Drift Protocol released the results of its investigation into a $285 million theft, saying the incident appears to stem from a coordinated, long-running infiltration campaign that lasted roughly six months. According to Drift, the attackers began in the fall of 2025, presenting themselves as a quantitative trading firm and repeatedly approaching team members at crypto conferences around the world. The group is said to have compromised devices by directing targets to links involving code repositories and Apple's TestFlight app. Drift added that the operation may be tied to a North Korea-linked hacking group previously associated with the 2024 Radiant Capital theft.

April 5 — Economists say the recent jump in gasoline prices, which U.S. consumers have felt immediately at the pump, is expected to show up fully in key inflation data due this week. The March consumer price index (CPI) is projected to rise 1% month over month, the biggest monthly increase since 2022. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, is forecast to increase 0.3% month over month. Earlier, the war in Iran drove U.S. retail gasoline prices up by about $1 per gallon. A day before the CPI release, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge will offer a read on price pressures prior to the conflict. Economists expect the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index to have risen 0.4% in February for a third straight month, indicating that the move toward more moderate inflation had already stalled before the fighting began. With the labor market showing signs of stabilizing, inflation proving sticky, and fresh upside risks tied to the Middle East conflict, economists say the Fed may find it difficult to deliver rate cuts this year, making easing in 2026 increasingly unlikely. (Jin Shi)

April 5 — Economists say the sharp jump in gasoline prices paid by U.S. consumers is expected to show up clearly in the inflation data due this week. They forecast the March CPI will climb 1% month over month, the biggest monthly increase since 2022, while core CPI is seen rising 0.3%. Gasoline prices at U.S. pumps previously jumped about $1 per gallon after the war in Iran. A day before the CPI report, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge will offer a read on price pressures before the conflict: economists expect the February core PCE price index to rise 0.4% for a third straight month, indicating disinflation had already stalled even ahead of the fighting. Alongside signs of a stabilizing U.S. labor market, sticky inflation and fresh price risks tied to the Middle East war help explain why the Federal Reserve may find it difficult to cut interest rates this year. (Jin10)

The US federal government has filed suit against the State of Illinois after state regulators issued cease-and-desist letters to prediction market platforms including @kalshi and @Polymarket. The complaint argues that Illinois is intruding on markets overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), weakening the agency's regulatory authority. Source: WuBlockchain

Elemental said it has resumed normal operations, according to ME News. In an update posted on April 5 (UTC+8), the DeFi protocol confirmed final figures showing an 87.51% write-down for its SOL 1 and SOL 2 vaults, and a 62.10% write-down for the USDC Lend vault. The platform said the impacted vaults have now been fully restored after the adjustments, enabling users to unstake, withdraw, and deposit funds without restrictions. Elemental also merged its Beta environment into the main platform and added a transaction history feature to improve transparency. (Source: PANews)

Over the past 72 hours, about 1.4 million Solana (SOL) tokens—valued at roughly US$110 million—were transferred to exchanges, a flow pattern often watched for potential selling pressure. The increase comes as SOL trades around key technical levels, with analysts flagging the risk of short-term downside momentum. Glassnode data shows exchange balances rising from 27.6 million SOL to 28.6 million SOL over the period. Ali Charts highlighted the move as a notable jump in exchange holdings, a typical precursor to liquidation activity even though inflows alone do not guarantee a price decline. At the time of writing, SOL was up 0.59% over 24 hours to US$80.93, reflecting mixed sentiment despite the elevated exchange inflows. On the technical side, Crypto_Scient pointed to a breakdown from a daily bear-flag pattern and a loss of a market-structure shift near US$85. SOL is now trading below a key supply zone, and repeated failed consolidation attempts are reinforcing bearish conditions. Analysts say a rebound into the US$84–US$89 area may function as a retest of the broken structure, potentially validating seller control rather than signaling renewed strength. Support is now being watched in the US$66–US$70 range. Until SOL reclaims US$90 with strong volume, the broader setup remains pressured, with exchange inflows and market structure likely to remain key short-term indicators. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. CoinCryptoNewz is not responsible for any losses incurred. Readers should do their own research before making financial decisions.

Several major US-listed altcoin spot ETFs recorded no daily inflows or outflows this week. The flat flows applied to spot products tracking $DOGE, $HBAR, $LTC, $AVAX and $DOT. With altcoin activity muted, market focus has gravitated toward larger assets such as $BTC and $ETH. That dynamic could shift at some point in 2026. Source: @SoSoValueCrypto

Drift Protocol said on X on April 5 (UTC+8) that its preliminary probe into the April 1, 2026, exploit points to UNC4736, a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group also tracked as AppleJeus or Citrine Sleet. According to Drift, the actors spent roughly six months cultivating relationships with contributors starting in autumn 2025. The group allegedly dispatched intermediaries to crypto conferences and set up sham quantitative trading firms, ultimately persuading targets to download malicious code libraries or applications. Drift said it has frozen all protocol functions and removed compromised wallets from multisignature control. The team has brought in Mandiant to run an in-depth forensic investigation. Drift added that the on-chain funds used to test the operation can be traced to the attackers behind the Radiant Capital breach in October 2024. (Source: ChainCatcher)

Brazil is considering expanding Pix, its instant payments system, to international markets despite criticism from the United States.