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14 Apr 2026, 22:02

Kraken Files Secret U.S. IPO Amid New $13.3 Billion Valuation

Kraken has confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering, according to comments made by co-CEO Arjun Sethi, marking a new step in the crypto exchange’s public market plans. Sethi confirmed the filing on Tuesday during remarks reported from the Semafor World Economy conference in Washington, D.C. The statement also confirmed earlier reporting that the company had been preparing for a listing in the United States. The filing comes after a period of changing market conditions for digital asset firms. Kraken had paused its IPO plans less than a month earlier during a weaker stretch for the crypto market, when Bitcoin traded far below its prior peak. The company’s renewed move toward a listing follows a recovery in crypto prices, with Bitcoin rising to around $76,000 on Tuesday. Kraken is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the global market and has continued to expand its role in trading services for retail and institutional users. During his reported remarks, Sethi said the company aims to make advanced trading strategies more accessible to individual investors. Deutsche Börse Investment Sets New Valuation The IPO filing was disclosed on the same day that Deutsche Börse Group announced a planned investment in Kraken’s parent company, Payward Inc. Deutsche Börse said it would invest $200 million through a secondary transaction involving existing shares. The purchase would give the exchange operator a 1.5% fully diluted ownership stake in the company, subject to regulatory approval and expected closing conditions in the second quarter. Based on the terms, the transaction places Kraken’s valuation at about $13.3 billion. That figure is lower than the $20 billion valuation attached to the company’s $800 million raise announced in November. The difference shows a decline of more than $6 billion from the earlier level, even as Kraken resumes preparations for a public listing. IPO Timing Follows Crypto Market Recovery Kraken’s latest move comes as digital asset prices have shown renewed strength. Bitcoin has climbed in recent weeks and is reported to be up about 9% for April. The change in market conditions has reopened discussions around public listings, fundraising, and strategic investments across the crypto sector after a period in which several firms slowed expansion plans. Deutsche Börse and Kraken had already established a relationship before the latest investment. In December, the two companies announced a partnership aimed at linking traditional financial markets and digital asset infrastructure, with a focus on institutional crypto adoption in Europe. The new stake extends that connection as Kraken moves ahead with its public market plans. Exchange Reports Limited Customer Data Exposure Separate from its IPO and valuation developments, Kraken also disclosed that it had received a ransom demand tied to customer data. The company said criminals threatened to release information after two breaches that allowed limited viewing of a small number of customer accounts. Kraken stated that the number of accounts that could have been viewed was about 2,000 in total, or around 0.02% of its customer base. The exchange said its system was not compromised and that customer funds were never at risk. Kraken also stated that it would not pay any fees to those behind the demand and said it would not negotiate with criminals. The company presented the issue as a contained data exposure rather than a broader system failure ahead of the IPO.

14 Apr 2026, 22:00

Here’s How Much Of The XRP Supply That ETFs Now Control

Institutional demand for XRP is slowly creeping back in recent days. Inflows into Spot XRP ETFs in the US are picking up pace, even with price action still subdued under $1.4. Notably, the latest ETF data shows that a measurable portion of the token’s circulating supply is already being absorbed by these investment vehicles. ETFs Now Hold A Measurable Slice Of XRP Supply March was a particularly difficult period for Spot XRP ETFs, with SoSoValue data showing $31.16 million in net outflows for the month. Total XRP assets under management dropped from a January peak of $1.65 billion to below $1 billion due to a combination of XRP’s price falling over 40% and actual investor redemptions. Related Reading: Pundit Says XRP Won’t Reach $10,000 The Way You Think, Here’s How It Will Happen However, Spot XRP ETFs have now returned to measurable inflows. According to data from SoSoValue, US-listed spot XRP ETFs attracted $9.1 million in net inflows on April 10. This is their strongest single-day intake since February 6, when $15.2 million flowed into the products, and is a sign of new capital entering the XRP ecosystem through institutional investors after months of suspension. Since launch, Spot XRP ETFs have received a cummulative $1.22 billion in net inflows. Therefore, the scale of XRP accumulation in these ETFs is no longer negligible. Data shows that as of April 14, seven spot XRP ETFs are trading in the United States, with the products collectively holding 771.7 million XRP tokens and a combined AUM of about $959.40 million. The funds now represent approximately 1.16% of XRP’s market capitalization. Why ETF Accumulation Matters For Price Structure ETF flows are increasingly becoming one of the most important variables in XRP’s market structure. Whenever inflows rise, ETFs must acquire XRP from the market, and this effectively makes them a consistent source of demand. Related Reading: Why XRP Price Is About To Stage The Breakout Of The Decade Furthermore, XRP tokens that go into ETFs are typically held for longer durations compared to retail trading activity. This, in turn, creates a supply sink that can influence price dynamics, especially if inflows continue. For context, exchange-held XRP dropped 45% from 3.95 billion to 2.6 billion over the course of 2025, the lowest level since 2018, leaving an already thin order book sensitive to an increase in demand. A Coinbase and EY-Parthenon survey of 351 institutional investors found that 25% plan to add XRP to their portfolios in 2026 and 18% already hold it, but 65% of those respondents identified regulatory clarity as the single biggest factor holding them back from increasing their crypto exposure. The passage of the CLARITY Act is currently the most important regulatory factor. Spot XRP ETFs could grow to about $5 billion in AUM if the legislation clears the Senate Banking Committee, which is targeting a markup vote in the second half of April. A hypothetical growth of these ETFs to $5 billion in AUM would lock about 2.5 billion tokens, more XRP than every crypto exchange combined holds at present. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com

14 Apr 2026, 21:54

Bitcoin is Showing Geopolitical Value Beyond Digital Gold Amidst US-Iran War: Bitwise CIO

Bitcoin is beginning to show a role beyond its long-standing digital gold narrative as geopolitical tensions reshape global finance, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan. In a recent memo, Hougan said Bitcoin’s price action during the US-Iran war points to a broader shift in how the asset is being valued by the market. He said the latest rally reflects growing interest in Bitcoin not only as a store of value but also as a neutral asset for cross-border settlement. Bitwise said Bitcoin gained about 12% from late February through early April, a period marked by military tension involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Over the same stretch, the S&P 500 fell 1% and gold dropped 10%, based on the figures cited in the firm’s note. That performance stood out because Bitcoin has often been treated as a high-risk asset that tends to weaken during periods of geopolitical stress. Bitcoin Outperforms Stocks and Gold Hougan said the latest move challenged two common explanations often used to describe Bitcoin during global unrest. One view holds that geopolitical events have little direct effect on Bitcoin. Another argues that conflict can support Bitcoin only through future monetary expansion and inflation. Hougan rejected both ideas and said Bitcoin’s recent strength is tied more directly to fractures in the global financial system. Source: Bitwise Bitwise presented Bitcoin as two investment themes at once. One is the well-known case for Bitcoin as digital gold, competing for a share of the global store-of-value market. The other is its potential role as a politically neutral settlement asset in international trade. Hougan described that second case as an “out-of-the-money call option,” meaning it could gain value as the chances of real-world adoption increase. Bitwise Links Rally to Global Payment Shifts The firm tied that view to changes that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. After major Russian banks were removed from the SWIFT network, countries and trade partners increased efforts to reduce dependence on dollar-based settlement systems. Hougan said that shift encouraged interest in alternative rails, including local currencies and digital assets that are not controlled by any single government. Bitwise also pointed to recent reports from the Middle East. Hougan cited a report that Iran’s oil export sector was considering the use of Bitcoin for transit-related payments linked to the Strait of Hormuz. While no broad adoption has been confirmed, the firm said such reports show that countries facing pressure within the traditional financial system may be more willing to consider neutral alternatives for certain transactions. Hougan said this does not mean Bitcoin has already become a global settlement currency. Instead, he said the market may be gradually assigning more value to that possibility. In Bitwise’s framework, the chance that Bitcoin could serve as both a store of value and a settlement tool increases its long-term valuation case. $1 Million Target Framed as Long-Term Scenario Based on that thesis, Hougan said Bitcoin’s previously discussed $1 million price projection could prove conservative if both parts of the adoption case continue to develop. He said the estimate could become a starting point rather than a ceiling if Bitcoin gains wider acceptance in savings, reserves, and cross-border transfers. Bitcoin was trading near $74,700 after briefly moving above $75,000 at the time referenced in the reports. Bitwise said the recent advance suggests the asset may be responding to geopolitical fragmentation in a different way than many traditional markets. The firm’s position is that Bitcoin is no longer being valued only as digital gold, but also as a neutral monetary network that may attract more attention as global payment systems become more divided.

14 Apr 2026, 21:50

Ethereum faces $2,480 hurdle as $1M security push begins

🚨 Ethereum tests $2,480 as breakout momentum grows. Technical signals conflict: bull pattern meets a key sell indicator. Continue Reading: Ethereum faces $2,480 hurdle as $1M security push begins The post Ethereum faces $2,480 hurdle as $1M security push begins appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .

14 Apr 2026, 21:48

Strategy’s STRC Stock Hits $1.1B Daily Volume Record

Strategy’s STRC perpetual preferred stock recorded $1.1 billion in daily trading volume on April 13. This was 46.5% higher than its previous single-day record and more than four times its 300-day average of about $274 million. A $100 Stock Moving Billions The share price moved one cent, the total liquidity was $1.156 billion, and that gap between activity and price stability is, frankly, the whole point. STRC, formally the Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock, listed on Nasdaq, pays 11.5% annually in monthly cash dividends. The rate adjusts monthly to keep the share price near $100 par, and it has climbed steadily from 9% at launch in July 2025, holding at 11.5% since April after seven straight increases. There is no maturity date, and Strategy never has to return principal. What they do instead is keep paying dividends and issuing new shares whenever the stock trades at or above par, then take that capital straight into Bitcoin. That mechanic is what made the Monday record so notable. According to four separate trackers cited by analyst Mark Harvey, the ATM program funded an estimated average of 9,894 BTC, with individual estimates ranging from about 6,100 to 12,500. This came one day after Strategy had already confirmed a separate $1 billion purchase of 13,927 BTC at around $72,000 each. The buy brought its total to 780,897 BTC acquired for roughly $59 billion. Analyst Adam Livingston did the arithmetic on Monday’s raise in a post on X, and according to him, at 11.5% annually, the amount raised carries about $98 million per year in dividend obligations. Over ten years, that totals less than $1 billion. If Bitcoin compounds at 25% annually over the same period, the BTC purchased with that capital would theoretically be worth close to $8 billion, leaving a theoretical spread of nearly $7 billion after a decade of dividends paid, assuming the rate never drops. “It is a machine that converts capital markets access into long-duration Bitcoin exposure,” Livingston wrote, “while the fixed claim gets smaller and smaller relative to the asset.” How STRC Stacks Up The volume record also generated a liquidity comparison worth noting. STRC’s 30-day average trading volume now runs at 4.8% of its market cap, according to data shared by Strategy President Phong Le. For comparison, Tesla sits at 1.8%, Meta and Nvidia are both at 0.7%, and Apple is at 0.3%. So, essentially, a preferred stock with no voting rights and a $100 par value is now more liquid, relative to market cap, than every major tech company in America. Livingston made a similar point about STRC’s relationship to MSTR itself: the preferred stock now accounts for roughly 90% of MSTR’s daily trading volume. Five months ago, that figure was 10%. The broader crypto market was moving on Monday, too. Bitcoin climbed toward $75,000, its highest since mid-March, after reports of possible US-Iran de-escalation added about $100 billion to the total crypto market cap. A rising BTC price matters for STRC holders because Strategy’s ability to cover dividend obligations indefinitely without issuing new MSTR shares depends on Bitcoin growing faster than its 2% breakeven ARR, a figure Executive Chairman Michael Saylor said the company tracks in real time. The post Strategy’s STRC Stock Hits $1.1B Daily Volume Record appeared first on CryptoPotato .

14 Apr 2026, 21:38

Ethereum Break Above Key Averages Supports Ongoing Uptrend Setup