Mastercard is taking a direct role in shaping blockchain security rules after joining the Blockchain Security Standards Council as a Charter-level member on April 21, 2026. Mastercard’s new role in the council The payments giant will add its expertise to a nonprofit group that is building security frameworks and audit standards for blockchain networks and
WalletConnect has added support for Canton Network, a blockchain built for institutional finance. The two companies first revealed the partnership at EthCC in Cannes, during a panel moderated by The Defiant’s senior editor Olivia Capozzalo, before releasing the news publicly today, April 22. The deal aims to bring Canton’s privacy-focused infrastructure to WalletConnect’s global ecosystem,
Base has launched the Azul upgrade on testnet, calling it the network’s first independent upgrade ahead of a planned mainnet rollout on May 13. The upgrade introduces a multiproof system combining TEE and zero-knowledge proofs, with the aim of advancing decentralization and speeding up withdrawal finality. Base is moving its next technical upgrade into public
AI stocks are dominating the S&P 500, with the AI boom now pushing their weight to nearly 45% of the index’s total market capitalization. The dominance of this “AI backbone” is primarily driven by a handful of megacap leaders and a surge in infrastructure spending. AI stocks tied to data center, semiconductor, and energy firms
Oracle network Pyth Network has been selected as the resolution data source for Kalshi’s expansion into commodities markets, underscoring the growing focus on reliable pricing infrastructure in event-based trading. Kalshi said on Wednesday that Pyth will supply real-time pricing data for its newly launched commodities hub, which debuted in April. The data will be used
Tokenized T-bills are still growing on multiple chains, reaching a record of $14B in total value locked. T-bills tokenization is unaffected by crypto shakedowns or the recent losses in DeFi. Tokenized T-bills are still a staple in bringing real-world assets to various chains. As of April 2026, T-bills on various protocols reached $14B, based on
Bitcoin rose above $78,000 on Wednesday after renewed easing in Middle East tensions supported risk appetite across digital assets. The move came after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran would be extended, while market participants also reacted to Strategy’s latest Bitcoin purchase. The broader crypto market moved higher alongside Bitcoin. Total market