Daily Summary, April 8

# Results of the day, April 08

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IRAN WILL CHARGE A FEE FOR THE TRANSIT OF TANKERS THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IN BITCOINS.

*Analysis: Iran, under severe US sanctions, has been using cryptocurrency for foreign trade for several years. The transfer of the fee for passage through Hormuz (one of the busiest oil corridors in the world) to BTC is not just an experiment. The country is actually legalizing bitcoin as a means of payment for international settlements. Why not stablecoin? Because USDT and USDC are controlled by issuers from the United States, which can freeze funds. Bitcoin is decentralized and is not subject to American sanctions. This is a dangerous precedent for the global market: if Iran starts accepting BTC for transit, other sanctioned countries (Russia, North Korea, Venezuela) may follow suit. This will increase the demand for bitcoin as a neutral means of payment, but at the same time attract the attention of the FATF and OFAC — they will try to track such transactions through on-chain analytics.*

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CERTIK HAS OPENED PUBLIC TESTING OF ITS AI AUDITOR, WHICH DETECTS VULNERABILITIES IN SMART CONTRACTS WITH AN ACCURACY OF 88.6%.

*Analysis: 88.6% accuracy is not 99%, but it is a breakthrough for an automated auditor. Until now, checking smart contracts required expensive manual audits (starting at $20k per project). The CertiK AI auditor will allow small DeFi projects and memcoins to quickly check their code before launching. However, 11.4% of false positives or missed vulnerabilities are a risk. A good developer will still hire a person. The main value: AI auditors will make it cheaper to enter the market for thousands of projects, but they will create the illusion of security. Hacking will continue, and the blame will simply be shifted to AI. In the long run, the victory belongs to hybrid models (AI + human verification).*

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CZ RELEASED THE BOOK “FREEDOM OF MONEY”, SHOWED DOZENS OF PERSONAL PHOTOS AND TOLD HOW “CURLY SAM” ASKED HIM FOR “A COUPLE OF BILLION LIKE A SAUSAGE SANDWICH.”

*Analysis: Changpeng Zhao (ex-head of Binance) is actively returning to the information field after being imprisoned in the United States. The book is not only a memoir, but also an attempt to form a narrative: “I fought for the freedom of money, and I was imprisoned.” The story of Sam Bankman-Freed (SBF) highlights the difference between CZ (who actually served time) and Curly (who stole clients’ money). Publishing personal photos is a way to humanize an image. Market effect: the book fuels interest in bitcoin and Binance (although CZ formally resigned as CEO). But it is important: the conflict with OKX (see below) shows that veteran wars have not gone away. It’s worth reading the book for the sake of understanding how top managers of crypto exchanges think about regulators and competitors.*

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THE NEW ERC-8211 STANDARD IN ETHEREUM WILL ALLOW COMBINING COMPLEX DEFI OPERATIONS INTO A SINGLE TRANSACTION INSTEAD OF SEVERAL SEPARATE STEPS.

*Analysis: Today, in order to take out a loan from Aave, swap to Uniswap and get stuck in Lido, you need to sign 3-4 transactions and pay gas for each one. ERC-8211 introduces the mechanism of “atomic compositions” — several actions are combined into one package, which is performed entirely or not at all. This reduces fees (one gas for everything) and the risk of partial execution (for example, a loan was taken, but the swap failed). The standard is an evolution of EIP-4626 and ERC-1155. For DeFi users, it will be as easy as pressing one button in CeFi. A new logic of smart contracts is available for developers. We are waiting for the first wallets with ERC-8211 support by the end of 2026.*

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AFTER 18 MONTHS OF INVESTIGATION, THE NEW YORK TIMES STATED THAT ADAM BACK COULD BE SATOSHI NAKAMOTO— THE CREATOR OF BITCOIN.
*Analysis: The NYT is not a tabloid, but a respected publication. Their investigation is based on a stylistic analysis of Beck’s early letters and Satoshi’s texts, the coincidence of activity hours (Beck lives in London, GMT), and the fact that Beck invented Hashcash in 1997, a prototype proof of work for bitcoin. However, Beck himself denied it many times. If the NYT is right, it would break the myth of the “lone genius.” Adam Back is a well—known cryptographer, head of Blockstream, and an active member of the community. Why would he hide? Perhaps in order not to attract the attention of the special services. The news doesn’t change anything for the market: bitcoin is decentralized, even if Satoshi shows up. But the price may move on FOMO. The main risk is that if the Back starts moving its coins (presumably ~1 million BTC), the market will collapse. But he is unlikely to do this — the reputational damage will be catastrophic.*

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🏦 STABLECOINS ARE ACTIVELY CROWDING OUT THE BANKING INFRASTRUCTURE: IN FEBRUARY 2026, THEIR MONTHLY TURNOVER FOR THE FIRST TIME EXCEEDED THE ACH SYSTEM OF BANK WIRE TRANSFERS IN THE UNITED STATES — $7.2 TRILLION VERSUS $6.8 TRILLION.

*Analysis: This is a historic moment. ACH (Automated Clearing House) is the basis of American salaries, bills, and transfers between banks. The fact that stablecoins (mainly USDT and USDC) have overtaken ACH in volume means that millions of people and companies prefer blockchain to the traditional banking system. Reasons: speed (seconds versus days), low fees (cents versus dollars), no days off or holidays. It doesn’t kill the banks, but it forces them to adapt. Western Union is already launching its stablecoin, JPMorgan — JPM Coin. Regulators are in a panic: if stablecoins continue to grow, they will not have the tools to combat money laundering. Expect strict rules (see the news below). For users, it’s a choice between convenience and control.*

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UBS AND THE FIVE LARGEST SWISS BANKS HAVE BEGUN TESTING A STABLECOIN PEGGED TO THE SWISS FRANC.

*Analysis: Switzerland is not Nigeria. This is not hyperinflation, but a conservative banking system. Why does UBS need a stablecoin? To speed up interbank settlements and securities settlements. Currently, transfers between banks in Switzerland via the SIC system take hours, while the blockchain takes seconds. Pegging to the franc (and not to the dollar) is an important signal: Switzerland does not want to depend on the American USDC. The project is called “Franc on Ledger” and uses an authorized blockchain (only participating banks). This is not decentralization, but an improvement of the traditional infrastructure. For the market, this is an example of how old money masters technology without losing control. If the test succeeds, other central banks (ECB, Bank of England) will accelerate the launch of digital currencies (CBDCs).*

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AFTER THE RELEASE OF CHANGPENG ZHAO’S BOOK, AN OLD CONFLICT BROKE OUT — THE CEO OF OKX ACCUSED HIM OF LYING AND DISTORTING THE EVENTS OF THE OKCOIN ERA.

*Analysis: The conflict has been going on since 2014, when CZ worked at OKCoin (the predecessor of OKX). According to CZ, he was forced to leave due to disagreements with the management. OKX CEO Star Xu claims that CZ was fired for breach of compliance and is now rewriting history in his book. This dispute is important not because of personal grievances, but because it reveals the real cuisine of early crypto exchanges — no code of honor, just business and control. For investors, this is a reminder: don’t believe the founders’ memoirs 100%. Everyone tells their own version. For the market, this is another crack between the top exchanges, which may result in a struggle for liquidity and regulatory preferences.*

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THE US AUTHORITIES ARE PREPARING NEW RULES THAT WILL FORCE ISSUERS OF STABLECOINS LIKE USDT AND USDC TO BE ABLE TO FREEZE AND BLOCK ANY SUSPICIOUS TRANSFERS.
*Analysis: This is a direct consequence of the growth of stablecoins (they have overtaken ACH). The US wants to control $7.2 trillion in monthly turnover. Now Circle (USDC) is already cooperating with the authorities, and Tether (USDT) often ignores requests. The new rules will oblige all issuers to have the technical ability to freeze any address at the request of OFAC or the Ministry of Justice. Technically, this is possible on all blockchains where there is a “blacklist” function (USDC has it, USDT has it partially). Effects: stablecoins will become an analogue of bank accounts under full control of the United States. Decentralization will die in this segment. Users from sanctioned countries (Iran, Russia, North Korea) will switch to Bitcoin, Monero, or algorithmic stablecoins (for example, Ethena USDe). The market is waiting for a split: “white” stablecoins (USDC, USDP) and “gray” (USDT, DAI).*

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## SYSTEM TRENDS OF THE DAY

– Stablecoins are becoming a new banking system. Turnover exceeded ACH ($7.2 trillion versus $6.8 trillion). Swiss banks are testing franc-stablecoin. The United States is preparing total control. Western Union goes out with its USDPT. Stablecoins are no longer a “crypt for drug dealers,” but a critical financial infrastructure. The question is not “will they be regulated?” but “who will control the freezing keys and how?”.

– Veterans and industry leaders are returning to the public field. CZ with book and personal photos, conflict with OKX, NYT investigates Satoshi’s identity. This suggests that the market is moving from the “wild 2021-2023” phase to the “historicization and memoir” phase. The price is important, but even more important is who will write the history of bitcoin. The battle for narrative (CZ vs OKX, Adam Back vs obscurity) will affect trust in old exchanges and projects.

– AI penetrates the security of smart contracts. CertiK launches an AI auditor with 88.6% accuracy. This lowers the entry threshold for small projects, but increases the risks of false confidence. The combination of AI + manual verification will become the standard. Trend: audit automation, but the responsibility remains with the people.

– Geopolitical fragmentation of the crypt. Iran accepts BTC for tanker transit, which is an alternative payment system bypassing the dollar. Russia is expanding crypto payments to Africa (from the last issue). China is building a banking blockchain without crypto. The United States is tightening the screws on stablecoins. The world is moving towards three models: western (regulated stablecoins, KYC), eastern (bitcoin and altcoins to circumvent sanctions), and state (CBDC and authorized blockchains).

– Technical standards simplify DeFi for the masses. ERC-8211 combines complex operations into a single transaction. This is a step towards making DeFi as simple as PayPal. When the user does not need to subscribe 5 times and pay for gas each time, the barrier drops. In combination with AI agents (news from April 06 about Solana Agent Skills), we get a future where crypto is used through voice commands and a single button.

## ARCHITECTURAL OUTPUT

On April 8, 2026, a key transition was recorded: stablecoins officially became larger than the US banking system in terms of volume. It changes everything. Previously, the crypt was a marginal market. Now it is a systemic threat to the dollar and SWIFT. That is why the United States is urgently preparing rules for freezing transfers, and Switzerland is launching its franc-stablecoin in order not to depend on American issuers. Iran and Russia, on the contrary, use bitcoin and uncontrolled assets to circumvent.

Against this background, the old disputes (CZ vs. OKX, Satoshi’s personality) look like entertainment for geeks. The real struggle is for control of the payment infrastructure. The winner will not be the one with the fastest network or the most fashionable memcoin, but the one whose stablecoin will be accepted by millions of merchants and banks. So far, the USDC is in the lead (it is friends with the USA), but its ability to freeze funds kills the very idea of decentralization.
For an investor in 2026, the rule is simple:
— Keep your savings in bitcoin (it is not frozen).
— Use stablecoins only for transactions and only verified ones (USDC if you are in a Western jurisdiction; DAI or USDe if you want less control).
— Follow the news about regulation: As soon as the US announces that all USDT should be frozen on demand, the market will panic and flee to BTC and Monero.
— Do not believe the memoirs of the founders — they always embellish.

*”Stablecoins have won the battle for volume, but are losing the war for freedom. Bitcoin is the opposite. And CZ and Adam Back are just arguing over which of them deserves the monument at the entrance to the cryptopanteon the most.”*