It was a week of sharp contrasts in crypto. TRUMP coin cratered to record lows as hype turned to losses, while April closed as the worst month for hacks in three years, with $651 million gone across 29 incidents.
On the institutional side, Japan confirmed plans for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs as early as 2027, and Western Union revealed a Solana-based stablecoin launching next month. From meme coin wreckage to mainstream adoption, the market delivered it all. Read the full recap below.
Trump Meme Coin Hits Record Low as Hype Fades
TRUMP coin has collapsed from $50 to $2.27, wiping out over $5 billion in market cap. A bear market, Trump’s cratering approval ratings amid the US-Iran war, insider sell-offs, and the Trump family controlling over 70% of supply have all driven the slide, with analysts eyeing $1 next.
Crypto VC Funding Hits 16-Month Low in April
Blockchain venture funding collapsed to $660 million across 62 deals in April, down from $2.6 billion in March and an 80% drop from the October 2025 peak of $3.85 billion. Macro uncertainty, regulatory friction, and tighter liquidity are pushing VCs to back existing portfolio companies rather than new projects.
Arbitrum DAO Votes to Release $70M in Frozen Hack Funds
Arbitrum DAO is voting on whether to send 30,766 ETH, frozen after April’s $292M Kelp DAO exploit, to DeFi United, a recovery fund backed by Aave and others. Early support is strong. If approved, it would be the fund’s largest single contribution and help compensate affected rsETH users.
Crypto Hackers Post Worst Month Since 2022, Stealing $651M in April
April was crypto’s most brutal month for hacks in over three years, 29 incidents, roughly one per day. A single social engineering attack on an elderly Bitcoin holder accounted for $330M alone. Phishing and access control exploits dominated, though about $18M was eventually recovered.
Japan Moves to Launch Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs by 2027
Japan Exchange Group has confirmed plans to list Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs as early as 2027, a year ahead of earlier forecasts. CEO Hiromi Yamaji said JPX is ready to proceed once parliament finalizes crypto legislation and tax rules. Nomura and SBI Holdings are expected to lead the first listings on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Terra Classic Surges 102% in 30 Days, Eyes $0.00010 Target
Terra Classic has rallied over 100% in a month, driven by a clean technical breakout, 630 million tokens burned in three days, and social engagement at one-year highs. LUNC now sits just below its key December resistance. A confirmed close above that level could open the path to $0.00010–$0.00012.
Justin Sun’s TRON Ecosystem Tokens Rally on Burns and Buybacks
TRX, JST, and SUN all climbed this week, driven by real on-chain activity. JST surged nearly 5% after a 271-million-token burn funded by protocol revenue. SUN volume spiked 16% as its buyback engine continues compressing supply. Meanwhile, Tron Inc. now holds over 693 million TRX in treasury through daily purchases.
Polygon Lands Visa and Meta Deals as Price Coils for Breakout
Polygon has secured major partnerships with Visa, adding it to a $7 billion stablecoin settlement network, and Meta, which will use it for creator payouts. The network processed $37 billion in 30 days and turned $11 million in Q1 fees. POL trades at $0.09, with analysts eyeing a 28% move to $0.1184.
First Prediction Market ETFs Set to Launch May 5
Roundhill has filed to launch the first-ever prediction market ETFs in the U.S., with May 5 as the target date. The initial funds will track political event contracts, like which party controls Congress, bundled into a regulated, brokerage-accessible wrapper. Bitwise and GraniteShares are pursuing similar products.
Hong Kong Regulator Flags Fake HSBC and HKDAP Stablecoins
Hong Kong’s HKMA is warning investors about fraudulent tokens trading under the “HSBC” and “HKDAP” tickers. Although HSBC and Anchorpoint Financial recently received Hong Kong’s first stablecoin licenses, neither has launched any coins yet. The regulator urges the public to verify issuers through official channels and avoid unregulated tokens.
Tether Launches Free Bitcoin Faucet Inside Its New Self-Custody App
Tether has added a Bitcoin faucet to its new tether.wallet app that lets users claim free sats by replying to CEO Paolo Ardoino’s post on X with their tether.me handle. Unlike old ad-heavy faucets, this one runs inside a branded mobile app, uses real Bitcoin, and keeps users in full control of their funds.
Humanity Protocol Rallies as Worldcoin’s Collapse Drives Investors Away
Humanity Protocol’s $H token has surged 65% over the past 8 days, largely at Worldcoin’s expense. WLD has lost 98% of its peak market cap following Elon Musk’s public attacks on Sam Altman, fresh allegations of predatory tokenomics, and the ongoing Musk v. Altman trial. $H now faces a key resistance level at $0.19.
Tezos Jumps as Next-Gen Execution Layer Heads to Testnet
Tezos surged 8% after confirming that Tezos X, its new execution layer combining EVM and Michelson smart contracts on a single chain, is heading to testnet in May 2026. Daily trading volume spiked 128% to $24.5 million, though price stalled just below the key $0.40 resistance level.
BNB Smart Chain Hard Fork Targets Faster, More Reliable Confirmations
BNB Smart Chain activated the Osaka/Mendel hard fork on April 28, introducing nine protocol changes focused on transaction finality and execution efficiency. Key updates include a hard gas cap per transaction and an in-memory voting pool to speed up consensus. Most users won’t notice the change, but validators had to upgrade beforehand.
Western Union to Launch Solana-Based Stablecoin in May
Western Union is set to launch USDPT, a dollar-backed stablecoin on Solana, as early as May. Custodied by Anchorage Digital, it will initially settle payments with agents worldwide, replacing slow SWIFT transfers with 24/7 on-chain transactions. A consumer-facing stable card is also planned for later in 2026.
