Invest ideasNews
5 May 2026, 13:58
Binance changes weekend pricing for commodity TradFi futures
Binance will shift to an orderbook-weighted pricing model for commodity perpetual futures during off-hours, potentially changing margin and liquidation behavior.
5 May 2026, 13:26
April 2026 Crypto Fundraising Report
Sharp Slowdown, Mega-Round Drought, and a 12-Month Capital Low $662.5M VC Capital 64 VC Deals -74% MoM Capital -23% MoM Deals Published: May 01, 2026 Coverage Period: April 01 – April 30, 2026 Data Source: CryptoRank MCP Report Version: v1.0 1. Crypto Fundraising Trend MoM Crypto Fundraising Hits 12-Month Low as April Capital Plunges 74% April 2026 marked the weakest month in the 12-month window, with only $662.4M raised across 64 rounds — a sharp 74% capital drop from March’s $2.59B and the lowest total since May 2025. Round count fell 23% MoM, continuing the steady decline since the October 2025 peak of 125 rounds. The trend signals tightening risk appetite: fewer deals, smaller checks, and absence of the mega-rounds that defined late 2025. Figure 1: Source CryptoRank MCP . Excludes M&A, IPO, Debt, and PIPE deals 2. Capital Distribution by Transaction Type M&A captured 48.6% of April’s $1.57B disclosed capital across just 6 deals, edging out VC at 42.1% spread over 64 rounds. The dollar dominance of M&A despite far fewer transactions signals a consolidation phase — strategic acquisitions reshaping the market while primary fundraising thins. 2.1 MoM Comparison by Transaction Type Series A, B, C+ / Strategic capital fell 86% to $296M, M&A dropped 58% to $765M, and IPO/PIPE flows went silent from $646M to zero — pointing to a broad pullback rather than a category-specific slowdown. 3. VC Capital Distribution by Category Exchange led April VC capital with $231M across just 6 deals, while DeFi and AI dominated activity with 12 and 10 deals respectively but on much smaller average tickets. Payments and Infrastructure stood out for combining both volume and dollar weight, signaling sustained investor interest in foundational rails. Exchange Category Deals Breakdown CEX dominated April Exchange capital ($208M across Payward, Hata, CAEX) while DEX / perpetuals attracted smaller checks (Liquid, Exponent, Paragon). Project Project description Raised Round Type Core product Investors Payward Parent of Kraken; trading, custody, payments, lending across 190+ jurisdictions. $200.00M Undisclosed CEX Deutsche Borse Liquid Non-custodial perp trading; users keep funds & data on-chain, no KYC storage. $18.00M Series A DEX, Perpetuals Haun Ventures, SV Angel, Anti Fund Hata Global crypto exchange licensed in Malaysia; fiat on-ramp for retail and pros. $8.00M Series A CEX Bybit Exponent Solana yield protocol; fixed-yield Income Tokens and tradeable volatile yields. $5.00M Seed AMM, DEX, Yield Aggregator Multicoin Capital, RockawayX, Solana Ventures CAEX Vietnam’s regulated crypto exchange backed by VPBank under government pilot. – Strategic CEX HashKey Capital, OKX Ventures Paragon Hyperliquid-based DEX for index perps (BTC dominance, TOTAL2, macro indicators). – Seed DEX, Perpetuals, Synthetic Assets – Payments Category Deals Breakdown Slash captured 71% of April Payments capital with a $100M Series C; the remainder skews toward API-focused infrastructure (Fence, Kulipa, INXY) and card / cashback rails (Kulipa, GoSats). Project Project description Raised Round Type Core product Investors Slash Banking for entrepreneurs and SMBs; accounts, virtual cards, $200M FDIC coverage. $100.00M Series C Custody Y Combinator, NEA, Ribbit Capital Fence Tech-native facility-agency platform for asset-backed finance; automates ABF ops. $20.00M Series A API, Data Service Galaxy, ParaFi Capital, Crane Venture Partners Kulipa Lets non-custodial wallets issue branded payment cards with API and dashboard. $6.20M Seed API 1kx, Fabric Ventures, Flourish Ventures GoSats India fintech; cashback in Bitcoin/digital gold for everyday purchases via card. $5.00M Series A E-commerce, Mobile, Payments Y Combinator, Konvoy Ventures, Taisu Ventures Depay LatAm payment rails; cross-border collections/payouts without local bank setup. $4.00M Seed Payments CMT Digital, DCG, Hash3 INXY Payments EU-licensed multi-asset payment platform for businesses managing digital tx. $4.00M Extended Seed API, Payments Flashpoint VC Transak Fiat-to-crypto on-ramp/off-ramp; integrates with wallets & DeFi apps in 100+ countries. – Strategic API, Smart Contract Platform, Social Gobi Partners 4. Investor Activity 4.1 Crypto Investor Base Hits 25-Month Low as Participation Plunges 72% from 2024 Peak April 2026 saw 211 unique investors, down 45% MoM from March 2026 (383) and 72% below the April 2024 peak of 741. The 25-month series trends consistently downward, with monthly participation roughly halving since mid-2025 and reaching its low at the period close. 4.2 April Most Active Funds GSR led April with 4 deals; Maven 11 Capital led every round it joined (2/2). Most top-10 funds participated as co-investors, signaling cautious capital with limited lead conviction. 5. Top VC Deals and Mega-Rounds Top 10 biggest April 2026 VC rounds (excludes M&A, IPO, Debt, PIPE). Project Raised Description Round Type Investors Payward $200M Parent company of Kraken exchange, plus xStocks, NinjaTrader, CF Benchmarks, and Breakout — trading, custody, payments, lending, on-chain finance. Undisclosed Deutsche Borse Slash $100M Fintech offering business accounts, virtual cards, and real-time tracking for entrepreneurs; client funds held with FDIC insurance up to $200M. SERIES C Y Combinator, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Ribbit Capital Cross River $50M Banking infrastructure and APIs that let fintechs embed accounts, cards, and loans; serves as licensed lender of record handling KYC and compliance. Undisclosed T. Rowe Price Pharos $44M EVM-compatible Layer 1 network focused on trustless payments and applications, targeting underserved communities and Web3 mass adoption. SERIES A SNZ Holding, Chainlink, Flow Traders Fence $20M Tech-native facility-agency platform for asset-backed finance; digitizes covenants and automates verification, calculations, and cash flows. SERIES A Galaxy, ParaFi Capital, Crane Venture Partners Reppo $20M Permissionless coordination layer for AI systems to collaborate with data, infra, and capital, giving developers and agents shared resources. STRATEGIC Bolts Capital Spektr $20M Compliance automation platform for banks combining workflows with AI agents that handle document review, ownership mapping, and risk analysis. SERIES A New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Northzone, seedcamp Squads $18M Solana multisig wallet/SaaS letting teams manage shared crypto assets and on-chain resources — tokens, NFTs, programs, validators — together. STRATEGIC Coinbase Ventures, Solana Ventures, Haun Ventures Liquid $18M Non-custodial perp trading platform: users keep funds in their own wallets, no KYC storage, censorship-resistant on-chain execution. SERIES A Haun Ventures, SV Angel, Anti Fund Belo $14M LatAm mobile wallet for freelancers and remote workers; receive Wise/Deel/Payoneer payouts in stablecoins, hold crypto, low-cost cross-border transfers. SERIES A G2 Venture Partners, Mindset Ventures, TheVentureCity
5 May 2026, 13:00
BREAKING – Layoff Shock: Coinbase To Eliminate 700 Jobs
American crypto exchange Coinbase will cut roughly 700 workers — about 14% of its global headcount — in a restructuring move the company says is driven by a slowing crypto market and a rapid shift toward AI-powered operations. The cuts are expected to be largely completed by the end of the second quarter of 2026. Workers based in the US will receive a minimum of 16 weeks of base pay, plus two additional weeks for every year of service. They will also keep their next equity vest and receive six months of COBRA health coverage. Employees on work visas will get extra transition support. A Market Downturn Meets A Technology Shift CEO Brian Armstrong broke the news in a post on X, framing the layoffs around two forces colliding at the same time. One is a pullback in crypto trading that has squeezed the company’s revenue. This is an email I sent earlier today to all employees at Coinbase: Team, Today I’ve made the difficult decision to reduce the size of Coinbase by ~14%. I want to walk you through why we’re doing this now, what it means for those affected, and how this positions us for the… — Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) May 5, 2026 The other is AI, which Armstrong says has made small engineering teams dramatically faster — enough to prompt a full rethink of how Coinbase is staffed. “Our business is still volatile from quarter to quarter,” Armstrong wrote, adding that the company needs to adjust its cost structure now to come out of the downturn in better shape. Coinbase plans to experiment with one-person teams where a single employee handles engineering, design, and product work under one role. Layers of management are also being cut, according to reports. The company says it wants to concentrate its remaining staff around AI skills. The restructuring will cost between $50 million and $60 million, mostly in severance and other termination benefits. Most of those charges will hit the books in the second quarter of 2026. Markets React Positively Despite The Job Cuts Investors appeared to welcome the announcement. Coinbase shares climbed more than 4% in pre-market trading after the news broke Tuesday morning. The move comes after a surprise quarterly loss earlier this year, tied to a slowdown in crypto trading volumes. Despite that, Armstrong struck an optimistic tone, saying crypto is on the edge of its next wave of adoption — but that the company has to get its costs in line first. The affected workforce figure — approximately 700 employees as of May 1, 2026 — was disclosed in a formal filing with regulators. Coinbase operates as the largest crypto exchange in the US. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView
5 May 2026, 12:46
Ethereum Price Prediction: ETH Eyes $2,650 Breakout
Ethereum is testing two breakout setups after pushing above key descending trendlines on daily and 6-hour charts. Analysts now point to $2,460 and $2,650 as the next major ETH price targets if the breakout holds. Ethereum Eyes $2,650 Target as ETH Breaks Above Key Trendline Ethereum traded near $2,379 on the daily ETH/USD chart shared by More Crypto Online, while price moved above the descending orange trendline that had capped ETH since the previous high area. The chart shows ETH recovering from the lower support zone near $1,600 to $1,821, where the move formed a larger corrective base. From that area, Ethereum built a rising structure marked as an A-B-C move, with price now testing the upper part of that recovery. Ethereum Wave C Target Chart: Source: More Crypto Online on X The analyst said the 100% extension target for wave (c) sits near $2,650. On the chart, this level appears at $2,657, which stands above the current price and inside the first marked upside target zone. The breakout above the trendline matters because ETH had failed several times near that same descending resistance. A daily move above it could confirm that buyers have gained short-term control after weeks of sideways and upward price action. However, ETH still needs to clear the next resistance area between $2,617 and $2,957. The chart marks this zone with Fibonacci levels, including the 38.2% retracement at $2,617 and the 50% retracement near $2,958. If ETH holds above the broken trendline, the next upside levels remain $2,650, $2,862, and $2,995. A stronger move could later bring the $3,228 extension into focus. If ETH falls back below the trendline, the breakout would weaken. In that case, price could revisit the rising yellow support structure near the lower part of the current channel. A deeper failure could bring the $1,821 to $1,600 support zone back into view. For now, the chart shows Ethereum attempting a breakout, with $2,650 as the main short-term target. The next confirmation depends on whether ETH can stay above the trendline and move into the marked resistance zone. Ethereum Tests Breakout as Chart Points to $2,460 Target Ethereum traded near $2,341 on the 6-hour ETH/USDT chart shared by The Cryptomist, while price pushed above a short descending trendline on Binance. The chart shows ETH moving sideways under the trendline after its April rally. Price made several lower highs from the area near $2,460, then dropped toward the $2,220 to $2,260 zone before recovering in early May. Ethereum Weekly Breakout Retest Chart. Source: The Cryptomist on X ETH is now testing the upper edge of that structure. The move above the trendline suggests buyers are trying to confirm a breakout after days of compression. The Cryptomist said Ethereum is attempting a weekly close breakout. The setup idea is to enter long positions on a retest, not at the first breakout candle. That means the broken trendline may become support if ETH pulls back and holds above it. A successful retest would strengthen the breakout case and keep the $2,460 target active. However, a failed retest would weaken the setup. If ETH falls back below the trendline, price could return to the recent range near $2,300 and then the lower support zone around $2,220 to $2,260. For now, the chart shows ETH at a decision point. Holding above the breakout area keeps the bullish structure alive, while losing it would show that the move has not confirmed yet.
5 May 2026, 12:12
Morocco abandons total ban for regulation as crypto use defies authorities
Crypto adoption in Morocco has reached 16% of its population despite a decade-old ban on transactions with digital assets and recently increased scrutiny. The growing popularity of coins among Moroccans seems to have finally convinced their government to prepare to abandon full restrictions in favor of regulation. Proper oversight may replace ineffective prohibition The use of cryptocurrencies has been formally banned in Morocco since late 2017, with regulators regularly reminding citizens that any transaction with the digital assets is punishable by law. At the time, the decision was justified with breaches of existing rules and lack of customer protection, risks of money laundering and capital flight, all endangering the nation’s monetary stability. Since the end of last year, the warnings issued by Bank Al-Maghrib, the Foreign Exchange Office and the Moroccan Capital Market Authority have been accompanied by increased financial scrutiny. Moroccan authorities are now stepping up surveillance of crypto transfers, which are widespread, albeit prohibited, the local news outlets Challenge and Le360 unveiled this week. That has become evident from a letter sent by l’Office des Changes, the body monitoring foreign exchange transactions and financial flows between Morocco and other jurisdictions. In the correspondence addressed to a number of individuals, the watchdog informs it has identified violations related to holding assets abroad in cryptocurrency and transfers to Moroccan residents. Recipients have been given a month to provide explanations and supporting documents. They were also told that digital asset transactions must be declared and comply with exchange controls. This move by the administration could be an indication that the Arab state now prefers to track, as it has failed in stopping digital money. The main goal has always been to maintain strict control over foreign exchange flows, which have been a pillar of the Moroccan economy, the French crypto news outlet Journal du Coin noted in an article. However, the decentralized nature of cryptocurrency makes this harder to achieve, while the outright ban has created a legal vacuum in which crypto use continues under the radar. Rabat readies bill to regulate crypto transactions in Morocco Between 2019 and early 2025, the number of crypto holders in Morocco almost doubled, from 3.65 million to more than 6 million. Around 16% of the North African kingdom’s population now uses digital currencies like Bitcoin and associated technologies. The significant increase over the past few years has secured the country a spot among the world’s top 25 crypto adopters, according to Chainalysis. Remittances from the sizable Moroccan diaspora have played a major role. So has demand for alternative means for cross-border payments and financial services within a largely informal economy. The difference between law and practice, as well as the absence of rules reflecting the reality, has increased risks like fraud , adding to the impetus to adopt proper regulation. In these circumstances, the authorities in Rabat are changing the policy course on the initiative of their monetary authority. Commenting on the matter, Challenge.ma remarked: “Faced with this reality, Morocco is no longer content with simply prohibiting crypto assets. It is now preparing for regulation.” A dedicated law has been drafted and published. The legislation, which is being finalized by relevant institutions, aims to create a comprehensive regulatory framework. The bill incorporates international standards, such as those in the EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) package, and follows recommendations issued by organizations like the G20. Aware of the ineffectiveness of the “total ban,” Bank Al-Maghrib Governor Abdellatif Jouahri insisted the new rules will end legal uncertainty and organize crypto activities under the watchful eye of financial authorities. The document under consideration envisages recognizing digital assets as financial instruments and introducing a licensing regime for service providers working with them, such as exchanges and custodians. Despite the clear global trend toward regulation rather than prohibition, some nations are still moving the opposite way. These include Morocco’s close neighbor, Algeria, which banned all crypto-related transactions last summer, as reported by Cryptopolitan. There’s a middle ground between leaving money in the bank and rolling the dice in crypto. Start with this free video on decentralized finance .
5 May 2026, 12:01
Coinbase Global cuts headcount by ~14%; stock climbs 4%
More on Coinbase Coinbase: Bitcoin's Rising Tide Masks A Retail Moat In Structural Decline Coinbase: The 16x EV/Adjusted Ebitda Valuation Remains Attractive Coinbase: Don't Enter Just Yet Crypto stocks inch up post news about compromise on key provision in crypto bill Bitcoin surge above $80K fuels rally in cryptocurrency-linked stocks
