Market Updates: Strategy Pauses Bitcoin Buys Ahead of Q1 Earnings, Ethereum Foundation Offloads 10,000 ETH in Latest BitMine OTC Trade, NY Court Fines Uphold $5M Over Crypto Fraud

Latest Market Updates: As of 4th May 2026.

Crypto markets began the week on a cautious note. Strategy paused its Bitcoin purchases ahead of its Q1 earnings release, while the Ethereum Foundation continued trimming its ETH holdings through over-the-counter deals with BitMine.

On the regulatory side, New York authorities fined Uphold $5 million for promoting a disputed investment product. At the same time, new polling data pointed to growing skepticism among Americans toward both cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence.

Strategy Pauses Bitcoin Buying Ahead of Earnings

Strategy, the largest publicly listed corporate holder of Bitcoin, has temporarily paused new purchases.

Executive Chairman Michael Saylor confirmed on X that the company would not be adding to its holdings this week. His updates are often closely watched as signals of Strategy’s broader accumulation strategy.

The pause comes just ahead of the company’s first-quarter earnings report scheduled for Tuesday, suggesting a period of internal financial reassessment.

According to a filing with the US SEC dated 27 April, Strategy last added to its position between 20 and 26 April. During that window, it purchased 3,273 BTC for approximately $255 million.

This brings its total holdings to 818,334 BTC, acquired at an average cost of $77,906 per coin, with an overall cost basis of $75,537. At the time of reporting, Bitcoin was trading around $80,043, slightly above Strategy’s average acquisition price.

Meanwhile, analysts cited by Yahoo Finance expect the company to report a loss of $18.98 per share, wider than the $16.49 loss recorded a year earlier. The projected decline is largely attributed to mark-to-market accounting adjustments on its Bitcoin holdings.

Ethereum Foundation Continues Large-Scale ETH Sales

While Strategy pauses accumulation, the Ethereum Foundation has continued to unlock liquidity through structured sales.

In a recent OTC transaction, the Foundation transferred 10,000 ETH to BitMine Immersion Technologies at a weighted average price of $2,292 per token, resulting in proceeds of approximately $22.9 million.

In a statement on X, the Foundation said proceeds will fund core operations, including protocol R&D, ecosystem growth, and community grant programs.

Notably, this marks the third similar sale in two months, underscoring a consistent pattern. A comparable transaction occurred just a week earlier at $2,387 per ETH. Before that, in March, the Foundation sold 5,000 ETH at around $2,043.

In parallel, the Foundation unstaked 17,035 ETH last week, valued at approximately $40 million. This move suggests a potential shift away from its previously stated goal of maintaining 70,000 staked ETH, signaling a broader adjustment in treasury strategy.

Uphold to Pay $5 Million in New York Settlement

Meanwhile, in New York, authorities have reached a significant settlement with crypto platform Uphold.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that the firm will pay over $5 million to settle claims related to its marketing of CredEarn, a product developed by Cred, LLC under CEO Daniel Schatt.

According to the Attorney General’s office, Uphold advertised the product between January 2019 and October 2020 as a safe, reliable investment with attractive returns. However, key details about how those returns were generated were not disclosed to users.

Investigators found that customer deposits were diverted to provide small loans to low-income gamers in China, many of whom had no credit history or access to conventional banking. Additionally, claims that the product was protected by comprehensive insurance were found to be inaccurate, as no such coverage existed in the industry at the time.

Further concerns included the platform operating without the required broker-dealer registration. Cred started reporting losses in March 2020 and, about eight months later, was said to have filed for bankruptcy, which led to financial losses for many users.

Under the settlement terms, Uphold will compensate impacted customers directly. The payout exceeds five times the fees it earned from the product. Moreover, any funds recovered from Cred’s bankruptcy proceedings, in which Uphold has a $545,189 claim, will also be distributed to users. Customers will be notified once payments are processed.

US Public Shows Growing Skepticism Toward Crypto and AI

At the same time, public sentiment appears to be shifting in ways that could influence the industry’s future. A survey conducted by Public First for Politico highlights increasing concern about both cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.

The poll, carried out between April 11 and 14, surveyed 2,035 US adults online. The results, weighted for demographic factors, have a margin of error of ±2.2 percentage points.

According to the findings, 45% of respondents believe cryptocurrency investments are not worth the risk. Meanwhile, 44% say AI development is progressing too quickly. Nearly half of those surveyed expressed greater trust in traditional banks than in crypto platforms.

Importantly, the survey also points to strong demand for regulation. Around two-thirds of participants support stricter oversight of AI technologies. This sentiment could have political consequences, especially as industry-backed super PACs increase spending ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The report notes that voters are less likely to support candidates associated with groups favoring relaxed AI regulations. This suggests that public skepticism may translate into electoral pressure if concerns continue to grow.