According to NS3.AI, Whale Alert has reported the minting of 250 million USDC at the USDC Treasury. This development is significant as it reflects ongoing activities in the stablecoin market, which can influence liquidity and trading dynamics. The minting of such a large amount of USDC could have implications for market participants, potentially affecting supply and demand within the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Figure and Hastra are broadening their tokenized credit platform by incorporating auto loans, thereby extending the range of real-world assets available to decentralized finance (DeFi) investors beyond home equity products. According to Cointelegraph, Democratized Prime, a decentralized lending marketplace on Figure Markets, is introducing auto finance as its inaugural new asset class. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to create a marketplace where various types of consumer credit can be issued, traded, and funded onchain, as announced on Tuesday. Michael Tannenbaum, CEO of Figure, emphasized the strategic nature of this development, noting that the platform has already originated over $22 billion in onchain loans. This move represents an early test of whether tokenized private credit can extend beyond home-equity products into mainstream consumer lending. Such a shift could potentially broaden DeFi’s access to real-world yield while also introducing the credit risks associated with subprime-style loan markets. Figure launched Hastra in 2025, with its public debut and rollout occurring later that year. Initially launched on Solana (SOL), the platform was designed as an extension of Figure’s lending ecosystem, utilizing its loan origination and credit infrastructure to bring real-world assets (RWAs) onchain. Simultaneously, Hastra is expanding to Ethereum-compatible (EVM) chains, thereby opening access to a larger DeFi ecosystem and extending its existing credit system, including home equity loan exposure, to new chains. A Figure spokesperson informed Cointelegraph that Hastra will begin with Ethereum (ETH) as part of its expansion into EVM chains. They also confirmed that the auto finance product will initially launch on Solana before being rolled out on Ethereum around June. Despite these advancements, bringing consumer loans onchain does not eliminate the inherent risks associated with these assets. Non-prime auto loans can have higher default rates, particularly in weaker economic conditions. Additionally, there are concerns regarding regulation, transparency, and the performance of these blockchain-based credit products under stress or during volatile market conditions. Earlier this month, Bernstein analysts expressed a bullish outlook on Figure, suggesting that the blockchain-based lender might be undervalued. They assigned an “Outperform” rating and a $67 price target, nearly double its recent trading price. This optimistic perspective follows growth in Figure's tokenized lending business, with loan originations exceeding $1.2 billion in March and first-quarter volumes reaching $2.9 billion. Figure went public on September 11, 2025, listing on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol FIGR.

U.S. President Donald Trump is encountering significant challenges as he attempts to ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Bloomberg posted on X that despite his efforts, Trump remains largely isolated in this endeavor. The strategic waterway, a critical route for global oil shipments, has been a focal point of geopolitical tensions, with various nations expressing concerns over security and stability in the region. Trump's administration has been working to rally international support to safeguard the strait, but the response has been tepid. The situation underscores the complexities of navigating international diplomacy and security in one of the world's most vital maritime corridors.

Dow and Exxon are among the companies increasing prices for plastics as the industry faces supply disruptions due to the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting the impact of geopolitical tensions on the sector. The conflict has led to significant supply chain challenges, prompting companies to adjust pricing strategies to cope with the disruptions. The situation underscores the broader economic implications of geopolitical conflicts on global industries.

Carlyle Group has successfully raised $1.5 billion in the first round of funding for its newly established asset-backed investment fund, according to BlockBeats. This move is part of the private equity giant's ongoing expansion of its credit business. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and other institutional investors participated in the Carlyle Asset-Backed Income Fund. Unlike most credit funds with fixed terms, this fund will adopt a 'perpetual' structure, meaning it will not have a set expiration date. Due to the sensitivity of the information, the sources requested anonymity.

Aave DAO has finalized an agreement to allocate $25 million in stablecoins and 75,000 AAVE tokens to Aave Labs. According to NS3.AI, in exchange, Aave Labs will direct all revenue generated from Aave-branded products to the DAO treasury. This decision resolves a prolonged disagreement concerning revenue from a swap feature on the Aave website. The dispute had led three long-standing service providers to announce their departure, citing concerns over increasing centralization of power around Aave Labs.

Aave has transitioned its interface swap routing to ParaSwap in response to a recent frontend attack on CowSwap. According to NS3.AI, Aave clarified that the security of its interface and underlying protocol remained unaffected by the incident. As a precautionary measure, CowSwap temporarily disabled swap endpoints for integrators.

President Zardari has affirmed Pakistan's commitment to maintaining dialogue with the United States, Iran, and other significant regional and global nations to bolster the sustainability of the US-Iran peace process. According to NS3.AI, Zardari expressed these views during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He emphasized that Pakistan's efforts to facilitate dialogue underscore its position as a responsible member of the international community.

BlackRock's crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) attracted $935 million in net inflows during the first quarter of 2026, as reported in the firm's Q1 earnings. According to NS3.AI, these products have accumulated $32 billion over the past year. BlackRock also reported a total of $130 billion in net inflows across all its products for the quarter. Larry Fink, BlackRock's CEO, noted that this quarter marked one of the strongest starts to the year in the company's history. Data from Dune indicates that BlackRock clients hold approximately 890,000 of the 1.6 million Bitcoin in ETFs, surpassing Fidelity's 12% market share.

A U.S. official stated that the U.S. Navy is not currently escorting any ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but has conveyed to merchant vessels (those not entering or leaving Iranian ports) that the waterway is safe and encouraged to pass. The official indicated that the U.S. has not imposed a complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but only a blockade on vessels traveling along the entire Iranian coastline to and from Iranian ports. The official also stated that the U.S. dispatched a destroyer through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend to demonstrate the existence of a safe passageway. (Jinshi)

According to data disclosed by MSTR, the company has significantly increased its Bitcoin purchases since March, with this week's purchases already returning to the same level as last year, and showing a further upward trend.

Jinse Finance launches the "Jinse Web3.0 Daily," providing you with the latest and fastest news on MEME, DeFi, DAO, NFT, and the metaverse industry.

Spending money, endorsing, and then being blacklisted: Justin Sun's "plastic friendship" with the Trump family has backfired.

Stablecoins, Ethena: Stability is just an illusion: The crash of 75 years ago is being repeated in the stablecoin market. Golden Finance: Ethena is using traditional finance to back stablecoins.

The emergence of AI multi-agent systems has ignited a strong demand for "machine payments," and blockchain will become the underlying settlement foundation of the intelligent agent economy, potentially becoming a key watershed in the future AI competition among major powers.

Only three days remain until Musk's "super app dream" comes true. On April 17th, XChat is expected to officially launch on the Apple App Store, with global availability for download.

The suspect in the attack on Ultraman's residence has been arrested! The line between science fiction and reality has blurred: as those who push AI forward at breakneck speed, and those who fear AI raise their torches—this confrontation has only just entered its most dangerous phase.

OpenAI, once the undisputed leader in large-scale modeling, is losing its luster. Its former employees, along with six others, have left to found Anthropic, which is eroding OpenAI's leading position in terms of revenue, valuation, and market share.

In July 2024, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced the list of three participants in the stablecoin sandbox.

The United States' blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed the global energy landscape to a new tipping point.