Crypto Digest 2026-04-21: Bitcoin, USDT, Binance Trends

Introduction

On 2026-04-21, the cryptocurrency market saw various developments, including a significant freeze of Ether connected to the Kelp exploit, a proposed delay of the CLARITY Act Senate markup, and the launch of a tokenized gold fund on Ethereum and Solana. Bitcoin reclaimed the $75,000 mark as Iran ceasefire talks advanced and equities rally resumed. Additionally, Arbitrum froze $71 million in Ether tied to the Kelp DAO exploit, and Ripple laid out a plan to make the XRP Ledger quantum-resistant by 2028.

Markets

Bitcoin traded at $75,733 on Tuesday morning, up 1.5% over 24 hours, as Iran signaled it will send a team to Pakistan talks and Brent crude slipped ahead of the Wednesday ceasefire deadline, as reported by CoinDesk. The Kelp DAO exploit has led to significant losses, with Aave potentially facing up to $230 million in losses, according to CoinDesk.

Regulation and DeFi

A US senator has urged a delay of the CLARITY Act Senate markup until May, as reported by CoinTelegraph. Meanwhile, Arbitrum has frozen $71 million in Ether tied to the Kelp DAO exploit, with the layer-2 network’s security council moving 30,766 ETH to a frozen intermediary wallet, as reported by CoinDesk. Singapore’s OCBC has launched a tokenized gold fund on Ethereum and Solana, as reported by CoinTelegraph.

Other Developments

Ripple has laid out a four-phase plan to make the XRP Ledger quantum-resistant by 2028, as reported by CoinDesk. Coinbase’s AI payments protocol x402 has launched an app store for AI agents, as reported by CoinTelegraph. North Korea’s crypto heist playbook is expanding, with DeFi being a frequent target, as reported by CoinDesk. Sources: CoinDesk, CoinTelegraph