The past week witnessed the NFT market’s most robust performance of 2026, driven by significant gains in major blue-chip collections. Notably, CryptoPunks saw their value rise to 30.95 ETH ($72,000), marking a 16.2% weekly increase. Bored Apes also experienced resurgence, with prices climbing above 9.65 ETH following two high-profile sales: Gold Fur for 121.9 ETH and Trippy Fur for 49 ETH within the last day.
The positive trend extends across several collections, including Azuki (up 49%), BAKC (50.1%), Azuki Elementals (37.5%), Otherside Koda (32.2%), Meebits (29.3%), and MAYC (24.2%). However, Nouns saw a substantial 284.6% increase but on limited activity, suggesting caution in interpreting this figure. The sole decline was observed with Hypurr, which dropped by 6.1%.
Despite CryptoPunks leading the pack, Bored Apes have spearheaded recent gains, buoyed by nearly 100% growth over the past month due to a new CEO and potential plans for an IRL clubhouse. This resurgence has injected renewed energy into the NFT space.
Analysts attribute this upswing to the conclusion of OpenSea’s farming program. Historically, such incentive programs across platforms like Blur, Magic Eden, and OpenSea have dampened genuine demand for NFT collections by encouraging trade. With these incentives now ended, true market dynamics based on supply and demand are expected to take over.
In DeFi news, Aave’s potential crisis following the $292 million Kelp DAO exploit was averted thanks to DeFi United reaching its recovery fund target, as confirmed by founder Stani Kulechov. About $160-161 million has been secured from major contributors such as Mantle and Aave DAO (55,000 ETH), with additional support from EtherFi, Lido, Golem Foundation, and pending commitments from LayerZero, Ethena, Frax Finance, and Ink Foundation. The Arbitrum Security Council’s frozen $71.5M in attacker funds offers further assurance.
The DOJ concluded its probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, clearing the path for Kevin Warsh’s Senate confirmation. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the closure of her investigation, directing matters to the Fed’s inspector general. Senator Thom Tillis subsequently lifted his hold on Warsh’s nomination following assurances from the DOJ.
Western Union is set to launch its USDPT stablecoin on Solana in May 2026, as disclosed by CEO Devin McGranahan during the company’s Q1 earnings call. This initiative aims to enhance transaction speed and reduce costs compared to SWIFT, with potential benefits like capturing float and exchange spreads for Western Union.
In a notable event, Donald Trump hosted top $TRUMP meme coin holders at Mar-a-Lago, including Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino and venture capitalist Tim Draper. Despite the gathering, the token’s value dropped 14% on Saturday, contributing to a nearly 47% year-to-date decline. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the Trump family has profited over $1 billion from crypto sales, including meme coin transactions.
Corporate Treasuries & ETFs