The latest holder data from Santiment shows that crypto adoption is still increasing, even as prices are without a clear bullish trend across the market. Bitcoin is approaching a major wallet milestone, XRP has continued to grow its user base, and Ethereum is dominating the field by a wide margin. Numbers Reveal A Surge In Adoption New figures from on-chain analytics platform Santiment show that cryptocurrencies are witnessing intense adoption across the board. This data is particularly gotten from the holder count from Santiment, which looks at the number of addresses with non-empty balances. Of the bunch, Bitcoin, XRP, and Ethereum are posting numbers that are noteworthy. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin And Ethereum Prices Have Been Rising And Falling Sharply Bitcoin’s holder count is now one of the clearest signs of adoption across the crypto industry. Santiment’s latest data shows Bitcoin is currently at about 59.08 million non-empty wallets, bringing the network close to the 60 million mark. This means Bitcoin has built one of the largest ownership bases in crypto despite several months of difficult price action and correction from its 2025 price peak. The timing of Bitcoin’s wallet growth is important because it is coming at the same time institutional demand is starting to improve again. Data from SoSoValue shows that Spot Bitcoin ETF flows witnessed positive flows in March and April, after four straight months of net outflows from late November 2025 through February 2026 that totaled about $4 billion. Santiment’s data places XRP’s non-empty wallet count at 7.8 million. That figure, when viewed in isolation, is somewhat modest against Bitcoin’s tally. However, when viewed in context, it reflects a network that has increased in adoption with unusual consistency over the past 18 months since it started trading in the US again. This growth is also notable because XRP has not had the kind of price performance that would usually be expected to accompany a rising holder base. A Broader Market In Expansion The Santiment snapshot is not limited to only Bitcoin and XRP, and it places the cryptocurrencies in context compared to the rest of the market. According to Santiment, Ethereum is nearing 190 million non-empty wallets for the first time in its history, putting it far ahead of every other large-cap crypto asset tracked in the dataset. Ethereum’s 189.5 million non-empty wallets is itself a headline number, one that places it at 3.2 times Bitcoin’s holder count. Related Reading: Analyst Says High XRP Price Targets Are Dangerous, Here’s Why XRP’s 7.8 million non-empty wallets place it below Dogecoin’s 8.25 million and Tether’s 13.61 million on Ethereum, but above USDC’s 6.76 million, Cardano’s 4.63 million, and Chainlink’s 870,720 non-empty wallets. These holder numbers show how far crypto adoption has grown. Research estimates that about 559 million people now own cryptocurrency in 2026, representing a 9.9% global adoption rate, with further growth expected when clearer regulations take shape in the US and other major jurisdictions. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Facebook paid its creators nearly $3 billion in 2025 — a 35% jump from the year before. Now some of those Meta creators will get paid in crypto. Related Reading: Dogecoin Futures Open Interest Explodes As Leveraged Traders Pile In Meta: A Second Try At Digital Payments Meta has begun rolling out USDC stablecoin payouts to select creators in the Philippines and Colombia, marking the company’s return to digital currency after a failed attempt years ago. Creators who sign up can link a third-party crypto wallet to Facebook’s payout platform and receive funds directly on the Solana or Polygon blockchains. The rollout is live now, though it remains limited to eligible creators in those two countries for the moment. Polygon confirmed the launch on Wednesday, adding that expansion to more than 160 markets is expected soon. “This is how creators’ lives are improved,” the blockchain network said, pointing to faster settlement times and access to dollar-denominated assets as key benefits for users outside the US. The future of marketplace commerce is on Polygon.@Meta launched stablecoin payouts for creators on the Polygon Chain. Live in Colombia and the Philippines, with 160+ markets coming, users now get faster settlement with USDC while gaining access to dollar denominated assets. pic.twitter.com/hjodzNpuyU — Polygon | POL (@0xPolygon) April 29, 2026 One catch: Meta does not convert USDC to local currency. Creators who want cash will need to use an outside exchange on their own. The company also reserved the right to pay through alternate methods if technical problems arise. Big Scale, Careful Rollout The creator pool affected by this change is broad. Meta’s platforms — Facebook and Instagram — host influencers, educators, and entertainers who earn through content posted on the apps. According to company data, that creator base collectively received close to $3 billion from Facebook alone last year. USDC, the stablecoin issued by Circle, ranks as the second-largest stablecoin by market value. Data from DeFiLlama puts its market cap at over $77 billion as of Thursday. Tether’s USDT still leads the market at a little over $189 billion. Stablecoins have been gaining traction across the financial industry. Reports indicate that banks and financial institutions in Europe are actively picking infrastructure partners to support stablecoin adoption, a sign that corporate interest in the technology has moved well beyond cryptocurrency circles. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bull Run Brewing: ATH In Sight By Late 2026: Analyst The Ghost Of Diem Meta’s history with stablecoins is complicated. The company first entered the space in 2019 under the name Libra, which was later rebranded as Diem. The project ran into a wall of regulatory opposition from central banks and lawmakers who raised concerns about financial stability, privacy, and consumer protection. In January 2022, the project acknowledged it could not move forward and sold its assets to Silvergate Capital Corporation. This time, Meta is not building its own stablecoin. By using USDC — an already-regulated, widely accepted digital dollar — the company sidesteps much of the friction that doomed Diem. Featured image from MetaAI, chart from TradingView
The social media giant suggests a host of popular wallets creators can use including MetaMask, Phantom, and Binance.
Squads, known for its Solana-based multisig protocol, has raised $18 million in new funding to scale its stablecoin platform Altitude.
OKX customers can now use RLUSD 'to trade and collateralize positions across both spot and derivatives markets.'
RailsX launches with bitcoin-stablecoin pairs USDT-L and USDC-L from Speed Wallet, with users retaining full control of their keys.
A wave of crypto hacks hitting decentralized finance platforms in April has renewed an old argument: should stablecoin companies step in when stolen money passes through their systems? That question is now front and center again after Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, revealed it froze over $340 million in dollar-pegged tokens at the direct request of US law enforcement officials. Related Reading: Shariah-Compliant Stablecoin PUSD Moves Into MidEast Institutional Arena Community Divided Over Stablecoin Control The freeze targeted two separate wallet addresses. Tether said the funds were linked to unlawful conduct but gave no further detail about what the accounts were suspected of doing or who controlled them. The company coordinates freezes when it finds credible ties to sanctioned entities, criminal networks, or other illegal activity, according to its published policy. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino defended the action in a statement released alongside the announcement. “When credible links to sanctioned entities or criminal networks are identified, we act immediately and decisively,” he said. The company did not respond to further requests for comment. The freeze was carried out in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assets Control, a US Treasury agency responsible for enforcing economic sanctions. That makes this more than a routine compliance move — it signals active cooperation between a major crypto firm and federal authorities at a time when regulatory pressure on the industry continues to mount. Not everyone welcomed the news. Crypto media outlet Truth for The Commoner pushed back sharply. “Your stablecoins are not your stablecoins. They never were,” the outlet posted on social media. The reaction reflects a tension that has existed since centralized stablecoins became widely used — the tokens may sit on a blockchain, but the company behind them holds a master switch. 3/ On April 1, 2026, Drift Protocol was exploited for $280M. The exploiter used CCTP to bridge 232M+ USDC from Solana to Ethereum across 100+ transactions over six consecutive hours. 10+ additional DeFi protocols across the Solana ecosystem were indirectly impacted. Despite the… https://t.co/RLDwKghzjo — ZachXBT (@zachxbt) April 3, 2026 A Debate Rekindled By A $280 Million Hack The announcement comes weeks after one of the month’s most damaging incidents — the Drift Protocol exploit, which drained $280 million from the platform. That attack put Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, under a different kind of scrutiny. Onchain analyst ZachXBT publicly criticized Circle for failing to freeze USDC funds after the attacker routed stolen money through Circle’s own native bridge over six consecutive hours. Related Reading: Consistent XRP Buys Could Deliver Outsized Gains By 2030: Finance Expert “No USDC was frozen,” ZachXBT noted, arguing that centralized issuers have a responsibility to act quickly when hacks are in progress. The criticism drew wide attention across the crypto community and intensified calls for clearer standards around when and how stablecoin issuers should intervene. Featured image from MetaAI, chart from TradingView
With a minimum buy-in of $10 million, Morgan Stanley has made clear this is not a product built for small players. The Wall Street giant quietly unveiled its Stablecoin Reserves Portfolio on Thursday, a new offering that lets stablecoin issuers deposit the cash backing their digital tokens into one of the bank’s money market funds and collect interest while they wait. Related Reading: Consistent XRP Buys Could Deliver Outsized Gains By 2030: Finance Expert A Fund Built Around Compliance The portfolio sits inside Morgan Stanley’s Institutional Liquidity Funds trust, known as MSNXX. According to the bank, the fund holds cash, short-dated US Treasury securities maturing within 93 days, and overnight repurchase agreements secured by those same Treasuries. It targets a stable $1 net asset value, prioritizing capital preservation and daily access to funds. A 0.15% management fee applies. Morgan Stanley said the offering is designed to meet the requirements of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act — the GENIUS Act — a federal law signed in July that set the first formal rules for stablecoin issuers operating in the US. The law’s passage appeared to open a door. Western Union and Zelle were among the payment companies that moved into the stablecoin space following its enactment. Amy Oldenburg, who heads Morgan Stanley’s digital asset strategy, said in a statement that finding new ways to work with stablecoin issuers is part of a broader push to update financial infrastructure. While shares in the fund are expected to be held mostly by stablecoin issuers, reports indicate the fund may also accept other qualified investors. MORGAN STANLEY LAUNCHES STABLECOIN RESERVES FUND Morgan Stanley Investment Management has launched the Stablecoin Reserves Portfolio (MSNXX). It is a government money market fund built exclusively for stablecoin issuers. The fund aligns with reserve requirements set out under… pic.twitter.com/ynDaPGPr8y — BSCN (@BSCNews) April 24, 2026 Morgan Stanley’s Bigger Crypto Push The stablecoin product is just one piece of a much larger expansion. Earlier this month, the bank launched the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust — its own Bitcoin exchange-traded fund — which pulled in over $170 million in net inflows within weeks of its debut. The firm has also filed paperwork with US securities regulators to list funds tied to Ether and staked Solana. In February, a national trust banking charter application was submitted to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. If approved, the charter would allow Morgan Stanley to hold crypto assets on behalf of clients, execute trades, and handle transfers directly. All of this is coming from one of the largest investment banks on the planet. Morgan Stanley manages more than $6 trillion in client assets through roughly 16,000 financial advisers. Related Reading: A New Phase For XRP? Integrations Keep Rolling In Across The Ecosystem What The Offering Signals The Stablecoin Reserves Portfolio positions Morgan Stanley not just as a firm that trades or holds digital assets, but as one that now wants to serve the companies issuing them. Stablecoin issuers need somewhere safe and regulated to park the cash or short-term securities that back their tokens — and now a major US bank is pitching itself as that destination. Data from Morgan Stanley’s website confirms the $10 million entry floor, placing the product firmly in the institutional category. Featured image from Banking Dive, chart from TradingView
Real-world crypto payments are taking another step forward as SUI and USDC go live on RedotPay’s platform. With this integration, users can now go beyond holding digital assets to actually using them in real-world transactions, directly through RedotPay’s app and crypto card system. This integration brings together the speed and scalability of Sui with the stability of USDC, creating a more practical payment experience for everyday spending. How Crypto Cards Bridge Digital Assets And Retail Payments Hong Kong-based RedotPay, a stablecoin-focused payments platform with over 7 million users, is making a major push into real-world crypto adoption by integrating SUI and USDC directly into its app and crypto card platform. Crypto analyst MartyParty has revealed on X that the update allows users to send, receive, and spend Sui-native assets directly through RedotPay. Related Reading: Sui Restores Service After Major 6-Hour Outage Shook Network Furthermore, RedotPay’s infrastructure connects crypto balances to traditional payment rails. This enables users to transact in over 100 countries and more than 130 million merchants worldwide, anywhere its card or payout systems are accepted. Behind the scenes, transactions are converted into traditional payment rails, fiat-like spending with low fees and fast settlement, powered by Sui’s high throughput and sub-second finality. RedotPay is positioning itself among the first major crypto card providers to support native non-bridged USDC on Sui, moving beyond wrapped versions to improve efficiency and security. MartyParty stated that this integration aligns with RedotPay’s broader strategy to expand stablecoin-powered global payments, while already supporting multiple assets and offering features such as P2P marketplaces and international transfers. For SUI, this represents solid real-world adoption, transforming blockchain-native assets into everyday spendable money that can be used at scale without the usual barriers of bridging or fragmentation. Revolutionary Technologies Set To Transform Finance On SUI The next chapter of finance is about to unfold, and it’s happening on SUI. According to the Sui community, two of the biggest unlocks in modern finance are on the horizon and are launching on the SUI network this year, which is a game-changer in how money moves globally. Related Reading: SUI At Decision Point: RSI Trendline Could Trigger A Drop Or Bounce This upgrade is about revolutionary technologies that will transform the way individuals think about money and investments. Sui network is at the forefront of this innovation, poised to make a significant impact on the financial landscape. The crypto community is about to witness a new era in finance, and it’s coming to the Sui network this year. Sui Community has also highlighted that recent insights from the Moon Show suggest SUI may be on the verge of a breakout, with a potential long opportunity on the horizon. Market structure is tightening, and a clean close on the daily time frame could be the catalyst for this move, setting the stage for further growth. If confirmed, this could mark the start of a potential surge in Sui’s value. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
"A creator earns 1.5% of all of the volume in the market as a fee when the market successfully settles," said Gensyn's Ben Fielding.
The BIS warned stablecoins resemble ETFs, not money, and called for global rules to prevent fragmentation across the $300 billion market.
Washington isn't trying to solve every crypto policy fight at once, but it appears to be carving out a workable path for one specific category of digital asset: the regulated, dollar-pegged stablecoin. The GENIUS Act established the first federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, and a bipartisan House tax discussion draft now proposes friendlier tax […]
The post Congress on verge of making regulated dollar stablecoins act almost like digital cash appeared first on CryptoSlate.
USDC Bridge is Circle’s official, native cross-chain bridging solution powered by its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol.
USDT stablecoin issuer Tether has stepped in to anchor a massive recovery plan for Drift Protocol, the Solana-based decentralized exchange (DEX) that was crippled by a $286 million exploit earlier this month. However, the rescue package includes a potent commercial string that could challenge Circle's dominance of USDC on the Solana blockchain. According to the recovery plan, Drift […]
The post Tether uses $127M Drift rescue to challenge Circle’s grip on Solana payments appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Solana-based decentralized exchange (DEX) Drift Protocol has shared the highly anticipated user recovery plan alongside Tether and other collaborators. This move follows the major exploit that drained $285 million from the project’s vaults two weeks ago. Related Reading: Bitcoin Double Bottom Formation Eyes $82,500 Rally – Breakout Or Rejection Next? Drift Protocol Secures $150M Recovery Fund On Thursday, Drift Protocol, the largest decentralized perpetual futures exchange on the Solana blockchain, announced a collaboration with Tether and other partners to establish a “structured recovery plan backed by up to nearly $150 million in combined support” and relaunch with USDT “at the center.” According to the announcement, the funds include a $100 million revenue-linked credit line, an ecosystem grant, and loans to market makers, all intended to finance a dedicated user recovery pool. As NewsBTC reported, the Solana-based DEX suffered an exploit that stole hundreds of millions of dollars from its vaults on April 1. The attack took around $285 million in multiple crypto assets and became the largest exploit of 2026 to date. During the initial phase of the collaboration, a significant portion of exchange revenue, together with committed support capital, will be intended to fund this recovery pool, Drift explained, noting that any stolen funds recovered would be contributed to the pool. In addition, Drift revealed that it will issue a new token for the affected users to “streamline distribution of recovery assets as well as provide liquidity opportunities for impacted users.” The token will be a dedicated recovery token, separate from the DRIFT governance token, that is intended to represent a claim on the recovery pool and will be transferable. Solana DEX Eyes Hardened Security Framework The Solana-based project shared that it will harden its security, passing each component through independent audits by OtterSec and Asymmetric Research before relaunching the protocol. It will also introduce a new community-governed multisig to manage core protocol assets, requiring all multisig signers to operate on dedicated signing devices with transaction content independently verified outside the primary signing interface before any signature is executed. This aims to prevent similar attacks on the project. It’s worth noting that the malicious actors gained unauthorized access to Drift Protocol by manipulating its multisig approvals using Solana durable nonces. “The attack involved unauthorized or misrepresented transaction approvals obtained prior to execution, likely facilitated through durable nonce mechanisms and sophisticated social engineering,” the project explained on its first report. Since then, Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic has identified multiple indicators suggesting that the exploit is linked to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), while Drift has affirmed that the exploit was a six-month operation to infiltrate the protocol’s inner circle and compromise their devices. USDT Settlements ‘At The Center’ Of Drift The project also detailed that it will relaunch with Tether’s USDT for settlements. Tether reportedly proposed to extend a USDT support facility to designated market makers “to reinforce deep, liquid markets from day one.” “Drift’s decision to integrate USD₮ into the relaunch and recovery of a major trading venue on Solana reinforces Tether’s role as a reliable settlement asset within the Solana ecosystem,” Tether stated. The shift from USDC to USDT settlement represents a significant change, following Circle’s decision not to freeze the stolen USDC during the initial attack. Notably, the exploiter swapped $270.9 million of the stolen assets into USDC within hours, bridged them from Solana to Ethereum via the CCTP TokenMessengerMinterV2, and purchased 129,000 ETH, splitting them across multiple wallets. Related Reading: Bitmine’s Ethereum Holdings Hits 4% Supply Milestone After 71,524 ETH Buy At the time, multiple investors and on-chain investigators urged Circle to freeze the funds, with crypto sleuth ZachXBT slamming the stablecoin issuer for its repeated “inaction” over the past few years. Circle has since addressed the backlash, affirming that it does not act “unilaterally or arbitrarily” and freeze funds when “the law requires us to act.” Drift concluded that “this is the first step toward making users whole over time and toward building back stronger than where we were before.” Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
The lawsuit, filed by law firm Gibbs Mura, alleged that Circle failed to act swiftly to freeze the stolen USDC tied to the attack.
Drift Protocol said it has secured up to $127.5 million from Tether to support user recovery after the April 1 exploit.
On-chain data shows the Ethereum versions of USDT and USDC, the two largest stablecoins, have seen their active addresses fall to the lowest level of 2026. USDC & USDT Active Addresses Have Fallen On The Ethereum Network In a new post on X, on-chain analytics firm Santiment has talked about the latest trend in the Daily Active Addresses for the Ethereum versions of USDT and USDC. This indicator measures the daily total number of addresses participating in some kind of transaction activity on the network. Related Reading: Bitcoin Whales Ramp Up Accumulation: Holdings Hit 2-Month High When the value of this metric goes up, it means more addresses are coming online on the blockchain every day. Such a trend implies user interest in the cryptocurrency is rising. On the other hand, the indicator observing a decline suggests holders of the asset are reducing their transaction activity as fewer of them are making moves on the network. Now, here is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in this metric for USDT and USDC on the Ethereum blockchain over the last few months: As displayed in the above graph, both the top two stablecoins have seen a drawdown in the Daily Active Addresses, suggesting activity related to them has declined. More specifically, the metric has dropped to 202,300 for USDT and 109,300 for USDC. Both these values are the lowest that they have been since December. Stablecoins occupy a different spot in the sector than volatile assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum; investors use them when they want to stash their capital away from the volatility associated with the other cryptocurrencies. Because of this reason, stablecoins are often considered to represent the “dry powder” sitting on the sidelines in the digital asset sector. Whenever these tokens are on the move, it means investors are either stashing away capital or injecting it into the volatile side. Given that the Daily Active Addresses has plunged for the Ethereum blockchain version of USDT and USDC recently, it would appear that there isn’t much demand for stablecoin-related swaps right now. Interestingly, this trend has come alongside a recovery surge in Ethereum and other assets. As such, it’s possible that the volatility could soon ignite fresh activity in the space. As Santiment explained: With Bitcoin making good momentum today and pushing toward $75K, expect for traders’ buying power to pick up a bit as they look to take more chances. More volatility means more ‘dry powder’ being moved. Related Reading: Huge XRP Bull Market Ahead? Analyst Flags ‘Ultimate’ Buy Zone In related news, USDT has seen its market cap reverse course recently, as CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn has highlighted in an X post. The trend in the 60-day market cap change for USDT | Source: @JA_Maartun on X From the chart, it’s apparent that the 60-day change in the USDT market cap was negative earlier, but it’s just now starting to make its way back into the positive territory. ETH Price At the time of writing, Ethereum is floating around $2,300, up 10% in the last seven days. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
The accelerator settled $500,000 in USDC funding on Solana for Totalis, marking its first all-stablecoin investment.
Shares of Coinbase stock remain roughly 60% below their July 2025 peak of $445, even after a rebound in March.
Bullish sentiment towards Hyperliquid is again on the rise, with crypto whales accumulating the perp DEX token. The first HYPE ETF in the U.S. could launch soon, which is also contributing to this bullish sentiment. Why Bullish Sentiment Towards Hyperliquid Is On The Rise Crypto whales are again massively accumulating Hyperliquid, which has sparked the bullish sentiment towards the perp DEX token. In an X post, on-chain analytics platform Lookonchain revealed that BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes bought 26,022 HYPE, worth $1.1 million again, after nearly 3 months. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Hyperliquid Price Is Exploding Again Hayes is one of many crypto whales Lookonchain has flagged as currently buying HYPE. The platform revealed that a particular whale had deposited 7.86 million USDC into Hyperliquid to buy 200,042 HYPE. Another whale, Cooker, also bought 50,751 HYPE for $1.99 million at an average price of $38.5. Such massive accumulation among crypto whales typically precedes a price surge for Hyperliquid. It is worth noting that the HYPE price is already up amid this accumulation wave, up over 12% in the last week. The perp DEX token has reclaimed the key $40 level and is now eyeing new local highs. Interestingly, Hayes has predicted that Hyperliquid could reach $150 by August. He stated that this could happen as the HIP-3 markets continue to generate record fees for the perp DEX. The DEX has seen greater adoption since the U.S.-Iran war began, as traders can trade commodities such as oil on HIP-3. DeFiLlama data shows that Hyperliquid currently ranks among the crypto protocols generating the most fees. This is bullish for HYPE because a majority of these fees go into buybacks, which could spark significant rallies for the token. An HYPE ETF Is On The Horizon Bitwise has filed an amended registration statement for its Hyperliquid ETF, with the fund set to trade under the ticker ‘BHYP.’ The asset manager also set a management fee of 0.67% for the fund. Meanwhile, it listed market makers FalconX, Flowdesk, Nonco, and Wintermute as approved trading counterparties. Related Reading: XRP, HBAR, And Litecoin: Pundit Highlights Coins To Watch In 2026 Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas noted that the filing indicates that the fund could launch soon, a development that is also bullish for Hyperliquid. The fund is expected to attract new inflows into the HYPE ecosystem as institutional investors gain exposure to the HYPE token through this ETF. Grayscale and 21shares have also filed to launch a Hyperliquid ETF, which is also bullish for the HYPE price. Balchunas noted that Bitwise may be looking to launch its HYPE ETF soon, given strong interest in HYPE, which is up 200% over the last year. At the time of writing, the Hyperliquid price is trading at around $42, up almost 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Medium, chart from Tradingview.com
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire emphasized that the stablecoin issuer has a "very clear performance obligation" to act under the law.
The platform allows PSPs, fintechs, and banks benefit from the efficiency of using stablecoins without having to hold USDC.
Polymarket’s plan to roll out its own collateral token sounds, at first glance, like the kind of move that should eat into Circle's USDC. A platform swaps out USDC.e, introduces Polymarket USD, and the obvious retail question follows almost immediately: Does that mean less demand for USDC? The short answer is no. Polymarket USD is […]
The post What will happen to USDC now Polymarket is launching its own stablecoin? appeared first on CryptoSlate.
At mainnet launch, Arc will introduce a post-quantum signature scheme, which enables users to create quantum-resistant wallets.
Stablecoin issuer Circle is facing mounting scrutiny from blockchain researchers after millions of USD Coin (USDC) were stolen and flowed unimpeded through its proprietary bridge during the $285 million exploit of the Solana-based Drift Protocol. The inaction during the April 1 attack, which is now the largest decentralized finance (DeFi) hack of 2026, stands in […]
The post Circle under fire as $230M in stolen USDC flows unblocked days after freezing legitimate accounts appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Solana-based Drift Protocol has suffered the largest exploit of 2026 to date, losing nearly $300 million in a “highly sophisticated operation” that has raised concerns about the growing threat of human-targeted attacks in the crypto space. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETFs Break Four-Month Negative Streak With $1.32B Inflows While ETH, XRP Funds Bleed Solana DEX Loses $285M On April Fool’s Day On Wednesday, Solana-based decentralized exchange (DEX) Drift Protocol was the victim of an exploit that stole hundreds of millions of dollars from its vaults. After online reports flagged unusual on-chain activity yesterday afternoon, Drift’s official channels confirmed the attack, quickly suspending deposits and withdrawals. According to reports, the attack lasted less than 20 minutes and stole around $285 million in multiple assets, including USDC, JPL, USDT, JUP, USDS, WBTC, and WETH, from nearly 20 vaults. This marks the largest crypto exploit of 2026 to date, and one of the largest hacks in the industry, just above WazirX’s $235 million hack. The hack wiped out half of the Solana-based project’s total value locked (TVL), which fell from roughly $550 million to $252 million, per DeFiLlama data. Drift protocol’s token, DRIFT, also plunged, retracing nearly 40% over the past 24 hours. Within hours, the exploiter had swapped $270.9 million into USDC, bridged them from Solana to Ethereum via the CCTP TokenMessengerMinterV2, and purchased 129,000 ETH, splitting them across multiple wallets. In a Thursday post, Drift shared the details of the incident, affirming that “a malicious actor gained unauthorized access to Drift Protocol through a novel attack involving durable nonces, resulting in a rapid takeover of Drift’s Security Council administrative powers.” Solana’s durable nonces are an advanced mechanism that allows transactions to bypass the typical short expiration date of regular transactions. This enables users to pre-sign transactions for future execution, offline signing, or complex multisig workflows. “This was a highly sophisticated operation that appears to have involved multi-week preparation and staged execution, including the use of durable nonce accounts to pre-sign transactions that delayed execution,” the post continued. Malicious Actors Targeting Humans, Not Smart Contracts The Solana-based DEX emphasized that the exploit was not the result of a bug in Drift’s programs or smart contracts, noting that they found no evidence of compromised see phrases either. “The attack involved unauthorized or misrepresented transaction approvals obtained prior to execution, likely facilitated through durable nonce mechanisms and sophisticated social engineering,” the project underscored. Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation, addressed the incident, asserting that it is a blow to the whole Solana ecosystem. Liu pointed out that “Smart contracts held up. The real targets now are humans: social engineering and opsec weaknesses more than code exploits.” Related Reading: Analyst Forecasts More Pain For XRP In Q2 – How Much Lower Can It Go? Ledger CTO Charles Guillemet linked Drift’s attack method to Bybit’s $1.4 billion hack, which was attributed to North Korean hacking groups. As he explained, the attackers likely compromised several machines belonging to multisig signers through long-term infiltration and misled operators into approving the malicious transactions. This modus operandi is similar to the Bybit hack last year, widely attributed to DPRK-linked actors. The pattern is becoming familiar: patient, sophisticated supply-chain-level compromise targeting the human and operational layer, not the smart contracts themselves. Guillemet affirmed that the incident is “yet another wake-up call for the industry” to raise the bar on security. “Ultimately, security is not just about code audits. It’s about giving operators and users the right information at the right time, so they can make informed decisions about what they sign,” he concluded. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com
Drift said Wednesday's $280 million exploit was a result of unauthorized transaction approvals, facilitated through durable nonce mechanisms.
Kulipa helps fintechs and wallets issue white-label stablecoin payment cards without managing card operations themselves.
The bank maintained its $2 trillion stablecoin market cap forecast by 2028 amid a sharp increase in turnover from use cases like AI payments.