Autor Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai

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.

Stablecoin payments company Kast Kast has hired former US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) communications official Stephanie Allen as head of corporate and policy communications, as the company builds out its licensing and policy operation following an $80 million funding round last month.Kast said Thursday that Allen will work with senior leadership on policy and communications as the company prepares to launch Kast Business and expand further across North America, Latin America and the Middle East. The company said the hire is tied to its next phase of growth and regulatory engagement.Allen previously served as acting director of the SEC’s Office of Public Affairs and earlier held senior media relations and speechwriting roles at the agency. Kast said she also advised the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, though that role does not appear in the SEC’s public biography of Allen.The hire reflects how stablecoin companies are adding policy and communications talent as they move closer to regulated financial services and try to expand across multiple jurisdictions. For Kast, the appointment comes as it pushes deeper into business accounts, cross-border payments and compliance-heavy growth markets.“We’re excited to welcome Stephanie to the Kast team,” said KAST’s chief corporate affairs officer, Brad Jaffe. “Her knowledge of the policy and regulatory landscape stemming from her leadership position at the SEC and deep U.S. public and private sector experience will help drive KAST’s momentum.”The hire comes over a month after Kast raised $80 million to fund the expansion of its payment infrastructure platform, reaching a $600 million valuation.KAST stablecoin payment firm, homepage. Source: Kast.xyzKast offers payment cards and US dollar-denominated accounts to users in over 150 countries, with plans to launch savings and remittance products under its neobank interface. Related: Fireblocks launches tool for institutions to earn yield on stablecoinsStablecoin momentum coolsStablecoin transfer volume dropped 19% to $8.31 trillion over the past month, while stablecoin market capitalization rose 2.06% to $305.29 billion over the same period, Cointelegraph reported Tuesday, citing data from RWA.xyz.The data suggests that the growing value held in dollar-denominated stablecoins does not translate to growing onchain activity, as fewer dollars are being moved across blockchains despite the growing stablecoin supply.30-day stablecoin net flows as of April 28, 2026. Source: RWA.xyzStill, asset manager Fidelity’s Q2 Signals Report showed that Ethereum’s stablecoin transfer values had recently exceeded historical averages, with transfer value over the past 12 months surpassing $18 trillion. Fidelity said that the network activity signals that stablecoins are increasingly being used for payments, settlement and onchain access to US dollars, despite the broader crypto market sentiment.Stablecoin transfer volume reached a record $1.8 trillion in February, according to data provider Allium. Magazine: Will the CLARITY Act be good — or bad — for DeFi?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.

Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has launched an open payments protocol for artificial intelligence agents, joining a growing push by crypto and payments companies to build infrastructure that lets software agents pay for services and transact with less human input.The new cross-chain Agent Payments Protocol (APP) is designed to let AI agents operate and communicate autonomously. OKX said Wednesday that the cross-chain standard can handle agent-to-agent payments, recurring or top-up payment flows and other automated payment arrangements across business processes. The company also said agents will be able to negotiate with each other, escrow funds and release them on verified task delivery.OKX said the framework is built around its self-custodial Agentic Wallet and Payment SDK, with support on X Layer and broader cross-chain implementation. The company is pitching the protocol as a way for AI agents to move from simple payment requests to more autonomous commercial activity.The launch comes as competition intensifies to build payment rails for AI agents. Google has promoted its AP2 protocol, Coinbase has its x402 standard, and Visa and Stripe-linked efforts have also moved into the space, with companies apparently trying to quickly define the rails for machine-to-machine commerce.APP compared to the existing payment protocols. Source: OKXOKX targets end-to-end AI agent commerceOKX is pitching APP as a broader commerce layer rather than a simple payment button.The company said AI agents can query real-time market data feeds, while the service responds with an HTTP 402 payment request, and agents pay per call with automatic settlement.Related: Stablecoin issuers and fintechs race to own payment rails Agents can then hire a specialized sub-agent to complete the research task, APP opens an escrow account, and payment is released upon verification after the work is delivered.OKX AI agent framework. Source: OKXDevelopers can also use OKX’s payment tools on X Layer, where the company says some stablecoin transfers can be executed without gas fees.The growing race to enable machine payments could also support stablecoin usage, as they can help unlock machine-to-machine payments by making microtransactions viable and enabling programmable, conditional payments between software agents without a human in the loop, Bernstein said in March.Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight 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.