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The Bank of Korea has called for the introduction of circuit breakers in the virtual asset industry to prevent large-scale erroneous payments, citing the recent Bithumb incident as an example, Newsis reported. The central bank argued for the need for an IT system that can automatically verify the consistency between an exchange's internal ledgers and its on-chain balance in real-time. Such a system would also be designed to preemptively block mistaken payments caused by human error. Furthermore, the Bank of Korea suggested that the industry should consider implementing systemic safeguards similar to those used by the Korea Exchange, which can halt trading in response to abnormal orders or sudden, drastic price movements.

Third-party AI Large Language Model (LLM) routers contain security vulnerabilities that could lead to cryptocurrency theft, according to a study by University of California (UC) researchers, Cointelegraph reported. The team explained that after testing 28 paid and 400 free routers, they found that nine were injecting malicious code, 17 accessed the researchers' own Amazon Web Services (AWS) credentials, and one successfully stole ETH from a researcher-owned wallet. LLM routers, which act as third-party API brokers consolidating access to AI providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, can potentially expose the private keys, seed phrases, and other sensitive data of developers using AI coding agents for smart contract or wallet operations.

Shin Hyun-song, the nominee for Governor of the Bank of Korea, stated today that Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and commercial bank deposit tokens based on them should be at the center of the digital currency ecosystem, Yonhap News reported. In a written response for his confirmation hearing before South Korea's National Assembly Finance and Economy Committee, Shin said that while he is generally in favor of introducing a domestic won-denominated stablecoin, maintaining trust in the currency remains the top priority. He added that stablecoins could play a significant role in the future monetary system, particularly as a means of exchange for tokenized assets, and could coexist with deposit tokens in both a complementary and competitive capacity.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has supported a plan to transfer supervisory authority over financial markets, including cryptocurrencies, to a central European Union (EU) body, Cointelegraph reported.

According to data from Tokenomist, the major token unlocks scheduled for this week (April 13–19) are as follows: - CONX: 1.32 million tokens ($15.95 million), representing 1.52% of circulating supply, at 12:00 a.m. UTC on April 15 - STRK: 127 million tokens ($4.17 million), representing 4.22% of circulating supply, at 12:00 a.m. UTC on April 15 - SEI: 55.56 million tokens ($2.97 million), representing 0.97% of circulating supply, at 12:00 p.m. UTC on April 15 - ARB: 92.65 million tokens ($10.43 million), representing 1.75% of circulating supply, at 1:00 p.m. UTC on April 16 - DBR: 618 million tokens ($9.08 million), representing 12.90% of circulating supply, at 12:00 a.m. UTC on April 17 - ZK: 173 million tokens ($2.62 million), representing 2.88% of circulating supply, at 8:00 a.m. UTC on April 17

Binance announced it will temporarily suspend deposits and withdrawals for Moonbeam (GLMR) starting at 12:00 p.m. UTC today to support its network.

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis stated that the previous Biden administration effectively excluded the digital asset industry, adding that it is now time to establish a clear regulatory framework to attract the industry back. To this end, she urged the passage of the Crypto-Asset Market Structure Act (CLARITY).

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is likely to maintain a wait-and-see approach amid high macroeconomic uncertainty, according to Kazuo Momma, a former policy board member of the central bank. In an interview with Bloomberg, Momma said the situation in the Middle East complicates the BOJ's policy response. He noted that the range of possible scenarios over the next two to three months is extremely wide, and in such an uncertain environment, a central bank's typical response is to monitor developments. Momma also suggested that the BOJ's lack of a clear message on the short-term interest rate trend indicates it has not yet decided what action to take at its meeting on April 27-28. He emphasized that the decision at this month's meeting will be a close call.

Nexon Group is accelerating a business restructuring by liquidating its virtual asset affiliates and acquiring a European industrial solutions company, Digital Today reported. The company has sold its stake in overseas crypto exchange Bitstamp, which is no longer a subsidiary. Additionally, Nexon's board resolved in February of this year to dispose of its entire shareholding in South Korean crypto exchange Korbit. As of the end of last year, Nexon's holding company, NXC, held 147.6 billion won (approx. $107.3 million) in crypto, including 2,356 BTC and 22,420 ETH. This represents a 15.2% decrease from the 174 billion won (approx. $126.5 million) held the previous year.

South Korean crypto exchanges Bithumb and Coinone have received failing grades in an internal control inspection conducted by South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Chosun Biz reported. The review of the country's top five crypto exchanges was prompted by a recent incident in which Bithumb accidentally overpaid a user in Bitcoin. The FSS assessed the exchanges' internal control systems based on four key criteria: periodic reviews of internal control status, management of work access privileges, implementation of duty separation and mandatory leave, and the appropriateness of advertising and promotional materials. Bithumb and Coinone failed to meet the standards in all four categories.

On-chain analyst EmberCN noted a recent pattern of projects manipulating spot prices to trigger liquidations against retail investors in the futures market. He pointed to RaveDAO (RAVE), which surged approximately 20-fold over the past three days, rising from $0.3 to $6.2 this morning. EmberCN suggested that RAVE employed a 'confusion tactic' during this surge. He explained that three days ago, 30.58 million RAVE, valued at $42 million, were deposited into Bitget, a move seemingly designed to encourage short selling. Subsequently, over the past two days, 31.94 million RAVE were withdrawn from Bitget back on-chain as the spot price was aggressively driven higher.

Stablecoin project Fypher and institutional-grade DeFi infrastructure firm Blueprint Finance have announced plans to jointly build an on-chain yield ecosystem based on the Asia-focused dollar stablecoin FYUSD. Fypher founder Paul Kim and Blueprint CEO Nick Roberts-Huntley revealed the plan during an appearance on Maeil Business TV's 'Crypto Insight' on April 11. Kim stated that they selected Concrete, Blueprint's platform for Ethereum-based vault infrastructure and derivatives creation, to connect Asian institutions with global capital markets and provide access to compliant on-chain yield. The broadcast also highlighted that the partnership could attract market attention, particularly as a U.S. bill on stablecoins would prevent issuers from directly paying interest or yield to holders.

President Trump has reportedly stated that it does not matter to him whether Iran returns to negotiations, adding that it is also fine if they do not.

U.S. President Donald Trump said a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would be highly effective, stating that most minelaying vessels and related equipment have been destroyed. He added that the U.S. has more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined, leaving Iran in a very difficult position.

The Aave (AAVE) community has passed a governance proposal for AaveDAO to provide Aave Labs with a grant totaling $25 million in stablecoins and 75,000 AAVE. According to Aave Labs, the proposal is a concrete step in implementing the "Aave Will Win" framework, which directs 100% of revenue from Aave-related services to the community (DAO) treasury. The organization added that this specific proposal is limited to its funding request and on-chain execution. Broader framework provisions, such as ecosystem growth and development grants, will be addressed in separate governance proposals.

An Iranian official has warned that the country has an unused card to play against a U.S. naval blockade, Al Jazeera reported.

A newly created, anonymous Solana address beginning with 8DHkza has withdrawn TRUMP tokens worth approximately $2.84 million from Bybit over the past three days, according to an analysis by Onchain Lens. The address currently holds one million TRUMP, valued at $2.8 million. Onchain Lens had previously suggested three days ago that the withdrawal was likely for the purpose of attending a Trump gala dinner party.

BTC sell pressure has increased following the breakdown of ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, according to on-chain analyst Darkfost. He noted that the market's expectations were dashed when the talks ended without a resolution, leading to a surge in sell orders, including $1 billion worth on Binance within a single hour. Darkfost also pointed out that perpetual futures funding rates remain in negative territory, supporting a prevailing downward market view. While short-term downward pressure is strong, he acknowledged that markets frequently move contrary to expectations when such a one-sided consensus forms. However, the analyst cautioned that these reverse movements tend to be limited during a bear market.

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig has reiterated that state governments do not have the authority to regulate prediction markets. According to CoinDesk, he emphasized that the regulatory authority for any product legally offered on a CFTC-regulated exchange, whether related to sports, politics, or anything else, lies with the commission. Selig added that state governments do not have the right to supplant derivatives regulations with gambling laws. The CFTC has previously filed lawsuits against Illinois, Arizona, and Connecticut concerning prediction markets.

Bitcoin's rebound early this month without a sharp initial drop may actually increase the likelihood of a further decline, according to one analyst. Mignolet, a CoinNess Content Creator (CC) and crypto analyst, argued on X that a swift drop in early April might have been healthier for the market in terms of volatility. He explained that while the recent rebound, fueled by plausible narratives, is rebuilding market expectations, he does not see this as a positive development. If this pattern persists, the chances of another drop could increase, he said. Mignolet stated that he has been highlighting a bearish cycle since last August and will make his position clear when he believes a bull cycle has started, adding that now is not that time. He concluded by saying that long-time followers know he is typically a very bullish investor.

JPMorgan plans to support its JPM deposit token on the Canton Network this year via its tokenization platform Kinexys, Cointelegraph reported. The Canton Network currently processes $350 billion in daily settlements in the U.S. repo market.

An address believed to belong to FTX/Alameda unstaked 198,000 SOL, worth approximately $16.21 million, about 20 minutes ago, according to Onchain Lens. Based on past patterns, these funds are likely to be distributed across multiple addresses before being transferred to Coinbase and Binance.

The Korea Insurance Development Institute and the Bank of Korea have agreed to form a joint task force to develop digital currency-based index insurance, Edaily reported. The move is a follow-up to a phase two memorandum of understanding for Project Hangang, which focuses on utilizing digital currency and deposit tokens. Digital currency-based index insurance is a product that automatically and immediately pays claims in digital currency when an objective index meets a preset value, such as during an extreme weather event or disaster, bypassing the need for a separate damage assessment process. The task force will concentrate on the research and development of a proof-of-concept model that combines the technical advantages of digital currency with the efficiency of index-based insurance.

The Altcoin Season Index from crypto data platform CoinMarketCap is currently at 37. The index is calculated by comparing the price performance of the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins and wrapped tokens, against that of Bitcoin. An altcoin season is declared when 75% of these top 100 coins outperform Bitcoin over the preceding 90 days; otherwise, it is considered a Bitcoin season. A score closer to 100 indicates a stronger altcoin season.

The following are the key global macroeconomic events scheduled for the third week of April. All times are in UTC. - April 14, 12:30 p.m.: U.S. March Producer Price Index (PPI) - April 14, 4:45 p.m.: Speech by U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) Vice Chair Michael Barr - April 15, 5:45 p.m.: Speech by Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) member Bowman; April 16, 12:30 p.m.: U.S. Initial Jobless Claims