Binance Australia has been ordered to pay a $6.9 million penalty after 524 retail investors lost $6 million trading high-risk derivatives without the required investor protections.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is calling for an investigation into cryptocurrency mining equipment maker Bitmain, citing alleged national security risks and its reported connections to the Trump family.

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis said a revised version of the CLARITY Act is designed to deliver "the strongest protections" for DeFi and its developers, according to Odaily Planet Daily. Her comments follow criticism from crypto attorney Jake Chervinsky, who flagged potential developer-liability language in the draft. Lummis said bipartisan changes have been incorporated to bolster legal safeguards for developers of noncustodial software. Chervinsky cautioned that the bill's current definition of money transmission could still leave some DeFi developers exposed to liability, as key provisions remain insufficiently clarified. The report added that the latest updated text has not yet been released publicly and is expected to head to the Senate Banking Committee for review in April. (Cointelegraph)

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis said an updated version of the CLARITY Act is intended to deliver "the strongest protections" for decentralized finance (DeFi) and its developers, according to ChainCatcher. Her comments followed criticism from crypto attorney Jake Chervinsky over draft language on developer liability. Lummis said bipartisan revisions have been made to reinforce legal safeguards for noncustodial software developers. Chervinsky said the draft may still leave some DeFi builders exposed, arguing that the bill's current definition of money transmission could create liability risks because key provisions remain unclear. ChainCatcher reported that the newest revised text has not yet been released publicly and is expected to move to the Senate Banking Committee for review in April.

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis said the revised CLARITY Act is designed to deliver what she called the "strongest protections" for decentralized finance (DeFi) and software developers, Cointelegraph reported. Her comments follow criticism from crypto attorney Jake Chervinsky, who raised concerns that the draft's developer-liability language could leave builders exposed. Lummis said bipartisan changes have been made to bolster legal safeguards for noncustodial software developers. Chervinsky cautioned that the latest draft may still leave some DeFi developers facing potential liability, arguing that the bill's definition of money transmission remains unclear. The report said the newest revised text has not yet been released publicly and is expected to move to the Senate Banking Committee for consideration in April.

Odaily Seer monitoring shows the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a stopgap homeland security funding bill intended to end the shutdown and sent it to the Senate. On Polymarket, the implied odds that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shutdown lasts more than 48 days rose to 92% (up 31 points over the past 24 hours). The odds of a shutdown exceeding 52 days climbed to 54% (up 12 points), while the odds of it stretching beyond 60 days surged to 75% (up 37 points). Total trading volume on the related event contract has surpassed $1.1 million. The bill would fund DHS agencies at current levels through May 22, the latest effort to resolve the partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14. It passed the House 213"203, with three Democrats voting in favor and the remaining "yes" votes coming from Republicans. The measure is widely expected to fail in the Senate, which could extend the stalemate. Reports say the House rejected the Senate's version before advancing its own. House Speaker Johnson said Republicans will not back measures to reopen the border or pause immigration enforcement. Odaily Seer continues to track prediction markets for pre-pricing shifts.

Washington's focus on crypto firms' entry into the U.S. payments system is sharpening, after Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, questioned how Kraken Financial obtained Federal Reserve account access. In a March 26 letter to Kansas City Fed President and CEO Jeff Schmid, Waters requested an explanation of the terms and review process behind the approval of a limited-purpose account for Payward Financial, which operates as Kraken Financial. She asked how the authorization aligns with existing Federal Reserve frameworks, noting the lack of a clearly defined category for such accounts. The Kansas City Fed granted the account for an initial one-year term and said conditions were set to match the institution's risk profile, though the specifics have not been made public. Waters wrote that she is seeking clarification on "the terms of Kraken's account access approval" and the considerations that informed the decision. Waters' questions target both the scope of services and the safeguards attached to the account. She asked whether Kraken's access includes FedACH, Check Services, FedCash, or Fedwire Securities Services, and whether any of those capabilities differ from what is typically provided to master account holders. The letter also presses for detail on balance-sheet and liquidity limits, including whether Kraken can incur daylight overdrafts, maintain unlimited overnight balances, or earn interest on those balances. Waters further asked whether the Kansas City Fed imposed supervisory standards, reporting requirements, or risk controls beyond Wyoming's Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI) regime, and whether any conditions were coordinated with the Federal Reserve Board or other Reserve Banks. In addition, Waters requested internal and external communications related to the approval, including whether any federal or state officials influenced or reviewed the decision-making process. She framed the inquiry as part of broader congressional oversight of financial stability and consumer protection as payment technology evolves. Waters wrote that answers are essential to ensuring Fed account approvals are handled consistently with the law and impartially, while supporting a safe and efficient payment system. She asked Schmid to respond in writing by April 10, 2026. FAQ Why does Kraken's Fed account access matter to investors? It may signal a path for crypto firms to connect more directly to core U.S. payment infrastructure. What risks are regulators focused on? Liquidity constraints, oversight standards, and potential systemic exposure. Could this affect broader crypto regulation? Yes. The outcome may influence how future crypto access to Fed services is governed. What is the key uncertainty for markets? The absence of a clear regulatory framework for crypto-linked Federal Reserve accounts.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seeking details on potential national security risks tied to Bitmain and raising concerns about the company's business connections to the Trump family, according to Odaily Planet Daily. Warren asked the department to provide records of communications between Bitmain and Eric Trump as well as Donald Trump Jr. Reports also say the FBI is running an investigation dubbed "Operation Red Sun" to evaluate whether the mining equipment could be susceptible to remote control. U.S. regulators have previously flagged repeated security concerns about Bitmain's products. Bitmain said the allegations are unfounded, while American Bitcoin Corp said its security testing identified no issues. (Bloomberg)

Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse said the company's growth is accelerating on the back of mergers and acquisitions, and he expects Ripple to post a "recordbreaking" first quarter in 2026, according to ChainCatcher. Garlinghouse said Ripple deployed about $4 billion into the crypto ecosystem in 2025 through investments and acquisitions. He highlighted two major deals: the $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road and the $1 billion purchase of GTreasury. He said the moves materially bolstered Ripple's institutional services footprint and its financial infrastructure capabilities. On regulation, Garlinghouse said he remains broadly optimistic about the direction of U.S. digital-asset policy, but now expects the CLARITY Act to pass later than previously anticipated, with the timeline slipping from late April to late May. He cautioned that if policy is "weaponized" for political purposes rather than used to support industry development, it could weigh on innovation. "The market is closely watching whether the U.S. regulatory framework can be implemented—we need to avoid returning to the policy uncertainty seen during Gary Gensler's tenure," Garlinghouse said. He added that ongoing negotiations between the crypto sector and traditional financial institutions over key legislative provisions, including issues such as stablecoin yields, are still creating friction and slowing regulatory progress.