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Crypto sector reassured as the CLARITY Act fails to pass, Perkins says

The U.S. crypto industry remains buoyant about its longer-term prospects, even as the fate of the CLARITY Act—an effort to codify regulatory clarity for tokens, stablecoins and crypto businesses—hangs in the balance in Congress. In a recent Chain Reaction episode, Chris Perkins, CEO of 250 Digital Asset Management, argued that the sector’s momentum would endure even if lawmakers don’t pass the bill this session. Perkins pointed to ongoing policy work by the two main financial regulators as evidence the path to usable guidance is already being carved out. He cited the ongoing efforts of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) under their chairs, following the agencies’ joint interpretation released in March on how federal securities laws apply to crypto assets. “If not, we’re going to be just fine,” said Chris Perkins, CEO of 250 Digital Asset Management, on Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction podcast, noting that the SEC and CFTC a...
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Bitcoin posts strongest April in 12 months

Bitcoin finished April with an 11.87% month, its strongest showing in a year and a potential signal that the market is rethinking the path higher. The gain follows a stretch of volatility and underpins a cautious but constructive mood among traders heading into May. While April’s bounce is notable, it still sits below the long-run average for the month, according to CoinGlass data. As of writing, BTC hovered near $78,190, roughly 38% below its October all-time high near $125,100. The price backdrop keeps investors focused on whether the current momentum can translate into a sustained move toward former highs. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index lingered in the “Fear” territory at 39, indicating a still-cautious crowd weighing the near-term risk/reward. Key takeaways Bitcoin logged an 11.87% rise in April, its best month since April 2025, when it gained 14.08%. April’s performance still underperformed the historical April average of about 12.98%, per CoinGlass. Bitcoin trades around...

Bitcoin mining equities rise in 2026 as BTC lags behind

Publicly traded Bitcoin miners have posted broad gains in 2026, with the sector’s 10 largest stocks all trading in positive territory year-to-date. The rally spans roughly 5% to more than 85% for the top names, according to data compiled by Bitcoinminingstock.io. Even as Bitcoin and the wider crypto market faced a cautious backdrop, these miners have benefited from improving fundamentals in data-center operations and a shift toward artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. Among the leading performers, TeraWulf, Hut 8 Corp, and Riot Platforms have outpaced peers in 2026, delivering year-to-date gains around 85%, 67%, and 46%, respectively. Other significant movers include Core Scientific (~40%) and Applied Digital (~37%). By contrast, Bitdeer Technologies Group has trailed the pack with roughly a 5% rise, while American Bitcoin Corp.—the venture formed by Hut 8 and backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.—has slid about 29% on the year. The data underscor...

CISA Flags Linux Copy Fail Flaw on Watch List, Crypto Infra at Risk

A new Linux vulnerability dubbed “Copy Fail” could impact most open-source distributions released since 2017, security researchers warn. The flaw enables attackers who have already gained code execution on a system to escalate privileges to root, potentially compromising servers, workstations, and services that form the backbone of crypto exchanges, node operators, and custody providers that rely on Linux for security and efficiency. On May 1, 2026, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added Copy Fail to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, highlighting its significant risks to federal and enterprise environments. Researchers describe the exploit as shockingly simple in principle: a 732-byte Python script, run after initial access, could grant root privileges on affected systems. In a striking assessment, one security observer called the vulnerability almost trivially exploitable, noting that a minimal piece of Python code could unlock administ...

Linux Copy Bug: Trivially Exploitable, Impacts Crypto Infrastructure

Security researchers have highlighted a Linux vulnerability nicknamed Copy Fail that could impact a broad swath of open-source distributions released since 2017. The flaw has drawn the attention of U.S. authorities and was added to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, signaling heightened risk to federal and enterprise systems, including cryptocurrency exchanges, node operators, and custodians that rely on Linux for reliability and performance. At the heart of Copy Fail is a privilege-escalation flaw that, under the right conditions, can grant an attacker root access using a compact Python payload. Researchers emphasize that the exploit requires prior code execution on the target system, but what follows can be executed with astonishing brevity. “10 lines of Python may be all it takes to access root permissions on any affected system,” said one researcher, underscoring how a small foothold can escalate into full control. ...

Payward Closes Bitnomial Deal, Eyes US-Regulated Crypto Derivatives

Payward, the parent company of Kraken, has completed its acquisition of Bitnomial, unlocking a fully CFTC-regulated derivatives stack in the United States. The deal gives Payward a complete onshore infrastructure for crypto derivatives, anchored by Bitnomial’s licenses for exchange, clearing, and brokerage services. With the closing, Payward now controls a Futures Commission Merchant, a Designated Contract Market, and a Derivatives Clearing Organization. The plan is to leverage this stack to roll out CFTC-regulated products across Kraken and NinjaTrader, beginning with spot margin trading and followed by perpetual futures and options offerings. Bitnomial will operate under its existing regulatory framework, but the acquisition enables Payward to connect fintechs, banks, and brokerages to US-regulated derivatives through its platform. The definitive agreement to acquire Bitnomial was announced on April 17, positioning Bitnomial as the first crypto-native company in the US to hold licens...

AI Pivot Sparks Mining Stocks Rally Relative to Bitcoin in 2026

Publicly traded crypto miners have defied broader market pressure in 2026, delivering meaningful gains as the sector broadens beyond pure mining into AI and high-performance computing (HPC). According to data from Bitcoinminingstock.io, all ten of the largest publicly traded mining stocks are positive for the year, with year-to-date gains ranging roughly from 5% to about 85%. Leading the pack is TeraWulf, Inc., which is up about 85%, followed by Hut 8 Corp. at roughly 67% and Riot Platforms, Inc. around 46%. Other notable movers include Core Scientific, Inc., up about 40%, and Applied Digital Corporation, up about 37% for the year. At the lower end, Bitdeer Technologies Group has inched higher by around 5%, while American Bitcoin Corp.—a Trump-linked mining and treasury venture formed by Hut 8 and backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.—is down roughly 29%. These gains come as Bitcoin (BTC) itself has faced macro headwinds, continuing to trade lower on the year—roughly a 20% decline ...