Bitcoin steady near $67K; Stellar upgrade and Hedera labs drive blockchain innovation

What shipped

As of April 3, 2026, the cryptocurrency market shows some interesting developments, especially among a group of blockchain projects focused on improving payments, privacy, and network efficiency. Bitcoin, the most well-known cryptocurrency, is holding strong at around $66,885, with a modest 0.18% gain over the past 24 hours. Ethereum, the second-largest, is slightly down by about 1.3%, priced at $2,052.

Among the spotlighted projects, we see some mixed price movements:

• Ripple (XRP) is up slightly by 4.4%, trading at $1.32. Ripple is known for fast, low-cost cross-border payments.
• Stellar (XLM) dipped a bit, down 0.16% to $0.16. Stellar focuses on connecting financial institutions and enabling remittances.
• Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR) experienced a nearly 0.88% decline, now at $0.087. Hedera offers a fast and secure public ledger using a unique consensus method.
• Flare Network (FLR) had a notable drop of 1.64%, priced at $0.0075. Flare aims to bring smart contract functionality to blockchains that don’t support it natively.
• XDC Network (XDCE) showed strong growth, rising by 1.9% to $0.0306. XDC focuses on enterprise blockchain solutions, especially in trade finance.

In addition to price updates, several important project updates and industry news have arrived:

• Stellar released a detailed guide for its Protocol 26 upgrade, aiming to improve network performance and add new features.
• Hedera shared its Q1 2026 highlights, showcasing new partnerships and technical advancements.
• Hedera emphasized the importance of verified throughput, explaining why real-world network performance matters more than theoretical speed limits.
• Hedera also introduced the Hedera Agent Lab, a new program to encourage developers and enterprises to build on their platform.
• Schwab announced plans to launch spot trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum within the first half of 2026, signaling growing mainstream acceptance.
• Circle faced criticism following a $285 million hack related to stolen USDC stablecoins, highlighting ongoing security challenges.

Why it matters

These developments are important because they highlight how blockchain projects continue to evolve and address key barriers to mainstream adoption. Upgrades like Stellar’s Protocol 26 improve the network’s ability to process transactions faster and more reliably, which is crucial for real-world financial use cases.

Hedera’s focus on verified throughput and launching developer programs shows a commitment to building a robust ecosystem where businesses can confidently deploy decentralized applications. This kind of practical progress helps reduce the gap between blockchain theory and real-world use.

The news from Schwab about spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading is especially promising. Spot trading means buying and selling the actual cryptocurrencies directly, rather than derivatives or futures contracts. This can increase liquidity and attract more traditional investors, bringing more stability and growth to the market.

However, the Drift hack and Circle’s slow response remind us that security remains a top priority. Even well-established projects face risks, and the community continues to learn how to better protect users and funds.

Builders’ corner

For developers and blockchain enthusiasts, there are several exciting opportunities and lessons:

• Stellar Protocol 26 Upgrade: This upgrade includes improvements like enhanced transaction efficiency and new features that developers can leverage to build faster, cheaper apps. If you’re working on payment or remittance solutions, exploring these updates could help you improve your product.
• Hedera Agent Lab: Hedera is inviting builders to join its new program focused on innovation and adoption. This is a great chance to access resources, technical support, and collaboration opportunities if you want to build on Hedera’s fast and secure network.
• Privacy Challenges: Recent blog posts from Stellar discuss the “institutional privacy paradox” — the tension between the transparency of public blockchains and the privacy needs of large organizations. Builders can explore privacy-enhancing technologies or layer-2 solutions that balance openness with confidentiality.
• Cross-chain Smart Contracts: Flare Network’s mission to bring smart contracts to blockchains that don’t support them natively means developers can create more versatile applications that interact across multiple blockchains. This could open doors to new decentralized finance (DeFi) and Web3 projects.

Quick prices

What to watch

Looking ahead, here are some key factors and events to keep an eye on:

• Implementation and adoption of Stellar Protocol 26: Watch how quickly exchanges, wallets, and applications adopt this upgrade, as wider use can improve Stellar’s network effects and price stability.
• Hedera’s developer initiatives: The success of the Hedera Agent Lab and its impact on new decentralized applications will be a good indicator of the network’s growth and innovation.
• Security improvements across stablecoins and DeFi: Following the Drift hack, the community will be keen to see how Circle and others improve security and incident response to protect users.
• Schwab’s spot trading launch: This could be a major catalyst for increased institutional participation and mainstream crypto adoption, so its progress and reception will be important.
• Privacy solutions on public blockchains: As institutional players demand more privacy, watch for new technologies or protocols that address these needs without sacrificing transparency.

TL;DR: Bitcoin holds steady near $67,000 while Ethereum dips slightly. Ripple and XDC Network show promising gains, though Flare and Hedera face small pullbacks. Stellar’s Protocol 26 upgrade and Hedera’s new developer programs highlight ongoing innovation. Schwab’s upcoming spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading signals growing mainstream acceptance, but recent hacks remind us that security remains crucial. Builders and investors should watch for adoption of upgrades, developer activity, and progress on privacy and security as key indicators of blockchain’s evolving landscape.