Gate.io Launches INIT Perpetual Contract Pre-trading

On April 28, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Mike Selig announced that the agency—having cut more than one-fifth of its staff—is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to offset the manpower shortage. The shift comes amid former President Trump’s push to reduce the federal workforce, with Selig noting AI and automation can help fill the staffing gap. As a leading U.S. regulator in the crypto space, the CFTC is advancing AI and related technology to review registration applications and support market surveillance. Selig pointed out the CFTC’s registration process still relies on manual document submissions, so “we’re building an automated system to make it far more efficient.” He added AI tools can review applications, flag issues for staff, streamline their work, speed up feedback, and reject obviously incomplete filings. “AI can spot blanks, insufficient descriptions, or clear errors in submissions—then either reject those applications or place them at th

April 28 — NUVA Digital, the software development arm of RWA trading platform NUVA, has closed a $5.2 million seed funding round led by Morgan Creek Digital. Co-created by Animoca Brands and Nuva Labs, NUVA allows users to deposit stablecoins, mint yield-bearing composable tokens, and access on-chain reserve proof—with no minimum deposit or lock-up requirements. The capital will be used to accelerate platform development and ecosystem expansion, including expanding the treasury market, onboarding more issuers, multi-chain deployment, building institutional-grade tools, and pushing forward the launch of NUVA’s functional token. The company notes this round marks its shift from early development to scaling up total value locked (TVL) and user base, aiming to tackle fragmentation in the RWA market and establish a unified entry point.

April 28: Bitcoin fell below $76k, with a 2.28% dip over 24 hours, per HTX market data.

April 28 — Bitcoin has climbed ~14% over the past month and is on track for a fourth straight weekly gain, with markets eyeing the $82k CME gap, per Decrypt. QCP Capital noted: “Whether the next leg up becomes another classic bull trap or a more sustainable recovery hinges on Bitcoin closing above $82k. A break above that level could send it to $90k. Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, investors are gradually rebuilding long positions, with less downside hedging activity than in recent weeks.” Two key catalysts lie ahead: earnings from the U.S. “Magnificent Seven” tech giants and the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. While crypto is recovering, markets face immediate macro risks from Q1 earnings of five of the group — Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, and Apple. Anchored Finance founder Wenny Cai said these earnings “will be a major test of broader risk appetite,” marking the first meaningful gauge since U.S.-Iran tensions flared. Markets have fully priced in a 100% cha

April 28 — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced Tuesday it will withdraw from OPEC and OPEC+ starting May 1. Amid the Iran war that has sparked a historic energy shock and jolted the global economy, the move has dealt a heavy blow to the organization and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia. As a longstanding OPEC member, the UAE’s unexpected exit could trigger chaos within the group and weaken its influence — even though OPEC typically aims to present a united front on issues ranging from geopolitics to production quotas. For U.S. President Trump, this could be a big win. Trump has accused OPEC of “extorting the rest of the world” by jacking up oil prices. He has also tied U.S. military support for the Gulf region to oil prices, stating that while the U.S. defends OPEC member countries, they are “taking advantage by setting sky-high oil prices.” The UAE is a regional business hub and one of Washington’s key allies. Prior to the withdrawal, the UAE criticized other Arab nations for

April 28 — Per data from Arkham Monitor, BlackRock has transferred roughly 6,040 ETH (valued at ~$13.79 million) and 362.682 BTC (worth ~$27.73 million) to Coinbase Prime in the past hour.