Ripple has introduced its Institutional DeFi Portal in beta, designed to facilitate financial institutions' access to decentralized finance and stablecoin payments. The portal addresses compliance and operational challenges, aiming to enhance stablecoin payment management.

Morpho has launched Morpho Midnight, a fixed-rate DeFi lending product distinct from its variable-rate counterpart, Morpho Blue. Co-founder Paul Frambot highlights that Midnight represents a new onchain lending approach, coexisting with Blue. Morpho holds $7.7 billion in TVL.

Kevin Warsh, nominee for Federal Reserve Chair, has disclosed early-stage investments in various crypto infrastructure projects, including DeFi and layer-2 networks. His portfolio, small and illiquid, suggests indirect venture capital exposure rather than direct trading assets.

Paxos Labs completed a $12 million funding round on April 14, primarily led by Blockchain Capital. The company focuses on providing stablecoin issuance and DeFi solutions, expects to reach break-even by the end of the year, has secured multiple customers, and acquired Fordefi to expand its market reach.

Grayscale updates its list of candidate assets for new products, covering six major crypto sectors including AI, finance, smart contract platforms, and practical tools. The AI sector adds 9 new projects, the finance sector adds 7 DeFi projects, the smart contract platforms sector adds 6 new projects, and the practical tools sector adds multiple tools. The list is updated each quarter and does not yet indicate that related products will definitely be launched.

The white paper jointly released by Gate Research Institute and Global HR states that by Q1 2026, the crypto industry will face job shifts driven by AI transformation, and cross-functional talent will become a core competitive advantage. The industry is mainly divided into four areas: exchanges, public chains and infrastructure, DeFi and derivatives, and stablecoins, with technology research and development needs being the most prominent.

Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer Dante Disparte responded to the Drift Protocol theft incident, emphasizing that freezing USDC is being carried out according to law, calling for stronger coordination between law and technology, and suggesting that DeFi protocols should draw on protection mechanisms from traditional markets to advance legal protection of property rights and financial privacy.

Gate News update, April 9, DeFi solutions provider Enhanced Labs announced it has completed a $1 million Pre-Seed round of financing, led by Maximum Frequency Ventures, with participation from GSR, Selini, Flowdesk, and a group of angel investors. The new funding will be used to support product development and operations, while also expanding options-based yield strategies to a wider range of on-chain assets, including tokenized real-world assets.

Gate News, April 9, the Solana treasury company DeFi Development listed on Nasdaq released its March operating report. The report shows that as of the end of March, the company held 2.22 million SOL, and the amount of the liquid staking token dfdvSOL increased from 513k to more than 656k. In addition, DeFi Development said it will continue to advance its strategic investment in the stablecoin protocol Apyx.

Multiple U.S. law enforcement groups oppose the provisions in the Senate's crypto market structure bill that protect DeFi developers, arguing that it would weaken the government's ability to combat financial crime. The bill's proposed amendments have triggered a bipartisan rift, and it remains unclear whether it can move forward in the future.