Iranian Official Allegedly Embezzles Over $21 Million in Crypto Assets During CEX Investigation

On April 2nd, Kristin Smith announced on the X social platform that she will officially resign as the CEO of the Blockchain Association on May 16, 2025. Then, on May 19, she will join Solana and serve as the president of the Solana Policy Research Institute, guiding its policy strategy layout. Smith reviewed the industry advocacy and regulatory dialogues she had led during her tenure. She stated that although she is leaving her current position, it is not a farewell to the crypto industry but a "change of perspective." Currently, the Blockchain Association Board of Directors has initiated the process of selecting the successor to the CEO.

On April 2nd, according to market intelligence, the stablecoin issuer Circle is reported to have filed an S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), commencing the initial public offering (IPO) process. The company intends to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRCL".

On April 2nd, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Cryptocurrency Specialized Task Force announced after the first roundtable meeting that it will hold four more meetings in the first half of this year to have in-depth discussions on aspects such as crypto trading, custody, asset securitization, and decentralized finance. The four meetings will be held on the following dates with their respective themes: April 11th - "Between Blocks and Regulation: Tailoring Rules for Crypto Trading", April 25th - "Know Your Custodian: Key Considerations for Crypto Asset Custody", May 12th - "Asset Securitization: The Intersection of Traditional Finance and DeFi", and June 6th - "DeFi and the American Spirit". The head of the task force, Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, said: "These roundtable meetings enable us to listen to expert opinions, clarify regulatory challenges, and discuss the SEC's response strategies." All roundtable meetings will be live-streamed to the public.

On April 2nd, as per Bitcoin Magazine, BlackRock has filed registration with the UK Financial Conduct Authority as a cryptocurrency asset firm.

On April 2nd, according to an official announcement, Bybit Web3 will officially stop operating the NFT marketplace, Inscription marketplace, and IDO product page at 16:00 (UTC) on April 8th, 2025. At that time, the relevant pages will no longer be accessible.

On April 2nd, according to an official announcement, Bitget has declared the commencement of the U-based PUMP perpetual contract, and the leverage ranges from 1 to 20. Simultaneously, the contract trading BOT will also be opened.