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Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc announced the official launch of the Bitcoin hard fork network eCash, allowing BTC holders to exchange BTC for eCash at a 1:1 ratio after the hard fork goes live.It is reported that the Layer1 node software of this network will be an "almost replica" of the Bitcoin Core client, continuing to use the SHA-256 hashing algorithm and lowering the initial mining difficulty to attract more miners to participate. Meanwhile, eCash will also be equipped with seven Layer2 scaling networks called "drivechains" to enhance transaction throughput and support optional on-chain privacy features. Paul Sztorc stated that eCash is different from Bitcoin Cash in 2017, no longer using the "Bitcoin" name, and claims it is a long-term solution to Bitcoin's scalability and privacy issues. However, the proposal to manually reallocate a portion of Satoshi Nakamoto's approximately 1.1 million BTC to early investors has sparked strong controversy in the community, with some Bitcoin supporters criticizing the move as "theft" and a violation of Bitcoin principles.

In response to the U.S. accusations of China "stealing" intellectual property from American artificial intelligence laboratories, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiaqun stated during a regular press conference on the 24th that the U.S. claims are unfounded and are a smear against China's achievements in the development of the artificial intelligence industry. China firmly opposes this. We urge the U.S. to respect the facts, abandon prejudice, stop suppressing technology related to China, and do more to promote technological exchange and cooperation between the two countries.

According to a research report by cybersecurity company Expel, it is tracking a highly assessed APT organization supported by North Korea (DPRK) called "HexagonalRodent," which primarily targets Web3 developers and specializes in stealing high-value digital assets such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs.The organization mainly conducts attacks by forging job postings—posting high-paying positions on LinkedIn and Web3 recruitment platforms to lure job seekers into completing "skills tests" embedded with malicious code, using the tasks.json feature of VSCode to automatically execute malicious programs when victims open project folders. The malware used includes BeaverTail, OtterCookie, and InvisibleFerret, which have capabilities for password theft, remote control, and reverse shell.It is noteworthy that the organization heavily utilizes generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Cursor to develop malware, build fake company websites, and create AI-generated executive teams, even registering shell companies in Mexico to enhance the credibility of their attacks

The Chief Information Security Officer of Slow Fog, 23pds, tweeted that HexagonalRodent, a subsidiary of the Lazarus Group, is targeting Web3 developers through social engineering tactics such as "high-paying remote positions" and "recruitment for well-known projects" to induce the execution of malicious code, ultimately stealing users' cryptocurrency assets.On March 9, 2026, a user with the same name as a fast-draft extension developer was infected with the OtterCookie malware, which was used to distribute malicious programs. Attackers extensively used ChatGPT and Cursor to assist in executing the attacks, further enhancing the disguise and deception.

AI laboratory Sooth Labs, founded by former Meta employees, is raising approximately $50 million in funding, led by Felicis Ventures, with a post-money valuation of about $335 million.The company plans to develop AI models to predict the likelihood of specific geopolitical events and market events, providing related capabilities to enterprises. Sooth Labs has also received support from Yann LeCun and Google Chief Scientist Jeff Dean, with Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth serving as an advisor.

According to CoinDesk, Cardano's core development company Input Output submitted nine funding proposals for the 2026 community treasury, totaling $46.8 million, a significant reduction of about 52% from last year's $97.5 million, marking the first step towards gradually reducing reliance on community funds.The nine proposals focus on two main directions: first, the consensus upgrade plan Leios, which is expected to increase Cardano's transaction processing capacity by 10 to 65 times, aiming to exceed 1,000 transactions per second, with testing planned for June and full launch by the end of the year; second, the Bitcoin DeFi system Pogun, which allows Bitcoin holders to lend and earn through Cardano without having to trust centralized institutions, with lending features expected to be publicly released in the second quarter.This voting involves about 1,000 elected representatives (DReps), with the voting deadline set for May 24. The results will test whether the Cardano community views Input Output as a regular funding applicant.Meanwhile, the new stablecoin USDCx in the Cardano ecosystem has reached a circulation of 14.6 million coins within weeks of its launch, and the total locked assets on the network have increased from $137.5 million to $142.7 million.

According to BeInCrypto, Mastercard has joined the Blockchain Security Standards Committee (BSSC) as a charter-level member, collaborating with members such as Coinbase, Fireblocks, Anchorage Digital, and BitGo to develop a security framework for blockchain networks and tokenized assets.Mastercard will also join a working group focused on security and privacy guidelines, with Claire Le Gal from the security solutions department, responsible for fraud prevention, cyber resilience, disputes, and threat intelligence, representing Mastercard on the BSSC board. The executive director of BSSC stated that Mastercard's payment experience is of significant value in establishing robust blockchain security rules. Mastercard has launched multi-token networks and crypto credential products aimed at embedding trust in blockchain and tokenized infrastructure.

The Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, Paul Chan, delivered the opening speech at the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival, stating, "The rise of AI agents this year is another noteworthy milestone. The intersection of AI and technologies like Web3 is changing the game. The combination of the two will elevate transaction efficiency to a new level and cover a broader range of business areas, from finance and trade to wealth management, supply chain operations, and logistics. This combination will create a multitude of new opportunities but will also pose a series of challenges, such as issues related to infrastructure payment and settlement systems and regulatory rules.Hong Kong's policy on Web3 and AI has always been clear, maintaining consistency under the principle of 'one country, two systems.' As an international financial center, Hong Kong embraces innovation, with stablecoins, tokenization, and AI becoming important components of the mainstream future. Hong Kong's regulators have a dual mission of prudent regulation and promoting market development, which requires us to encourage and support more innovative applications, improving our institutional framework based on continuous experience. I firmly believe that Hong Kong will undoubtedly become a key hub for the thriving development, widespread application, and responsible scaling of the new generation of technologies."

According to CoinDesk, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin stated that artificial intelligence will be a key turning point in the next phase of development for the cryptocurrency industry. However, if computing power and infrastructure are controlled by a few large tech companies, it could pose systemic risks.In the future, AI agents could autonomously execute transactions, collaborate, and verify on blockchain networks, becoming the foundation of a "machine economy." Cryptographic technology and decentralized systems will ensure transparency and accountability, allowing machines to supervise each other.Additionally, he believes that traditional finance and DeFi are accelerating their integration, driving the global economy towards a more refined and programmable direction, while the risks of quantum computing are a long-term manageable issue that Ethereum developers have already prepared for.

Polymarket has launched "Claude developer Anthropic's next round of financing deadline," with the current probability reported at 22% before the end of June; and 81% before the end of December. The event contract rules are as follows: if the specified company publicly and officially announces that it has completed the next round of financing before the specified date (Eastern Time), the market will ultimately be determined as "yes." Otherwise, this market will ultimately conclude as "no." A qualified announcement must clearly confirm that the new round of financing has been completed, which can be through the specified company (such as a press release) or official announcements from its investors, regulatory documents, or consensus reported by credible media.Informal announcements, statements from anonymous sources, or leaks do not meet the criteria. If the specified company is unable to complete the new round of financing due to acquisition, merger, or absorption by other entities, the market will be settled as "no." The primary settlement source for this market will be the official announcements from the specified company, as well as official documents from the company, such as SEC filings; however, credible consensus reporting can also be used. According to ChainCatcher, the Odaily Seer prophet channel continues to monitor the prediction market and has seen changes before pricing.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure stated that Europe needs more euro-denominated stablecoins and encouraged EU banks to explore tokenized deposits, a statement seen as a potential shift in the position of the French government and central bank.Lescure publicly supports the Qivalis alliance, composed of 12 European banks including BBVA, ING, UniCredit, and BNP Paribas, which plans to launch a euro-pegged stablecoin in the second half of 2026 to address the dominance of the dollar in the digital payments space. He pointed out that the current scale of euro stablecoins is far lower than that of dollar stablecoins, which is "unsatisfactory," and emphasized that promoting relevant developments is "exactly what we need." In contrast, former Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire had a strong opposition to privately issued stablecoins, believing they threaten monetary sovereignty; recently, French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau also warned that stablecoins and tokenized currencies could pose risks of "monetary privatization." Analysts believe that France's latest statement may signal a more pragmatic approach in Europe regarding stablecoin and digital currency policies, attempting to seek a balance between regulation and innovation.

According to Cointelegraph, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson warned that U.S. authorities should prepare short-term, targeted emergency plans in advance for the potential collapse of future U.S. Treasury demand. He stated that once a crisis occurs, the impact will be severe. The U.S. Treasury market is seen as the cornerstone of the global financial system, and if it becomes unstable, it could affect the pricing of corporate bonds, mortgages, and stocks.The report pointed out that if a crisis weakens confidence in the dollar, it could drive funds toward alternative value storage assets like Bitcoin and gold; however, Tether, which uses U.S. Treasuries as its main reserve asset, may also face redemption and de-pegging risks.

The Uniswap developer platform has officially launched. This platform provides developers with a new documentation website, AI toolkit, API Playground, and technical guides. In addition, the Uniswap API has added liquidity provider (LP) endpoints, allowing developers to create, adjust positions, and withdraw fees directly through the API.The API currently supports 10 million assets across 18 chains, with a routing speed of about 200 milliseconds and a transaction success rate of over 97%. In the future, the platform plans to launch dashboard analytics features to track API integration performance and provide on-chain operation combination paths to support cross-chain token swaps and bridging. Currently, this API is available for free use.

Bitcoin core developer Jameson Lopp stated that, compared to the potential quantum computing attacks that may arise in the future, he prefers to "freeze" about 5.6 million long-dormant BTC from the network rather than let them be acquired by attackers. These Bitcoins have not moved for over 10 years and may be permanently lost, valued at approximately $42 billion at current prices. If future breakthroughs in quantum computing lead to the decryption of old address private keys, this portion of assets could be re-transferred, triggering severe market fluctuations or even a crisis of confidence.Although the community recently proposed BIP-361, the proposal is still in its early stages and is not an officially promoted plan, but rather more like a contingency plan to address "extreme risks."

One of the Bitcoin contributors, Jameson Loop, along with other cryptographers, has proposed an initiative that may force Bitcoin holders to migrate their tokens to new quantum-resistant addresses, or else their tokens will be permanently frozen by the network itself. In this scenario, holders technically still own these coins but will lose the ability to transfer them. This is known as Bitcoin Improvement Proposal BIP-361, which was updated on Tuesday in Bitcoin's official proposal repository, titled "Post-Quantum Migration and Old Signature Retirement."BIP-361 builds on the BIP-360 proposal introduced in February. BIP-360 introduced a soft fork (a type of network upgrade) aimed at enabling a new transaction type called "Pay to Merkle Root" (P2MR). This approach draws on Bitcoin's Taproot (P2TR) framework but removes key-based spending paths, thereby eliminating an element widely considered to pose risks in the quantum era.The BIP-361 proposal divides the migration into three phases. Phase A starts three years after activation and prohibits anyone from sending new bitcoins to old, quantum-vulnerable addresses. You can still spend from these addresses, but you cannot receive any coins. Phase B starts five years after activation and will render old signatures (ECDSA and Schnorr) completely ineffective, with the network rejecting any attempts to spend coins from quantum-vulnerable wallets.Essentially, your coins will be frozen. Finally, there is Phase C, which is a rescue plan still under research: holders of frozen wallets may potentially prove ownership through zero-knowledge proofs (a method of proving knowledge of a secret without revealing the secret itself). If successful, the coins frozen in Phase B can be recovered.

Binance has launched a new Binance Alpha Box event, with the airdrop pool containing tokens from Anome (ANOME), Velo (VELO), and Power Protocol (POWER). Users holding at least 235 Alpha points can claim an airdrop once on the Alpha Events page. After claiming, they will be assigned to different tiers and randomly receive 824/1030/2942 ANOME, 8750/10938/31250 VELO, or 315/390/1115 POWER, on a first-come, first-served basis.If the airdrop is not fully distributed, the points threshold will automatically decrease by 5 points every 5 minutes. Each claim consumes 15 Alpha points, and users must confirm within 24 hours; otherwise, it will be considered a forfeiture.