Stay in the loop with our weekly crypto digest as we get you up to speed on the hottest trends and events in the crypto space.
Here’s what happened in crypto this week:
Apple Ordered To Drop App Store Fee Restrictions, Opening The Door For Crypto Payments And NFTs
Apple updated its App Store review guidelines following a court ruling, easing restrictions on developers in the US App Store.
Under the updated enforcement, Apple can no longer charge commissions or fees for purchases made outside the app, nor can it track, audit, or require developers to report such transactions. Most notably, Apple must allow apps to include external payment links, including those related to NFTs and blockchain-based transactions.
It is worth noting that cryptocurrency apps still need to comply with strict Apple regulations, including a ban on offering reward tokens for completing tasks, a ban on initial coin offerings (ICOs), and a ban on using user devices for mining.
Warren Buffett To Step Down As Berkshire Hathaway CEO By Year’s End
Influential billionaire investor Warren Buffett said he would retire from leading his Berkshire Hathaway business group by the end of the year and that he would recommend his chosen successor, Greg Abel, take over.
“I think the time has arrived where Greg should become the chief executive of the company at year end,” Buffett said at Berkshire’s annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.
Buffett transformed Berkshire Hathaway from a medium-sized textile company when he bought it in the 1960s into a giant conglomerate, now valued at more than $1 trillion and with liquid assets of $300 billion.
His son, Howard Graham Buffett, is also expected to succeed him as non-executive chairman of Berkshire.
Bybit CEO: Users Can Soon Trade Stocks, Indexes, Gold, And Oil Directly On The Platform By The End Of Quarter
Bybit CEO Ben Zhou announced that users can directly trade stock indexes, gold, crude oil, and US stocks on Bybit by the end of the quarter. He added that gold trading on MetaTrader 5 (MT5) would now have 500x leverage.
These additions significantly shift Bybit’s product strategy and reflect the platform’s ambition to serve a wider set of retail and institutional investors.
However, some believe that Bybit’s move still invites the risk of North Korea’s Lazarus group. For context, on February 21st, 2025, the Lazarus Group siphoned roughly $1.5 billion worth of Ethereum from Bybit, marking the largest digital heist in crypto history. The hackers accessed Bybit’s cold wallets and rerouted an approved ETH transaction to their wallets.
Sam Altman’s World Project Hit With Suspension In Indonesia Over Alleged Regulatory Violations
Indonesia’s digital ministry has suspended World’s (formerly Worldcoin) operating permit due to alleged violations of electronic system operation regulations.
The ministry’s investigation revealed that one of World’s local operators, PT. Terang Bulan Abadi and PT. Sandina Abadi Nusantara lacks a valid operating permit and operates under a permit registered to a different entity.
This suspension is a precautionary measure to mitigate potential risks to the public amid concerns about data privacy and protection associated with World’s operations.
The controversy arises as Worldcoin plans to expand its services in the US, allowing users to receive tokens for verifying their identity and creating a World ID.
Solana Validators Patch Zero-Day Bug That Could Have Led To Unlimited Minting Of Certain Tokens
The Solana Foundation patched a zero-day vulnerability that could have allowed unlimited minting of certain tokens, including Paxos’ USDP stablecoin, after organizing a network update with validators.
The vulnerability was identified on April 16th, 2025, and addressed within two days, affecting the ZK ElGamal Proof program responsible for verifying confidential transfers on Solana.
Despite the potential severity of the bug, the Foundation confirmed that all funds are safe and there is no known exploit of the vulnerability.
Tether Announces Launch Of Open-Source AI Project
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino announced that the company will soon launch Tether.ai, a platform designed to address concerns over data privacy and ethical AI use.
The initiative will focus on local AI models that operate directly on personal devices, allowing users to access AI tools without exposing personal data.
According to the company, the platform will be fully modular and composable, capable of powering a decentralized peer-to-peer network of AI agents.
Tether emphasized that the system has “no central point of failure,” aligning with its broader strategy of promoting digital sovereignty and infrastructure resilience.
Senate Democrats Open Investigation Into President Donald Trump’s Crypto Businesses
Senate Democrats, led by Richard Blumenthal, are investigating President Trump’s cryptocurrency activities for potential corruption and mismanagement, questioning whether they represent a “pay-to-play scheme.”
Blumenthal has sent letters to executives of Trump-affiliated companies, seeking information on their ownership, investment structures, and financial dealings with foreign entities related to Trump’s crypto ventures.
The inquiry aims to assess possible violations of government ethics and conflicts of interest, particularly regarding foreign investments and the revenue generated by these businesses.
Democrats are increasingly vocal about concerns over Trump’s crypto ties, and additional legislative moves are proposed to restrict the president’s and senior officials’ financial activities.
New Hampshire First US State To Pass A ‘Strategic Bitcoin Reserve’ Bill
New Hampshire has become the first US state to pass a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” bill, allowing the state treasurer to invest public funds in Bitcoin and other digital assets.
The bill, HB 302, enables investment of up to 10% of the state’s general fund in assets with a market cap over $500 billion, primarily Bitcoin.
This legislation is based on a model drafted by the Satoshi Action Fund, which aims to promote pro-Bitcoin policies across the country.
Other states, such as Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, and Texas, are considering similar initiatives, although Florida recently postponed its related bills.
Federal Reserve Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged, Remains At 4.25% – 4.50%
The Federal Reserve announced it would leave interest rates unchanged amid higher prices due to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and weakening economic growth.
Notably, this is the third meeting in a row in which the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) stood pat. The FOMC has kept the rate unchanged since December after cutting it by a percentage point for three meetings late last year.
Fed officials have indicated they are reluctant to act until they know which tariffs will stand and whether those tariffs will push up inflation, drag down the economy, or both.
It is also worth noting that President Donald Trump has criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates in recent weeks, calling for Powell’s “termination” before backing down from the threat.
Final Thoughts
So that’s it for this week!
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Have a fantastic week ahead!
