Solana recorded 10.1 billion transactions in the first quarter of 2026, marking the first time the network has crossed 10 billion in a single quarter. The figure was posted on April 1 by Artemis, and it implies roughly a 50% increase from Q4 2025.

On April 1, bitcoin briefly moved above $69,000 two times, reaching $69,268 before pulling back amid profit-taking. By 1:30 p.m. EST it traded near $68,500, up about 1% over 24 hours, as liquidations topped $257 million and broader markets rallied alongside weaker Brent crude below $100 per barrel.

Algorand (ALGO) rallied 29% after Google highlighted it as an example of a blockchain taking steps toward post-quantum cryptography. The move pushed ALGO from $0.088 to $0.1045 and marked a new monthly high, though it remains below the 3-month peak of $0.144.

Drift Protocol said it was investigating unusual activity on April 1, 2026, after onchain trackers estimated $200 million or more was drained from protocol accounts. The outflows were traced to Solana wallet HkGz4KmoZ7Zmk7HN6ndJ31UJ1qZ2qgwQxgVqQwovpZES, while DRIFT fell from about $0.072 to $0.055 amid uncertainty.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury released its first proposed rule under the GENIUS Act and opened a 60-day public comment period. The plan would let payment stablecoin issuers operate under federal oversight or under qualifying state regimes if outstanding supply is below $10b, with larger issuers shifting toward OCC-led supervision.

On-chain analysts say Bitcoin falling below its Realized Price near $54,000 would historically align with a strong accumulation area, though BTC is still roughly 20% above that mark. Bitcoin was trading around $67,250 and is down about 20% year-to-date, while some watchers warn weakness could persist as exchange and derivatives signals turn cautious.

Solana and Ethereum set new transaction records in Q1 2026, underscoring two different approaches to network activity. Solana processed 10.1 billion transactions, while Ethereum logged just over 200 million, pointing to scale-led throughput on one chain and value-focused settlement on the other.

On April 1, the CFTC said a U.S. federal court entered a supplemental consent order against former FTX head of engineering Nishad Singh, which—together with a prior order—wraps up the agency's enforcement action. The Southern District of New York ordered $3.7 million in disgorgement, a five-year trading ban, and an eight-year registration ban, and required continued cooperation. The CFTC added it is not seeking restitution or a civil monetary penalty at this time.