Tag: Miners

BroadChain learned that on April 17 at 16:16, according to TechFlow, on March 31, 2026, Google Quantum AI—a division of Google—released a whitepaper that attracted widespread attention, stating that the resources required for future quantum computers to break Bitcoin’s cryptography are approximately 20 times lower than previously estimated. This research quickly ignited industry discussions, and headlines such as “Quantum Computers Can Break Bitcoin in 9 Minutes” began circulating across markets. However, frankly speaking, such panic emerges once or twice every year; this time, however, it sounds especially intimidating due to Google’s name attached. We’ve reviewed this 57-page paper and several related announcements released concurrently.

Publicly listed Bitcoin mining companies sold over 32,000 BTC in Q1 2026, marking a new single-quarter high and surpassing the total for all of 2025. Miners currently face significant profitability pressure, with hash price falling below the breakeven points of some mining firms. Since 2023, Bitcoin miners’ BTC reserves have been continuously declining, reflecting industry-wide challenges and financial strain.

On April 16, Ethereum spot ETFs recorded a total net inflow of $18.02 million. iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) led with a $30.51 million net inflow, while Grayscale’s ETHE saw a $16.67 million net outflow. The total assets under management (AUM) of Ethereum spot ETFs currently stand at approximately $13.7 billion, representing 4.83% of Ethereum’s total market capitalization.

On April 16, bitcoin spot ETFs recorded a total net inflow of $26.05 million. BlackRock’s IBIT led with a net inflow of $81.71 million, while Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF also saw net inflows. Fidelity’s FBTC, however, experienced net outflows. The total assets under management (AUM) of bitcoin spot ETFs now stand near $98 billion, with cumulative net inflows exceeding $57 billion.

Circle's CEO recently stated that the RMB stablecoin holds enormous potential and predicted that China may launch one within 3–5 years. This marks Circle's third attempt to enter the Chinese market over the past decade: its high-profile entry into China was previously hampered by operational challenges, and subsequent investments in related projects also failed to bear fruit. With China's regulatory environment remaining stringent, new opportunities may emerge under Hong Kong's updated regulatory framework — yet the outlook remains uncertain.

Anthropic plans a major expansion in London and has secured office space accommodating up to 800 people. This move follows active lobbying by the UK government. Company executives noted that the UK hosts AI-safety-focused enterprises and boasts a strong talent pool.

Claude has become the first mainstream AI chatbot to require government-issued identification and a selfie for identity verification. The verification is powered by Persona and is only triggered for suspicious accounts; data is encrypted and stored and is not used for model training. This move has raised privacy concerns among some users.

Negotiations on the U.S. Cryptocurrency Market Structure Act have entered the final stage, with remaining disputes narrowed down to just 2–3 core issues—including stablecoin rewards and DeFi regulation. The bill aims to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets and clarify jurisdictional boundaries between the SEC and CFTC, though delays remain possible due to the midterm elections.

The ETH/BTC ratio has surged to a 10-week high, with Ethereum showing strong outperformance. A key catalyst is the U.S. SEC’s favorable regulatory statement regarding DeFi front-ends and wallet interfaces, lowering compliance barriers. On-chain data indicates a recovery in institutional demand and notable corporate accumulation. The futures market reflects an imbalanced dynamic between global short positions and Binance-based long positions.

Footwear brand Allbirds announced its pivot to the AI compute infrastructure sector and rebranded as NewBird AI, sending its stock price soaring nearly 600%. However, industry experts warn of 'AI-washing' risks, questioning whether its $50 million initial funding is sufficient to support substantive operations, and noting the company may be leveraging the hot AI narrative to boost share price.

On April 15, bitcoin spot ETFs recorded a total net inflow of $186 million. BlackRock’s IBIT led with a single-day net inflow of $292 million, while Fidelity’s FBTC saw net outflows. The total assets under management (AUM) for these ETFs have approached $10 billion, with cumulative net inflows exceeding $5.7 billion to date—highlighting sustained institutional interest.

On April 15, Ethereum spot ETFs recorded $67.85M in net inflows. BlackRock’s ETHA led with $31.51M in net inflows, bringing its cumulative inflows to $11.769B. Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini Trust ETF followed closely. The total assets under management (AUM) of Ethereum spot ETFs currently stand at approximately $13.8B, representing 4.84% of Ethereum’s total market cap.