Top 10 Crypto News in the USA Today – Bitcoin, XRP, and Ethereum Making Headlines

As May 2026 begins, investors are closely tracking developments surrounding regulation, ETF activity, macroeconomic signals, and institutional adoption. 

Bitcoin continues to trade below the critical $80,000 level, while XRP, Ethereum, and Solana remain under key resistance zones. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington face mounting pressure to finalize major crypto legislation, particularly the CLARITY Act, as firms like Ripple push for clearer oversight. 

Key Points 

• As May begins, U.S. crypto headlines are dominated by ETF flows, regulatory developments, and commentaries from notable stakeholders.
• Billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper has proposed a third crypto-focused legislative act to enable U.S. businesses to operate directly on the Bitcoin network.
• Speculation about Jerome Powell’s potential exit as Fed Chair is eliciting mixed reactions across the crypto market.
• U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs snapped a three-day outflow streak, recording $14.76 million in net inflows on April 30, while Ethereum ETFs extended their negative trend with $23.64 million in net outflows.
• Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse reaffirmed Ripple’s strong commitment to XRP, even as David Schwartz noted the absence of a catalyst for significant price appreciation.

Top 10 Crypto News in the US Today 

Here are the top 10 crypto stories making headlines in the United States today. 

1. Tim Draper Proposes New Bill to Help U.S. Businesses Operate on Bitcoin

As the United States advances toward passing the CLARITY Act, following the enactment of the GENIUS Act for stablecoins, venture capitalist Tim Draper has proposed a third comprehensive crypto framework.

According to Draper, the proposed legislation would allow U.S. businesses to conduct operations such as payments, taxes, bookkeeping, and auditing directly on the Bitcoin network. The framework could reduce reliance on traditional financial intermediaries while automating several accounting functions.

If lawmakers eventually adopt the proposal, Bitcoin could evolve beyond its role as a store of value and become part of the United States’ foundational economic infrastructure. 

2. Jerome Powell’s Expected Exit Sparks Reactions Across Crypto Industry

Another major development drawing attention in the United States is the expected departure of Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve Chair. 

Over the years, Powell built a reputation within the crypto industry for maintaining a cautiously pro-crypto stance that emphasized financial stability and regulatory oversight for stablecoins. He also strongly opposed the creation of a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC).

Although investors often criticized Powell for his interest-rate policies, many appreciated aspects of his regulatory approach, particularly his resistance to a digital dollar initiative.

Now that Kevin Warsh is expected to replace him this month, parts of the crypto community are celebrating the transition as a potential turning point. 

However, crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen warned that Powell’s exit could trigger unintended consequences, similar to what followed Gary Gensler’s departure, which coincided with a surge in meme coin launches and investor losses. 

sometimes it’s hard to see things for what they are when they are happening, but it becomes obvious with the benefit of hindsight.

— Benjamin Cowen (@benjamincowen) April 29, 2026

3. Bitcoin ETFs Recover While Ethereum Funds Extend Outflow Streak

Investor sentiment appears to be diverging between Bitcoin and Ethereum investment products. 

On April 30, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded combined net inflows of $14.76 million, ending a three-day streak of withdrawals. Major issuers such as BlackRock and Fidelity Investments led the inflows, while other issuers reported zero or negative flows.

In contrast, spot Ethereum ETFs recorded net outflows of $23.64 million, extending their losing streak to four consecutive trading sessions. 

On April 30, Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded a total net inflow of $14.76 million, while Ethereum spot ETFs saw total net outflow of $23.64 million. pic.twitter.com/ZMOkJDsxb1

— TheCryptoBasic (@thecryptobasic) May 1, 2026

4. Brad Garlinghouse Reaffirms Ripple’s Commitment to XRP

Speaking at XRP Las Vegas 2026, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse reiterated that Ripple remains the party most invested in XRP’s long-term success. 

Garlinghouse dismissed suggestions that the company no longer prioritizes XRP. He emphasized that Ripple’s substantial XRP holdings directly tie its financial future to the asset’s performance.

In particular, the company benefits when XRP’s value rises and incurs losses if the token underperforms. For context, Ripple holds approximately 33.2 billion XRP in escrow and 5.1 billion in liquid reserves, bringing its total holdings to about 38.3 billion XRP.

At a current price of $1.37, this stake is valued at roughly $52.47 billion. However, when XRP peaked at $3.65 last year, Ripple’s total holdings would have been worth an estimated $139.79 billion, highlighting the significant impact of price fluctuations on the company’s portfolio. 

5. Ripple CTO Emeritus Downplays Claims Ripple Can Easily Push XRP Higher

Meanwhile, Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz also made a comment about XRP today. During an online exchange, Schwartz argued that it is now difficult to claim Ripple still possesses a catalyst capable of driving XRP dramatically higher. 

He made the statement in response to a user who asked why Ripple had not leveraged products like Ripple Prime or Ripple Treasury to push XRP above $100.

In response, Schwartz explained that if Ripple truly had such a mechanism, the company would have already used it. 

He also dismissed predictions that XRP price could eventually reach $10,000, noting that if such a possibility existed, supporters would likely have already pushed the token to at least $20. Currently, XRP trades near $1.37, far below those projections.

6. April Crypto Hacks Hit Record High as Losses Reach $651 Million

April 2026 marked the worst month on record for crypto security breaches, as hacking incidents surged to unprecedented levels. Data from DefiLlama revealed that the industry recorded nearly 30 hacking incidents during the month.

At the same time, the blockchain security firm CertiK estimated confirmed losses at $651 million, including around $3.5 million from phishing attacks. 

Major incidents included the KelpDAO exploit worth $291 million, the Drift Protocol breach at $285 million, the Rhea Finance attack at $18 million, and the Grinex exploit totaling $16.2 million.

Furthermore, investigators linked most of these attacks to North Korean hacking groups. According to TRM Labs, North Korean actors accounted for roughly 75% of crypto hack-related losses in 2026, largely through the KelpDAO and Drift Protocol exploits.

7. Bitmine Stakes Over $500 Million Worth of Ethereum

Las Vegas-based Bitmine recently staked more than $508.4 million worth of Ethereum. Data from Arkham Intelligence showed that the company completed the staking activity through more than 10 separate transactions.

As a result, Bitmine now controls more than 4 million staked ETH, representing approximately 10.5% of all Ethereum currently locked in staking contracts.

The company has aggressively accumulated Ethereum since June 2025 and now holds roughly 5.078 million ETH, equal to 4.21% of the cryptocurrency’s total supply. Notably, Bitmine plans to continue buying until it controls 5% of Ethereum’s circulating supply. 

8. Senate Banking Committee Could Mark Up CLARITY Act This Month

After lawmakers failed to advance the CLARITY Act in April, new reports now suggest the Senate Banking Committee could begin the markup process this month.

According to crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, lawmakers are working within a narrowing legislative window to move the bill forward. Meanwhile, Ji Kim stated that Congress may have only 13 weeks left to pass the legislation.

However, Terrett argued that the actual timeframe could shrink to roughly 10 working weeks due to congressional recesses. She also identified May 11 as the earliest possible date for the markup, provided lawmakers resolve disputes involving DeFi oversight, stablecoin yields, and ethics provisions in time. 

9. Elon Musk Says Most Cryptocurrencies Are Scams

During testimony in a federal lawsuit involving OpenAI, Elon Musk stated that most cryptocurrencies are scams. However, he acknowledged that a few digital assets still hold legitimate value.

According to New York Times reporter Mike Isaac, Musk made the remarks while responding to internal emails discussing whether OpenAI had once considered launching an ICO to fund its early development.

Although Musk has criticized much of the crypto industry, he continues to support Dogecoin and has previously promoted its use for payments for Tesla and SpaceX merchandise. 

10. Trump-Linked WLFI Drops After Governance Vote Approves 62 Billion Token Unlock

Investors are also monitoring the sharp decline of WLFI, the native token tied to Donald Trump-backed World Liberty Financial. Since reaching an all-time high of $0.46 in September 2025, the token has remained under bearish pressure. Specifically, the price has declined by 86.7% from its previous all-time high of $0.46. 

This week, bearish sentiment intensified after governance voting began on a proposal to unlock more than 62 billion WLFI tokens over five years. Although the proposal quickly reached quorum with 99.5% approval, investors responded by aggressively selling the token.

Blockchain analytics platform Santiment reported 15 whale transactions within four hours, contributing to the decline. Consequently, WLFI dropped from its April 28 peak of $0.074 to $0.05918, a 20% decline. While the token has since rebounded slightly to around $0.061, investors remain cautious.

For more breaking news on Bitcoin, XRP Ripple latest updates, Ethereum latest news, and the broader crypto market, follow daily coverage and real-time developments at The Crypto Basic. 

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