The week highlighted two parallel processes: institutional and regulatory infrastructure is strengthening, while security threats and political activity in the crypto industry are intensifying. Strategy is preparing to invest $44.1 billion in BTC. The OCC has preliminarily approved Coinbase's banking license. For the first time, stablecoin transfer volumes have exceeded the ACH payment system. Meanwhile, North Korean hackers have withdrawn $280 million from Drift Protocol, and the crypto industry has mobilized $100 million for the midterm elections. Coinbase has received a national trust bank license. On April 3, the OCC preliminarily approved Coinbase's application after six months of review. The license permits the custody of clients' digital assets but prohibits deposits and lending. Previously, similar approvals were granted to Ripple, BitGo, Circle, and Fidelity Digital Assets — the industry is integrating into the regulatory framework of traditional finance. Stablecoins have surpassed the US payment system. In February, stablecoin transfer volumes amounted to $7.2 trillion over 30 days (data from Artemis, cleaned of bots and intra-exchange transfers). The ACH, the backbone of the US payment infrastructure with 93% of salary payments, processed $6.8 trillion. Stablecoins have become a settlement infrastructure on a scale comparable to the existing financial system. North Korean hackers stole $280 million from Drift Protocol. Hackers linked to North Korea spent six months posing as partners of the protocol — the first contact was made at a crypto conference. On April 6, they withdrew the funds and converted them into 130,300 ETH ($278 million). Circle did not block wallets with USDC within six hours after the attack. Since 2017, North Korea has stolen more than $7 billion in cryptocurrency. Strategy raises $44.1 billion to increase BTC holdings. The company announced plans to increase its portfolio to 762,100 BTC ($53.6 billion). The current portfolio is about 528,000 BTC. One company is concentrating about 3.6% of all issued BTC, creating a structural supply shortage. The CFTC filed a lawsuit against states over prediction markets. On April 3, the agency filed lawsuits against Illinois, Connecticut, and Arizona. The states classify Kalshi and Polymarket contracts as "bets"; the CFTC insists on exclusive federal jurisdiction. A total of 11 states are challenging the agency's authority. The outcome will determine the legal status of prediction markets on a national level. Alabama becomes the second state with a legal status for DAOs. On April 2, Governor Ivey signed the DUNA Act. DAOs can own property, enter into contracts; participants and administrators are protected from personal liability. There are 13,000 DAOs worldwide with assets of $24.5 billion, 85% of which are on Ethereum and its L2. The crypto industry is preparing $293 million for the 2026 elections. Tether created a Fellowship PAC managed by Director of GR Jesse Spiro; the volume is $100 million. The existing Fairshake PAC (Ripple, Coinbase) has accumulated $193 million. Both committees support candidates advocating for the CLARITY Act. According to Polymarket, Republicans are 86% likely to lose the House of Representatives — the crypto industry is hedging influence through both parties. Iran uses stablecoins to navigate the Strait of Hormuz. According to Bloomberg, the IRGC charges from $1 per barrel for the passage of oil tankers — payment is in yuan and stablecoins. In March, 40 oil tankers passed through the strait (the norm is 60+ per day). Iran has previously used USDT to stabilize its national currency; sanctions pressure is accelerating the shift to crypto settlements.