Category: Cryptocurrency

The United States Air Force has finalized a weapons procurement agreement with Powerus, a drone startup financially backed by President Donald Trump’s sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. This deal marks the first time Powerus has secured a contract to supply weapon systems to the U.S. military, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Bloomberg reported that the Air Force will acquire an unspecified number of interceptor drones from the West Palm Beach-based company following a successful demonstration at an Arizona testing facility. Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich confirmed the agreement but declined to reveal the exact numbers or financial terms. Pentagon officials also remained tight-lipped about the scope, though such limited purchases are typical when evaluating new technology before committing to larger-scale programs.

The contract arrives as Washington accelerates efforts to deploy cost-effective counter-drone solutions. Iran and its allies have increasingly relied on inexpensive Shahed-style attack drones, making it economically unfeasible to use multimillion-dollar Patriot or THAAD interceptors against targets that cost just tens of thousands. This reality has driven the Pentagon to seek smaller, expendable systems that can be mass-produced and fielded rapidly.

Earlier this year, the U.S. rushed approximately 10,000 AI-equipped Merops interceptor drones to the Middle East, systems that were originally developed and battle-tested in Ukraine. These drones utilize onboard machine vision instead of GPS, enabling them to operate effectively in jamming-heavy environments. Reports indicate Merops units have achieved over 1,000 successful interceptions against Russian and Iranian drones in Ukraine, and they are now deployed in Poland, Romania, and various U.S. bases.

For Powerus, this Pentagon deal comes shortly after the company reportedly pitched weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, including a drone specifically designed to counter Iranian Shahed-136s. With Trump-family investors funding a firm that sells weaponry into an active conflict shaped by U.S. policy, questions about ethics and oversight are likely to emerge, even as military planners prioritize closing the cost and capability gap against Iran’s expanding drone arsenal.

Jerome Powell has announced his intention to remain on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors beyond the end of his chairmanship on May 15, citing an ongoing criminal investigation that he says leaves him no alternative. This marks a rare move not seen since 1948 when Marriner Eccles stayed on as a governor after his term as chair ended. Powell made the statement during his final FOMC press conference, asserting that the legal challenges mounted against the Fed in recent months compel him to see matters through to a proper conclusion. He emphasized that his presence would be low-key and that he would not act as a shadow chair once Kevin Warsh assumes the role of chair following Senate confirmation.

The catalyst for Powell’s decision is a Department of Justice inquiry into the Fed’s headquarters renovation, which escalated into a criminal probe focusing on his earlier congressional testimony. Although the Washington D.C. Attorney General closed her investigation last week, she publicly noted that it could be reopened if new evidence emerges. Treasury Secretary Bessent labeled the prospect of Powell staying as a governor a significant departure from tradition, while former President Trump criticized Powell, suggesting his difficulty in finding alternative employment drives his decision to stay. The FOMC meeting itself was marked by four dissenting votes—the highest number since October 1992—with three members advocating for the removal of the easing bias and one pushing for an immediate rate reduction.

The financial markets reacted sharply to Powell’s announcement and the split vote. Bitcoin dropped from $77,000 to approximately $74,914, while Bitcoin exchange-traded funds saw net outflows of $137.77 million, breaking a nine-day inflow streak. Analysts noted that the dissenting votes effectively derailed the so-called ‘Warsh pivot’ narrative that had gained traction among investors. Matt Mena from 21Shares described the dissenters as having thrown cold water on the market’s pivot party. Bitcoin has now declined after eight of the last nine FOMC meetings, adhering to a pattern that market observers had anticipated. Powell’s governor term extends until January 2028, ensuring his vote on monetary policy will influence decisions during Warsh’s initial years as chair. The Senate is likely to vote on Warsh’s confirmation around the week of May 11.

Counter-Strike 2 has evolved beyond a standard shooter, blending strategy with personal expression through skins. These in-game items now hold real value that can be transformed into cryptocurrency, offering gamers liquidity and autonomy. This guide outlines a straightforward process to sell CS2 skins for crypto, empowering players to access their assets quickly and globally.

Why Choose Crypto for Skins? Traditional cash-outs involve delays and platform limitations. Crypto transactions settle in minutes, cross borders without friction, and give you full control via personal wallets. Many gamers see this as a step toward participating in the digital economy while maintaining ownership.

Know Your Skins’ Worth Before selling, assess your inventory. Skin prices depend on rarity, condition (factory-new commands higher prices), demand for popular weapons, and visual appeal like unique patterns. Compare listings on marketplaces to avoid undervaluing your items.

Pick a Reliable Marketplace Choose a platform with a user-friendly interface, quick login, support for multiple cryptocurrencies, and a solid reputation. Features like instant offers or custom listings cater to different strategies.

Selling Steps First, link your Steam account to the marketplace to display your inventory. Select the skins you want to sell—either high-value items or those for quick liquidation. You can accept an instant offer for speed or set a custom price for potentially higher returns. Confirm the trade offer via Steam, and the crypto will be sent to your wallet immediately.

Maximize Your Returns Monitor market trends: prices fluctuate with tournaments, updates, and player interest. Timing sales during major events can boost profits. Patience often yields better results than rushed transactions. Organize your trades and focus on popular skins, which sell faster.

Enhance Your CS2 Experience Selling skins for crypto isn’t just about profit; it lets you refresh your inventory, align purchases with your playstyle, and stay engaged with the game’s economy. This approach turns earning into a strategic element of your gaming journey.

In summary, converting CS2 skins to crypto is a practical way to leverage your virtual assets. With the right marketplace and strategy, you can gain financial flexibility while enjoying the game.

Meta has quietly initiated a pilot program that pays select Facebook creators in USDC, a stablecoin issued by Circle. The payments are processed through Stripe and settle on either the Solana or Polygon blockchain. This marks a significant shift from Meta’s earlier attempt with Libra, which collapsed in 2022 under intense regulatory scrutiny. Instead of creating its own digital currency, Meta now leverages existing stablecoin infrastructure, positioning itself as a participant rather than a central issuer. The move enables creators in Colombia and the Philippines to link wallets like MetaMask, Phantom, or Binance and receive earnings directly in USDC. Stripe handles the backend, including tax documentation, while Meta emphasizes it is not minting its own token. This approach avoids the regulatory hurdles that doomed Libra, as the stablecoin is issued by Circle, transactions are managed by Stripe, and settlement occurs on decentralized networks. Solana was chosen partly due to its ultra-low fees and sub-second transaction speeds; in early 2026, Circle minted over $10.5 billion USDC on Solana in a single month. With Meta paying creators nearly $3 billion in 2025, even a partial shift to stablecoin payouts could drive substantial volume onto these blockchains. The pilot is part of a broader strategy disclosed earlier this year, where Meta plans to integrate stablecoin payments across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp through third-party partnerships.

The US dollar is approaching its most significant monthly loss since last June, as a potential peace agreement between the United States and Iran reduces the currency’s appeal as a crisis hedge. According to market reports, the dollar index has slipped approximately 1.8% in April, erasing much of the gains driven by geopolitical tensions earlier in the year. This decline comes after a preliminary accord between Washington and Tehran paused large-scale military actions and initiated diplomatic talks, easing fears of regional disruption and supply chain shocks. Consequently, investors have shifted away from traditional safe havens toward higher-yielding assets and alternative currencies, pushing the greenback toward the lower end of its recent trading range.

However, the dollar’s slide has not been entirely consistent. Rising crude oil prices, fueled by lingering supply concerns, have provided some support as energy importers hedge their exposure and markets reassess the Federal Reserve’s policy trajectory. Reports indicate that renewed expectations of at least one interest rate hike in 2027 have lifted short-term Treasury yields, bolstering the dollar’s appeal after its initial slump. A stronger rate outlook typically enhances the attractiveness of US assets, narrowing the interest rate differential that had temporarily moved against the dollar when the ceasefire news first emerged.

Nathan Tuft, a senior portfolio manager at Manulife, commented that while the dollar may decline further, it is likely to remain range-bound, oscillating rather than collapsing outright. Forecasts from TradingEconomics suggest the dollar index will trade around the high-90s to near-100 level in the coming quarters, aligning with Tuft’s view of a sideways movement rather than a new downtrend.

For cryptocurrency investors, a weaker dollar often correlates with looser financial conditions and increased risk appetite. In previous instances, periods of dollar softness have coincided with renewed inflows into Bitcoin and other digital assets as investors rotate out of cash and Treasuries into higher-beta assets. Historical cycles have shown that a combination of Federal Reserve dovishness and dollar weakness can fuel significant Bitcoin rallies. Additionally, declining exchange reserves combined with a softer dollar environment can create supply squeeze conditions for Bitcoin when risk sentiment improves.

Market strategists have warned that geopolitical swings, particularly surrounding US-Iran tensions, can rapidly alter risk sentiment, impacting both the dollar and digital assets. Previous analyses have highlighted how increased tensions boost safe-haven demand for both the dollar and Bitcoin, emphasizing that any breakdown in ceasefire negotiations could send the greenback sharply higher again. For now, however, the prevailing view among analysts and institutional managers is that the dollar has room to drift lower as war risk premium fades, though it will likely do so within a broad range rather than entering a sustained decline.

Stable Sea has added WisdomTree’s tokenized U.S. Treasury money market fund, WTGXX, to its platform, enabling businesses to earn yield on idle cash through blockchain-based treasury management. The integration allows corporate clients to sweep excess funds into a government-backed money market fund instead of leaving them in low-yield bank accounts. WTGXX holds over $857 million in assets and offers a daily yield of 3.43%, investing primarily in short-term U.S. government securities like Treasury bills. Companies can access the fund via Stable Sea’s software, which connects seamlessly with existing financial systems, though onboarding and compliance checks are required due to the regulated nature of the product. This move reflects a growing trend where tokenized Treasury funds are used for corporate cash management and collateral purposes. Other institutions like Franklin Templeton, BlackRock, and Standard Chartered have also launched similar tokenized offerings, signaling broader adoption of blockchain technology in traditional finance. Richard Baker, CEO of Tokenovate, noted that such developments indicate tokenization is moving into core market infrastructure.

An international law enforcement operation, spearheaded by the FBI, has resulted in the apprehension of 276 individuals and the dismantling of nine cryptocurrency scam centers connected to investment fraud. Known as pig butchering schemes, these operations involve building trust with victims over time before luring them into fake crypto investment opportunities.

The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that the coordinated effort involved police forces from Dubai, Thailand, and China. In Dubai alone, authorities detained 275 suspects, while Thailand contributed one arrest. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors in Southern California have charged three people with wire fraud and money laundering in connection to the case.

Originating from an FBI investigation in San Diego, the probe identified organized scam compounds linked to three entities: Ko Thet Company, Sanduo Group, and Giant Company. These organizations were described as fronts operating fraudulent centers. Victims from the U.S. and other nations were persuaded to send money to phony trading platforms, with funds then funneled through accounts controlled by the scammers and laundered across multiple cryptocurrency wallets.

Authorities have already traced millions of dollars in losses to these networks, highlighting the massive scale of cross-border crypto fraud. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva emphasized that fraudsters targeting Americans from abroad cannot operate with impunity regardless of their location.

This recent crackdown follows a previous joint operation between the FBI and Thai police, which led to the freezing of approximately $580 million in cryptocurrency and the seizure of 8,000 mobile devices used in scam activities. Law enforcement agencies are increasingly focusing on dismantling fraud infrastructure at its source, targeting large-scale compounds in Southeast Asia where these schemes are prevalent.

According to FBI data, crypto-related fraud losses reached a record $11.3 billion last year, making up over half of the total $20.9 billion in internet crime losses reported. The latest arrests underscore the ongoing battle against sophisticated cyber fraud networks.

Meta has taken a significant step into blockchain-based payments by allowing a select group of creators to receive their earnings in USDC. This move leverages the Solana and Polygon networks, with Stripe acting as the payment processor. Creators are advised to keep detailed records for tax purposes, as these transactions may be reported by Stripe.

Initially, this service is available only to certain creators in Colombia and the Philippines, but Meta plans to extend it to more regions in the future. The company emphasizes that wallet addresses must support USDC on Solana or Polygon; otherwise, funds sent to unsupported addresses cannot be recovered. Meta also retains the right to switch to an alternative payment method if technical issues arise, placing the onus of wallet security on the user.

Supported wallets include MetaMask, Phantom, and Binance, allowing creators to choose how they manage their funds. After receiving USDC, users can convert it to local currency. This initiative aligns with Meta’s prior interest in stablecoins, following its earlier Libra (later Diem) project, which was discontinued due to regulatory hurdles.

The broader stablecoin ecosystem continues to expand, with Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol enabling seamless USDC movement between blockchains without relying on wrapped assets. This infrastructure supports a burn-and-mint model, making cross-chain transfers behave like moving funds within a single system. Stablecoin transactions have surged, with USDC alone processing over $8 trillion in January 2026 according to industry data.

Meta’s foray into USDC payouts marks a pragmatic adoption of crypto for creator economies, leveraging existing blockchain networks and payment partners to simplify cross-border transactions. As the stablecoin market matures, such integrations could become more common, bridging traditional content monetization with decentralized finance.

OKX, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange, has unveiled an innovative open protocol aimed at enabling artificial intelligence agents to independently execute complete business transactions. This development marks a significant leap from simple machine payments to comprehensive commercial activities, covering everything from initial negotiation to final settlement.

The newly launched Agent Payments Protocol empowers AI systems to handle not only payments but also quoting, negotiation, escrow, usage tracking, settlement, and dispute resolution within a unified framework. According to OKX, recent advancements have seen AI agents evolve from answering queries to managing workflows and autonomously representing users in business processes. The company identifies the primary challenge as shifting from intelligence to commerce, specifically addressing the full business cycle rather than just payment execution.

Existing solutions like x402 primarily facilitate machine-to-machine transactions, but OKX argues they fail to support the entire commercial lifecycle. The Agent Payments Protocol fills this gap by incorporating features such as escrow and dispute resolution, which are slated for future updates. Built as an open standard, the protocol is compatible with multiple blockchains, including Ethereum and Solana. Developers can integrate one-time, batch, or pay-as-you-go transactions using the Payment SDK and OKX’s X Layer blockchain, with minimal or zero gas fees.

A self-custodial Agentic Wallet, secured by trusted execution environments, supports over 20 chains. The protocol also enables agent communication via HTTP and XMTP, along with integration with messaging platforms like Telegram. Escrow functionality ensures funds are released only upon service delivery, and built-in dispute resolution tools are currently under development.

The launch aligns with broader industry efforts to build infrastructure for AI-led transactions. Coinbase has expanded its x402 ecosystem with Agentic.market, where AI agents can discover and pay for services without API keys. Infrastructure from Stripe is also focusing on high-volume machine transactions, while Amazon Web Services and Alibaba Cloud support agentic payment standards. OKX collaborated with ecosystems such as Base, Ethereum Foundation, Sui, Aptos, and Optimism at the blockchain level.

OKX Global CEO Star Xu emphasized that the protocol is built on years of on-chain infrastructure and AI development, created with outstanding partners, and represents a key step toward implementing the agent economy in real-world scenarios. The release follows OKX’s recent expansion in institutional services, including integration with BitGo’s off-exchange settlement system in the U.S., which allows firms to trade while keeping assets under third-party custody, thereby improving capital efficiency.

XRP has experienced a surge in optimistic social sentiment following the introduction of new features by Rakuten Wallet in Japan. This development allows Rakuten loyalty points to be exchanged for XRP, which can then be used for payments at over five million merchants across Japan through QR code transactions.

The integration, highlighted by RippleX as one of the largest retail rollouts of XRP, provides access to Rakuten’s extensive user base of approximately 44 million active accounts. With more than three trillion loyalty points in circulation, equivalent to about $23 billion, the potential conversion into XRP is substantial.

Data from Santiment indicates that XRP’s bullish social sentiment has reached its second-highest level in two years, largely attributed to this partnership. However, Santiment cautions that such events typically do not trigger immediate price surges, as market movements often follow after initial excitement subsides. At the time of reporting, XRP was trading at $1.37, reflecting a 1.77% decline over 24 hours and a 3.66% drop over the past week. The token’s market capitalization stands at approximately $84.42 billion, with 62 billion tokens in circulation. Santiment also notes that XRP’s market value has decreased by about 55% over the last nine months.

To incentivize early adoption, Rakuten Wallet is offering promotions: customers purchasing 30,000 yen or more in XRP receive 500 yen worth of XRP, while those buying 100,000 yen or more receive 1,500 yen.