a March 30 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. A month earlier, in February, Bitcoin treasury company Genius Group said it liquidated its entire treasury holdings of 84 BTC for about $5.7 million, which it used in repaying an $8.5 million debt obligation, according to an SEC filing. Magazine: Bitcoin vs. the quantum computer threat — Timeline and solutions (2025–2035) Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Crypto venture capitalist (VC) funding plunged to a near two-year low in April as investors pulled back from crypto start-ups and early-stage companies.Crypto VC funding fell to $659 million across 63 funding rounds in April, down 74% from the $2.6 billion seen across 84 rounds in March, according to Cryptorank data. This brings the total year-to-date investments to $5.64 billion so far in 2026. The April total was the lowest monthly fundraising sum since July 2024, when crypto projects raised $622 million across 132 rounds.The drop suggests venture investors became more selective as crypto markets remained under pressure following months of weaker liquidity and risk appetite.Monthly VC funding has been declining since October 2025, when crypto projects raised $3.84 billion across 127 funding rounds. The global crypto market cap has since fallen by 37%, according to CoinGlass data.Crypto fundraising, US dollars, three-year chart. Source: Cryptorank Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols attracted the most deal activity in April, with 12 funding rounds, according to CryptoRank. Blockchain services and artificial intelligence-linked crypto projects followed with eight rounds each.Related: Switzerland’s Crypto Valley funding rose 37% in 2025 as TON led dealsGSR emerges as most active investor of the monthCrypto market maker GSR’s VC wing was the most active investor of the past month, with four investment rounds, including a $3.5 million seed round in DeFi protocol Legend Trade on Wednesday, a $4 million seed round in DeFi protocol 3F on April 23, a $1 million pre-seed round in Enhanced Finance on April 9 and an undisclosed investment in real-world asset tokenization protocol Libeara on April 8.Zurich-based digital asset-focused investment manager L1 Digital (L1D) was second with three investments, including a $5 million seed round in crypto exchange Exponent on Thursday, an $18 million strategic investment in infrastructure provider Squads on Wednesday and a $7.5 million Series A investment into blockchain services company Oh on April 8.Most active investors by deal count for April, 2026. Source: CryptorankY Combinator, Tether,  Animoca Brands, landScape Capital, Coinbase Ventures and Kosmos Ventures also participated in three deals each during the month.Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026 Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Tokyo-based SBI Holdings has opened talks to acquire shares in cryptocurrency exchange Bitbank and make it a consolidated subsidiary, extending its push to consolidate regulated crypto trading platforms in Japan as the country moves toward securities-style rules for digital assets.The financial conglomerate said Friday it is considering a share acquisition as part of a potential capital and business alliance with Bitbank. The deal remains subject to due diligence, negotiations and internal approvals, SBI said.The talks come a month after SBI VC Trade absorbed Bitpoint Japan on April 1, with SBI VC Trade becoming the surviving company. A Bitbank acquisition would give SBI a larger position in Japan’s crypto exchange market at a time when policymakers are preparing to bring crypto assets under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.SBI said the potential deal would help the group establish an “overwhelming position in the domestic cryptocurrency industry,” citing Japan’s planned regulatory shift for crypto assets.Japan’s Cabinet approved a bill on April 10 to amend the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and the Payment Services Act, according to the Financial Services Agency. The bill is intended to strengthen market fairness, transparency and investor protection while revising rules for crypto assets.Crypto assets are currently regulated by the FSA under the Payment Services Act as a means of payment. The proposed changes would move crypto closer to Japan’s traditional financial market framework, with stronger disclosure, exchange oversight and rules targeting unfair trading.Cointelegraph asked SBI Holdings for comment on the proposed Bitbank acquisition and how Japan’s shifting crypto rules are affecting the group’s exchange strategy, but had not received a response by publication.Bitbank company profile. Source: SBI GroupBitbank is one of Japan’s major crypto exchanges. It ranks as Japan’s leading cryptocurrency exchange by Coingecko’s trust score, which measures the legitimacy of crypto exchanges based on liquidity, trading activity, cybersecurity and operational scale.It ranks third among cryptocurrency exchanges by daily trading volume, behind bitFlyer and Coincheck.Top Japanese crypto exchanges by trust score. Source: CoingeckoThe proposed deal would add to SBI’s broader digital asset footprint. SBI made a $50 million investment in Circle’s IPO in June 2025. In previous years, SBI also made strategic investments in other crypto-native companies, including BITPoint Japan, Sygnum Bank and crypto exchange TaoTao, which later merged into SBI VC Trade. Japan brings crypto under TradFi umbrella, targets ETFs by 2028Japan’s regulatory shift comes as institutional interest in digital assets continues to grow and policymakers reassess how crypto should fit within the country’s financial markets.Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama first signaled the intent to bring crypto under the same umbrella as traditional finance assets in January, to ensure that citizens will “benefit from digital and blockchain-based assets.”Related: South Korea’s Shinhan Card taps Solana to test real-world stablecoin paymentsThe country is also planning to legalize the launch of cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by 2028, according to a January report. Large financial conglomerates like SBI Holdings and Nomura are among the first companies expected to develop crypto-linked ETFs. Magazine: Singapore isn’t a ‘crypto hub’ — it’s something better: StraitsX CEO Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.