1. Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) likens stablecoins to WhatsApp in the international phone sector, believing they are fundamentally changing the way global funds are transferred by reducing costs and eliminating intermediaries. a16z points out that stablecoins make international transactions almost free and instant, while traditional methods involve multiple intermediaries and high fees. Despite regulatory challenges, the market size of stablecoins has exceeded $200 billion, with annual transaction volume surpassing that of Visa and Mastercard.
2. Former SEC commissioner Paul Atkins was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 9, 2025, to take over as SEC chairman. Atkins previously served as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008, after which he worked in financial services consulting in Washington, advising several cryptocurrency companies. His appointment is seen as a support for the digital asset industry, and it is expected to drive clear regulatory policies for cryptocurrencies. However, some Democratic lawmakers criticized Atkins for his policy decisions during the 2008 financial crisis.
3. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved options trading for BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) on the Nasdaq ISE exchange. This approval allows investors to trade options on this ETF, providing new investment and risk management tools.
4. The National Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine (NSSMC) recently proposed imposing personal income tax on cryptocurrency transactions. Under this proposal, converting non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies into fiat currency or using them to purchase goods and services will be subject to a standard personal income tax of 18%, plus an additional 5% wartime surcharge, totaling 23%.
Notably, crypto-to-crypto transactions will not be affected by this tax proposal, consistent with practices in European countries such as Austria and France. Additionally, the NSSMC suggests that stablecoins backed by foreign currencies and certain asset reference tokens (ARTs) may be eligible for preferential tax rates, which could be 5% or 9%.
The proposal also covers tax schemes for other types of cryptocurrency transactions, including treating mining as a business activity, taxing staking rewards upon withdrawal, and handling hard forks and airdrops. Ukraine previously proposed a similar tax law amendment in 2023 aimed at regulating cryptocurrency trading taxation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially legalized the cryptocurrency industry in 2022, established regulatory bodies for the industry, and authorized them to formulate specific regulations. Currently, the National Bank of Ukraine is drafting relevant laws based on the EU's (Regulation on Markets in Crypto-Assets) (MiCA) regulations.
5. U.S. President Trump announced on April 9, 2025, a 90-day suspension of tariffs on most countries, leading to a significant rise in U.S. crypto-related stocks. MicroStrategy (MSTR) shares rose 25%, Coinbase (COIN) rose 21%, and Bitcoin mining companies like Marathon Digital (MARA) and Riot Platforms (RIOT) also recorded double-digit gains. Traditional markets also performed strongly, with the Nasdaq index rising over 10% and the S&P 500 index rising 8%. Meanwhile, Bitcoin price climbed above $82,000, increasing by over 6% within 24 hours.
6. U.S. President Trump announced a suspension of tariffs on most countries, raising them to 125% only on China. This move triggered a positive reaction in the financial markets. Bitcoin price surged to nearly $82,000, with major cryptocurrencies like XRP and ETH rising about 12%, while other tokens like Cardano's ADA and Solana's SOL increased about 10%. The U.S. stock market also saw its biggest gain since 2008, with the S&P 500 index rising 9.5% and the Nasdaq 100 index soaring 12%.
Here are the current prices of major cryptocurrencies:
Bitcoin: $81,963.00, Increase 7.27%.
ETH: $1,618.33, Increase 11.84%.
XRP: $2.00, Increase 11.11%.
Dogecoin: $0.1561, Increase 9.51%.
