The cryptocurrency market opened April 29 with a slight decline, total capitalization slipping 0.6% to $2.64 trillion on trading volumes of $79.7 billion. Bitcoin (BTC) traded at $76,242, down 1.27%, while Ethereum (ETH) fell 1.04% to $2,282.3. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index dropped sharply from 33 to 26 (Fear), reflecting growing trader caution amid macro uncertainty.
Altcoin Movers: Human Protocol Soars, DeXe Plunges
Despite the market-wide slide, select altcoins posted strong gains. Humanity Protocol (H) led the rally with a 23.6% jump to $0.1745, backed by $71.9 million in volume. Pump.fun (PUMP) rose 6.97% to $0.001899, and Pi (PI) added 5.02% to $0.1985. On the downside, DeXe (DEXE) tumbled 11.65% to $12.63, Chiliz (CHZ) fell 8.25% to $0.04622, and MemeCore (M) dropped 5.88% to $3.50. The DeFi sector shrank 0.8% to $54.6 billion in market cap, accounting for 2.1% of total crypto.
Key Headlines: SBF Retrial Denied, AI Wallet by Lightspark, PumpFun Token Incineration
A U.S. judge rejected Sam Bankman-Fried's bid for a new trial, calling his new evidence claims "baseless" and inconsistent with the facts. Lightspark CEO David Marcus unveiled a Bitcoin wallet that enables AI agents to execute on-chain transactions, a step toward automated crypto payments. PumpFun destroyed approximately $370 million worth of tokens (36% of supply) and plans future buybacks to bolster transparency. Coinbase added Gensyn to its listing roadmap and confirmed the launch of Virtuals Protocol trading, pending liquidity conditions. Meanwhile, Monad's official account was temporarily suspended due to a platform error; the team is working with support to restore it.
Regulatory and Security: French Money Launderer Sentenced, Tropykus Shuts Down, Griffiths Wallet Activity
A French national received an eight-year prison sentence for laundering $470 million via crypto OTC trades, using shell companies and falsified records. Bitcoin lending protocol Tropykus terminated its first version, halting deposits and loans, urging users to withdraw before July 2026. Following the death of ASOS co-founder Quentin Griffiths in Thailand, about $4 million in Bitcoin moved from his wallet, prompting a police probe. Analysts expect prediction market ETFs to debut soon, with filings targeting U.S. political outcomes and more issuers likely preparing similar products.