Judge sentences IcomTech promoter to 8 years to deter ‘crypto frauds’  

The United States stock market lost more in value over the April 4 trading day than the entire cryptocurrency market is worth, as fears over US President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to ramp up.On April 4, the US stock market lost $3.25 trillion — around $570 billion more than the entire crypto market’s $2.68 trillion valuation at the time of publication.Nasdaq 100 is now “in a bear market”Among the Magnificent-7 stocks, Tesla (TSLA) led the losses on the day with a 10.42% drop, followed by Nvidia (NVDA) down 7.36% and Apple (AAPL) falling 7.29%, according to TradingView data.The significant decline across the board signals that the Nasdaq 100 is now “in a bear market” after falling 6% across the trading day, trading resource account The Kobeissi Letter said in an April 4 X post. This is the largest daily decline since March 16, 2020.”US stocks have now erased a massive -$11 TRILLION since February 19 with recession odds ABOVE 60%,” it added. The Kobessi Letter said Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement was “historic” and if the tariffs continue, a recession will be “impossible to avoid.”Source: Anthony ScaramucciOn April 2, Trump signed an executive order establishing reciprocal tariffs on trading partners and a 10% baseline tariff on all imports from all countries. Trump said the reciprocal tariffs will be roughly half the rate US trading partners impose on American goods.Related: Bitcoin bulls defend $80K support as ‘World War 3 of trade wars’ crushes US stocksMeanwhile, the crypto industry has pointed out that while the stock market continues to decline, Bitcoin (BTC) remains stronger than most expected.Crypto trader Plan Markus pointed out in an April 4 X post that while the entire stock market “is tanking,” Bitcoin is holding. Source: Jeff DormanEven some crypto skeptics have pointed out the contrast between Bitcoin’s performance and the US stock market during the recent period of macro uncertainty.Stock market commentator Dividend Hero told his 203,200 X followers that he has “hated on Bitcoin in the past, but seeing it not tank while the stock market does is very interesting to me.”Meanwhile, technical trader Urkel said Bitcoin “doesn’t appear to care one bit about tariff wars and markets tanking.” Bitcoin is trading at $83,749 at the time of publication, down 0.16% over the past seven days, according to CoinMarketCap data.Magazine: XRP win leaves Ripple a ‘bad actor’ with no crypto legal precedent set

US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner and vocal crypto critic Caroline Crenshaw has accused the US regulator of downplaying risks and misrepresenting the US stablecoin market in its newly published guidelines.However, many in the crypto industry see the SEC’s decision as a step in the right direction.In an April 4 statement, Crenshaw, who is widely known for opposing the spot Bitcoin ETFs, said that the SEC’s statement on stablecoins contained “legal and factual errors that paint a distorted picture of the USD-stablecoin market that drastically understates its risks.”Crenshaw disagrees, crypto industry applaudsUnder the new SEC guidelines, stablecoins that meet certain criteria are now considered “non-securities” and are exempt from transaction reporting requirements. Crenshaw disputed the accuracy of the analysis made by the SEC in arriving at that decision. She pushed back on the SEC for reiterating issuer actions “that supposedly stabilize price, ensure redeemability, and otherwise reduce risk.”Source: David SacksThe SEC said that “albeit briefly, that some USD-stablecoins are available to retail purchasers only through an intermediary and not directly from the issuer.”Crenshaw argued this was misleading. She said:”It is the general rule, not the exception, that these coins are available to the retail public only through intermediaries who sell them on the secondary market, such as crypto trading platforms.””Over 90% of USD-stablecoins in circulation are distributed in this way,” Crenshaw added.Meanwhile, many in the crypto industry expressed optimism over the decision.Token Metrics founder Ian Ballina said it “feels like a clear step in focusing on what really matters in the crypto space.” Crypto industry says positive step, just lateVemanti CEO Tan Tran said he wished the SEC reached this point three years ago, while Midnight Network’s head of partnerships Ian Kane said it “feels like progress for crypto folks trying to play by the rules.”Crenshaw said it is “also grossly inaccurate” for the SEC to reassure users that an issuer can handle unlimited redemptions just because its reserves match or exceed the value of the supply.Related: Stablecoins’ in bull market’; Solana sputters: VanEck”The issuer’s overall financial health and solvency cannot be judged by the value of its reserve, which tells us nothing about its liabilities, risk from proprietary financial activities, and so forth,” Crenshaw said.She explained that stablecoins always carry some risk, particularly during market downturns.It comes only weeks after stablecoin issuer Tether was reportedly engaging with a Big Four accounting firm to audit its assets reserve and verify that its USDT stablecoin is backed at a 1:1 ratio.On March 22, Cointelegraph reported that Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the audit process would be more straightforward under pro-crypto US President Donald Trump.Magazine: XRP win leaves Ripple a ‘bad actor’ with no crypto legal precedent set

Under new SEC guidelines, stablecoins that meet certain criteria are considered ”non-securities” and are exempt from transaction reporting requirements, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission said in a notice published April 4. “Covered stablecoins,” as the SEC classifies them, are fully backed by physical fiat reserves or short-term, low-risk, highly liquid instruments and are redeemable at a 1:1 ratio with US dollars.The definition precludes algorithmic stablecoins that maintain their US dollar peg using software or an automated trading strategy, leaving the regulatory status of algorithmic stablecoins, synthetic dollars, and yield-bearing fiat tokens uncertain.Current stablecoin market overview. Source: RWA.XYZIndustry leaders and executives are pushing for regulatory changes that would allow stablecoin issuers to share yield opportunities with stablecoin holders and offer onchain interest.According to the new guidelines, covered stablecoin issuers cannot co-mingle asset reserves with operational capital or offer token holders interest, profit, or yield opportunities. Additionally, the covered stablecoin issuers must never use their reserves for investing or market speculation.Related: Stablecoin supply surges $30B in Q1 as investors hedge against volatilitySEC’s definition of “covered stablecoin” consistent with broader US policy objectivesThe SEC’s criteria for covered stablecoins are consistent with regulations stipulated in the GENIUS stablecoin bill, introduced by Senator Bill Hagerty, and the Stable Act of 2025, introduced by Representative French Hill.The proposed legislation aims to protect the status of the US dollar as the global reserve currency through stablecoins that are backed by US dollars and government securities.The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) of 2025 Act. Source: US SenateCentralized stablecoin issuers back their tokens with US dollar deposits held in regulated financial institutions and short-term US Treasury Bills, driving demand for US dollars and US government debt.Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, is now the seventh-largest holder of US Treasuries, beating out countries like Canada, Germany, and South Korea.Speaking at the first White House Digital Asset Summit on March 7, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US would use stablecoins to extend US dollar dominance.Bessent said that regulating stablecoins was central to the administration’s digital asset strategy and a top regulatory priority during the current legislative session.Magazine: Bitcoin payments are being undermined by centralized stablecoins