Circle acquires Hashnote, USYC onchain money fund  

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick walked back the recent reciprocal tariff exemption on select electronics announced in an April 12 bulletin from the United States Customs and Border Protection.On April 13, Lutnick told ABC News that the reciprocal tariff exemption was temporary until the administration established a sector tariff regime for semiconductor products, which includes phones, graphics processors, and computing chips in a “month or two.” Lutnick added:”President Trump has called out pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and autos. He called them sector tariffs, and those are not available for negotiation. They are just going to be part of making sure we ensure core national security items are made in this country.””We can’t be relying on China for fundamental things we need. Our medicines and our semiconductors need to be built in America,” Lutnick continued. The official also said he was confident that the US and China would arrive at a trade deal through negotiations.The emphasis on national security and onshoring critical industries could signal that the trade tariffs will be a long-term geostrategic policy and not simply a short-term negotiation tactic to make US exports more attractive, as some analysts have suggested.The Volatility S&P Index (VIX), a measure of the S&P stock index’s volatility, remains elevated amid macroeconomic uncertainty. Source: TradingView Related: Bitcoin ‘decouples,’ stocks lose $3.5T amid Trump tariff war and Fed warning of ‘higher inflation’Trade war heightens volatility and sends markets tumblingTrump’s trade tariffs crashed the stock and crypto markets, wiping away trillions in shareholder value as investors dumped riskier assets on fears of a lengthy trade war between the United States and its trading partners.In an April 10 X Post, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas cited the SPY US Equity History Volume chart as evidence that the S&P 500 stock market index is now more volatile than Bitcoin (BTC).According to the analyst, the S&P 500 Index hit a volatility level of 74 in April, compared to Bitcoin’s 71.Stocks and crypto pumped following rumors of the Trump administration initiating a 90-day reciprocal tariff pause. Approximately $2 trillion was pumped into stocks on rumors of softer trade policies.Much of this value was then wiped away when Trump claimed that rumors of a 90-day pause were false and returned once the Trump administration did, in fact, issue a reciprocal tariff pause in the following days.Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

Lomond School, a private institution in Scotland, will begin accepting Bitcoin for tuition payments and is collaborating with Bitcoin author Saifedean Ammous to introduce a new curriculum focused on Bitcoin and Austrian economics. Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, is developing an educational curriculum combining the principles of Bitcoin (BTC) and Austrian economics.“I’m going to be working with Lomond School to develop a curriculum for bitcoin and Austrian economics,” Ammous wrote in an April 12 X post, sharing his excitement for “making the material widely available worldwide.”Source: Saifedean AmmousLomond School Principal Claire Chisholm confirmed the collaboration on April 12, writing that she was “thrilled to be working with Dr. Ammous” and appreciative of the “positivity of the Bitcoin community.”The news comes a day after Lomond School announced it would accept BTC for tuition payments starting from the autumn semester of 2025, becoming the first school in the United Kingdom to adopt BTC payments.Source: Saifedean AmmousAmmous is best known for The Bitcoin Standard, which was first published in 2018. The book outlines the economic philosophy behind Bitcoin and contrasts it with fiat currency systems. It has sold more than one million copies and has been translated into 38 languages, according to Ammous.Cointelegraph has contacted both Ammous and Lomond School for additional details regarding the upcoming curriculum.Related: New York bill proposes legalizing Bitcoin, crypto for state paymentsBitcoin education is gaining momentum worldwideEducational institutions around the world have increasingly embraced Bitcoin as both a subject of academic study and a financial tool.Schools and universities have been launching Bitcoin-based courses since as early as 2013 when the University of Nicosia in Cyprus launched its Master’s in Digital Currency program, which is accessible both in-person and online.New York University’s Stern School of Business launched “The Law and Business of Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies” course in 2014 — one of the first Bitcoin-specific courses in the US.Stanford University also launched its “Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies” course in 2015, focused on the technological and economic aspects of the world’s first cryptocurrency.Related: Swedish MP proposes Bitcoin reserve to finance ministerIn February 2025, the University of Austin announced launching the first first-of-its-kind Bitcoin investment fund of over $5 million as part of the institution’s larger $200 million endowment fund.Source: Eric BalchunasThree months before the University of Austin’s announcement, a regulatory filing revealed that Emory University accumulated over $15 million worth of Bitcoin via Grayscale’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, Cointelegraph reported on Oct. 28.Magazine: SCB tips $500K BTC, SEC delays Ether ETF options, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Feb. 23 –March. 1

Senator Tim Scott, the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, recently said that he expects a crypto market bill to be passed into law by August 2025.The chairman also noted the Senate Banking Committee’s advancement of the GENIUS Act, a comprehensive stablecoin regulatory bill, in March 2025, as evidence that the committee prioritizes crypto policy. In a statement to Fox News, Scott said:”We must innovate before we regulate — allowing innovation in the digital asset space to happen here at home is critical to American economic dominance across the globe.”Scott’s timeline for a crypto market structure bill lines up with expectations from Kristin Smith, CEO of the crypto industry advocacy group Blockchain Association, of market structure and stablecoin legislation being passed into law by August.The Trump administration has emphasized that comprehensive crypto regulations are central to its plans for protecting the value of the US dollar and establishing the country as a global leader in digital assets by attracting investment into US-based crypto firms.Senator Tim Scott highlights the Senate Banking Committee’s goals and accomplishments in 2025. Source: Fox NewsRelated: Atkins becomes next SEC chair: What’s next for the crypto industrySupport for comprehensive crypto regulations is bipartisanUS lawmakers and officials expect clear crypto policies to be established and signed into law sometime in 2025 with bipartisan support from Congress.Speaking at the Digital Assets Summit in New York City, on March 18, Democrat Representative Ro Khanna said he expects both the market structure and stablecoin bills to pass this year.The Democrat lawmaker added that there are about 70-80 other representatives in the party who understand the importance of passing clear digital asset regulations in the United States.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, pictured left, President Donald Trump in the center, and crypto czar David Sacks, pictured right, at the White House Crypto Summit. Source: The White HouseKhanna emphasized that fellow Democrats support dollar-pegged stablecoins due to the role of dollar tokens in expanding demand for the US dollar worldwide through the internet.Bo Hines, the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, also spoke at the conference and predicted that stablecoin legislation would be passed into law within 60 days.Hines highlighted that establishing US dominance in the digital asset space is a goal with widespread bipartisan support in Washington DC.Magazine: How crypto laws are changing across the world in 2025