Top 10 Crypto News for April 1, 2026
Today, marking the first day of Q2, a complex market continues with a concentration of large-scale token unlocks involving Celestia, SUI, and Ripple, as well as heightened expectations for the Senate markup on the Clarity Act and the Ethereum Glamsterdam upgrade. Simultaneously, the AI token sector is dominating, while trading volume for memecoins is surging amidst extreme fear.
✅ Bitcoin Starts Q2 at $67,800 — Down 52% from ATH of $126,220
BTC opened the second quarter around $67,800. It has fallen 52% from its all-time high during Q1, and the Fear & Greed Index has remained in the 'Extreme Fear' zone for 46 consecutive days. However, with structural positive factors accumulating—such as net Bitcoin ETF inflows, the SEC and CFTC's classification of 16 token products, and progress on the Clarity Act—the discrepancy between regulatory fundamentals and price is the biggest challenge for Q2.
✅ Celestia (TIA) Unlocks 176 Million Tokens Today — 17.2% of Total Supply
Celestia is unlocking approximately 176 million TIA (worth about $52.6 million) today. This is one of the largest single-project unlock events this year, representing a massive supply expansion for the current circulating supply of approximately 897 million TIA. Traders remain cautious as selling pressure may arise.
✅ SUI Unlocks 53.4 Million Tokens ($47.5 Million) — Total Supply of Over $100 Million Released This Week
SUI is unlocking 53.4 million tokens (0.53% of the total supply) today, bringing the total supply of over $100 million across 10 projects to be released into the market this week (March 30–April 5). ENA ($8.81 million, April 2), EDGE ($16.6 million, April 2), and EIGEN ($6.5 million, April 1) follow suit.
✅ Ripple Scheduled to Unlock Up to 1 Billion XRP in Monthly Escrow
Ripple plans to unlock up to 1 billion XRP on April 1, in accordance with its regular escrow schedule. However, as the company has historically re-locked a significant portion of its holdings, the actual inflow into the market is expected to be lower than that amount. In a recent interview, the Ripple CEO stated, "Q1 2026 will be the best performance in history."
✅ CLARITY Act Markup Expected in Senate Banking Committee in Mid-April — Biggest Regulatory Event of Q2
The Senate Banking Committee markup for the CLARITY Act, which clearly distinguishes the jurisdictions of the SEC and CFTC, is scheduled for mid-April. If it passes the committee, the first comprehensive cryptocurrency market structure bill in the U.S. will be submitted to the plenary session, serving as a strong signal to institutional investors that rules are being finalized.
✅ Ethereum Glamsterdam Upgrade Targeted for June — Gas Limit Per Block to be Expanded 3.3x
Ethereum's next-generation major upgrade, Glamsterdam, has entered the final testnet phase. It aims to increase the gas limit per block from 60 million to 200 million and process 10,000 transactions per second. Historically, ETH has shown a 25–40% leading rally starting 6–8 weeks before major upgrades, and the $1,900–$2,100 range is currently attracting attention as an entry point for positions.
✅ AI Token Sector Surges 30% in Market Cap from $14.1B to $19B in March
AI-related tokens emerged as the only sector to generate profits in March. Major AI tokens, including Bitensor (TAO) (+67.5%), Render (+21%), and FET (+44%), recorded significant monthly gains. However, with a high possibility of entering a correction phase following the surge, levels such as $300–$330 for TAO and $1.50–$1.70 for Render are being cited as buy-waiting zones.
✅ BNP Paribas Launches 6 Bitcoin and Ethereum ETNs in France
BNP Paribas, one of Europe's largest banks, has begun offering six types of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETNs to retail customers in France through their securities accounts. This marks a significant step toward further expanding institutional access to crypto within Europe. ✅ Solana Memecoin Weekly DEX Trading Volume Nears All-Time High at $87.8B
Weekly DEX trading volume for Solana-based memecoins has more than doubled, surging from $40.5B in August 2025 to $87.8B at the end of March. Trading activity for major memecoins such as BONK, PENGU, TRUMP, and POPCAT remains robust, indicating that speculative demand remains strong even amidst extreme market fear.
✅ Focus on April 28–29 FOMC Meeting — "Possibility of Powell’s Last Meeting"
The FOMC meeting scheduled for April 28–29 is considered the second-largest event of Q2. With the possibility of a term change for Chair Powell being discussed, there are observations that this meeting could be his final FOMC appearance. If the Fed freezes interest rates despite soaring oil prices, it could serve as a dovish signal for risk assets.
