Strong earnings boost market confidence, potentially stabilizing risk assets despite geopolitical tensions and uncertain monetary policies.
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A new crypto crime report by TRM Labs paints a stark picture of how North Korean hacking groups have been operating in 2026 so far. Through April, they were responsible for 76% of all losses tied to crypto hacks, but the report emphasizes that this outcome wasn’t driven by a steady stream of attacks. Instead, the massive share of stolen value comes down to just two incidents whose combined haul—about $577 million—far outweighed everything else that year. Two Crypto Hacks, Nearly $600M Stolen The first breach highlighted by TRM Labs took place on April 1: the Drift Protocol hack. The report puts the value stolen at $285 million. The second incident followed on April 18, when the KelpDAO bridge exploit reportedly resulted in $292 million in losses. Related Reading: Hyperliquid Jumps Into The Betting Boom With New ‘Outcome Tokens’ For Real-World Events What’s striking is that these two events account for only about 3% of the total number of crypto incidents in 2026 during that period. Yet together, they represent 76% of the stolen value, underlining a pattern the report says has defined North Korea’s approach across most years since 2017—relatively few attacks, but extremely outsized payouts. The report also charts how North Korea’s share of crypto hack losses has grown over time. It notes that the figure was under 10% in 2020 and 2021, then rose to 22% in 2022, 37% in 2023, 39% in 2024, and 64% in 2025. The 76% figure through April 2026 is described as the highest sustained share on record, suggesting that the pattern seen in recent years is not just continuing, but accelerating. April Sets New Record Of Incidents TRM Labs details how the Drift Protocol hack was carried out, focusing on the time and preparation that preceded the actual drain. The crypto hack involved about three weeks of pre-attack staging. It also included months of social engineering intended to compromise protocol signers. Once the attackers were in position, the full drain reportedly took place in roughly 12 minutes, showing how planning can turn into rapid theft at the moment of execution. Related Reading: A Stealth Force In Derivatives—Why Bitcoin Can’t Punch Past $80,000 Yet The KelpDAO hack, dated April 18, followed a very different technical path. According to TRM Labs’ crypto crime report, the exploit centered on a flaw in a single-verifier design used in a LayerZero bridge. After the breach, the attackers moved quickly into laundering: they routed proceeds through THORChain after more than $75 million was frozen on the Arbitrum blockchain (ARB). The findings align with another data point from the broader crypto ecosystem. DeFiLlama, which tracks activity and incidents in decentralized finance (DeFi), flagged April as the most-hacked month in crypto history by number of incidents. Featured image created with OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Reform UK's potential gains could intensify political pressure on Starmer, possibly affecting Labour's stability and future leadership dynamics.
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The US's hardening stance on Iran could escalate geopolitical tensions, impacting global oil markets and straining international relations.
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Nvidia's stock surge highlights the transformative impact of AI on global markets, with potential volatility from geopolitical and economic factors.
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Rubio's stance exacerbates US-Iran tensions, hindering diplomatic progress and impacting global oil markets amid geopolitical uncertainty.
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The blockade exacerbates global trade disruptions, heightens geopolitical tensions, and impacts oil markets, with no resolution in sight.
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Increased Venezuelan oil supply may stabilize global oil prices, reducing economic strain and altering geopolitical energy dynamics by 2026.
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Mistral Medium 3.5 is the rare Western entry in the open-source top tier, but it costs multiples more than Chinese rivals that beat it on benchmarks.
The surge in crypto hacks undermines confidence in Ethereum's growth potential, highlighting the need for enhanced DeFi security measures.
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Internal power struggles in Iran may destabilize leadership, reducing chances for US-Iran diplomacy and impacting regional geopolitics.
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Trump's backing of Warsh could reshape Fed policies, impacting economic strategies and market stability amid concerns over Fed independence.
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A Bitso report shows shifting user behavior as dollar-linked stablecoins gain traction for everyday financial use across Latin America’s inflation-hit economies.
China's AI advancements may prompt Western firms to reassess strategies, potentially altering global AI market leadership dynamics.
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Crypto legislation is gaining momentum, with lawmakers eyeing a potential mid-May markup—even as key disputes remain unresolved.
Trump's claims may reduce the likelihood of further military actions, impacting geopolitical dynamics and market expectations in the region.
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Rubio's involvement suggests reliance on indirect negotiations, potentially delaying diplomatic progress and maintaining current tensions.
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The leaked intel may undermine US-Iran nuclear negotiations, affecting market confidence in future uranium acquisition and diplomatic outcomes.
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The Arbitrum Security Council froze 30,766 ETH that the Kelp DAO attacker had moved to an Arbitrum One address.
Collins' break with GOP on Iran war powers hints at potential intra-party divisions, possibly affecting Trump's political stability and strategies.
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The UAE's OPEC exit could weaken the cartel's price control, potentially leading to increased global oil supply and lower prices.
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The admission in federal court is a rare acknowledgment of the use of distillation techniques as AI firms compete to build more capable and cheaper models.
Sovereign wealth funds eye significant crypto allocations, potentially reshaping global financial landscapes.
The post Jamie Coutts: Liquidity cycles are slowing asset returns, blockchain is the future coordination layer, and Tether’s strategic role in emerging markets | Raoul Pal appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
Senate bans lawmakers from prediction markets as Kalshi and Polymarket face rising insider trading scrutiny.
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The congressional move may realign Brazil's political landscape, potentially strengthening Bolsonaro's faction ahead of the 2026 election.
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A crypto analyst is sounding the alarm about Bitcoin (BTC), warning investors to sell their coins before the next price crash. According to the market expert, Bitcoin could be preparing for another major correction, but this time, it’s in the $40,000 range. Contrary to the widespread belief that Bitcoin has entered a new bull market, this analyst argues that the bear market is far from over and that it will end only after BTC hits its final cycle bottom. Analyst Warns Investors To Sell Bitcoin Now Orbion, a crypto market, has warned members of the Bitcoin community to consider exiting their positions immediately, predicting another major price crash ahead. He pointed to Bitcoin’s recent rally above $79,000, describing it as a bull trap that briefly attracted buyers before the price reversed back to previous lows as selling pressure increased. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Should Be Wary Of This Level Or Investors Risk Getting Trapped According to Orbion, the move to $79,000 marked the final bull trap of its bear market cycle. He argued that there is no more meaningful demand left at the top, suggesting that the Bitcoin price will likely continue struggling to sustain any further upside momentum from current levels. Against this backdrop, the analyst is urging investors and holders to sell their coins to avoid losses. He believes that Bitcoin is now forming its final bear market bottom, which could trigger a drop toward the $40,000 region. His accompanying chart clearly displays this bearish setup, showing Bitcoin’s weakening momentum despite its recent rebounds to higher levels. The chart shows that since the flagship cryptocurrency reached an all-time high above $125,000 in October 2025, its price has been in a prolonged downtrend. It has also traded within a narrow descending channel for months, constantly making lower highs and lower lows. If price action plays out as Orbion says, Bitcoin could hit another lower high below $45,000, representing a more than 40% decline from current price levels above $75,000. The analyst believes a decline in this region is highly likely, marking it as BTC’s final cycle bottom. Analyst Sees No Chance Of BTC Hitting $100,000 This Year Sharing similar bearish sentiments, market analyst KillaXBT has boldly claimed that Bitcoin has “absolutely zero chance” of surpassing or even reclaiming the $100,000 level this year. He noted that 42% of market participants still hold hopes that Bitcoin can close the year with a bullish green candle. Because of this large scale, the analyst believes the current market sentiment has not yet reached true capitulation. Related Reading: Why The Bitcoin Price Could Hit $68,000 Again As a result, the analyst expects the next 90 days to be highly volatile and difficult for traders, likely marked by sharp, unpredictable price swings. He further warned that Bitcoin is more likely to crash toward sub-$60,000 levels than stage a recovery back above $100,000 in the near term. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
The airstrikes exacerbate Iran's economic woes, potentially destabilizing the regime and reducing its military aggression capacity.
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Mojtaba Khamenei's leadership may stabilize Iran's political landscape, reducing regime change likelihood and impacting regional dynamics.
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The escalation reduces ceasefire prospects, signaling prolonged conflict and complicating diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution.
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Institutional interest in Bitcoin ETFs amid geopolitical stability may bolster cryptocurrency markets, enhancing investor confidence and market growth.
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