Today's Crypto Pulse
Bitcoin slides below $70k as energy‑price worries spark $1.8B in liquidations
Bitcoin fell under $70,000 amid heightened energy‑price uncertainty linked to U.S.–Iran tensions. The dip triggered roughly $1.8 billion in crypto liquidations, while institutional investors pulled more than $4.2 billion from digital‑asset positions.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Strive acquires 2,500 Bitcoin for $185.2M
Jupiter Is No Longer a DEX Aggregator. It Is Solana’s Distribution Layer
Jupiter launched in 2021 as a simple Solana DEX aggregator, but it has since become the chain’s primary distribution layer. It now routes more than half of daily DEX volume and hosts the largest active user base across Solana’s trading venues. By adding spot swaps, perpetual futures, limit‑order tools, token launch services, lending and a mobile app, Jupiter has shifted from middleware to a platform that users go to directly. This transformation mirrors an iOS App Store for DeFi, reshaping how liquidity and products reach traders.
IG Europe Taps Bitpanda to Expand Crypto Trading Across Europe
IG Group is extending its spot cryptocurrency offering to European investors through a partnership with Austria’s Bitpanda, leveraging the exchange’s liquidity and market‑data infrastructure. The move follows IG’s 2025 launch of spot crypto in the UK and comes amid tighter...
Blockchain.com Files with SEC for U.S. IPO
Blockchain.com has confidentially submitted a draft S‑1 registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, signaling its intent to pursue a domestic IPO. The filing does not disclose the number of shares or price range, leaving valuation details pending....
Tokenized ETF Holders Jump 11,800% YoY to 44,400, Market Cap Hits $438M
The number of unique addresses holding tokenized exchange‑traded funds exploded 11,803% year over year to 44,400, driving the sector’s market value to roughly $438 million. Growth is anchored in 24/7 DeFi trading, low fees and recent SEC clarity, raising questions about...
U.S. Freezes $500 Million of Iran‑Linked Crypto in “Operation Economic Fury”
The U.S. Treasury, under Secretary Scott Bessent’s “Operation Economic Fury,” froze almost $500 million in cryptocurrency tied to Iran, aiming to choke a $7.7 billion digital‑asset pipeline used for sanctions evasion. The move leverages on‑chain forensics and cooperation from stablecoin issuer Tether,...
Stablecoins and Wallets Are Being Redesigned for Systems Where Humans Are No Longer the Primary Users
Circle is building an Agent Stack that turns USDC into a machine‑readable, micro‑payment layer for AI agents, while Coinbase is extending its crypto wallet to give autonomous software programmable spending limits. Both initiatives aim to enable AI‑driven commerce where transactions...
How Web3’s Open-Source Technology Will Create a More Equitable World
Web3’s open‑source technology is being positioned as a catalyst for global equity, extending participation beyond traditional tech centers. The article highlights how emerging markets like India and Indonesia are leveraging open‑source protocols to spur economic growth, with India’s Web3 sector...
Sui Launches Gas‑less Stablecoin Transfers, Backed by Fireblocks
Sui blockchain rolled out a protocol‑level feature that eliminates gas fees for peer‑to‑peer stablecoin transfers, supported by Fireblocks. The move aims to simplify payments for businesses, AI agents and consumers, removing the need to hold SUI for transaction costs.
Japan Cuts Crypto Tax to 20% and Grants Stablecoins Legal Status
Japan announced a flat 20% tax on cryptocurrency gains and a new legal framework that treats qualifying foreign stablecoins as electronic payment instruments. The reforms, effective June 1, aim to align crypto with equities and open the door for institutional products...
Hackers Exploit Butter Network Bridge to Mint Massive MAPO Supply
Hackers exploited a Solidity flaw in the Butter Network cross‑chain bridge, minting a quadrillion MAPO tokens and flooding the market. The attacker moved roughly one billion MAPO onto Uniswap, draining about 52 ETH (≈ $180,000) and driving the token price from $0.003...
Blockchain Projects Syndicate, ZERO and Everclear Wind Down on the Same Day
Syndicate Labs, the a16z‑backed on‑chain development startup that raised over $27 million, announced it is winding down after five years, blaming a fundamental shift away from EVM rollups. In the same day, cross‑chain clearing protocol Everclear and gasless layer‑2 ZERO Network...
BLOX: Blended Portfolio Reduces Crypto Risks
The Nicholas Crypto Income ETF (BLOX) aims to deliver high income, offering an estimated 36% annualized distribution paid weekly. It blends Bitcoin and Ethereum exposure with traditional equities and an active option‑writing program to generate cash flow. Recent performance shows...
BlackRock ETF Sells $61.5M BTC, Stoking Profit‑taking Fears
BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF has reportedly sold $61.5 million worth of BTC, sparking fresh concerns about institutional profit taking after Bitcoin’s rally near $80,000.
TON - Telegram’s Superapp Chain
Telegram announced it will become the primary validator for the TON blockchain, replacing the TON Foundation as the network’s driving force. The shift gives Telegram direct control over TON’s security while tapping its 1 billion‑user base and the 53 million activated wallets....
Why 2026 Could Be the Breakthrough Year for Corporate Crypto
Corporate crypto is poised for a breakout in 2026 as regulatory certainty arrives. The EU’s MiCA framework and U.S. proposals such as the GENIUS Act and RPAA establish licensing and reserve rules for stablecoins, giving CFOs a defined compliance landscape....
Bitcoin’s “$77K Fear Machine”: Why Crypto Sentiment Has Broken Even as Bitcoin Holds Historically High Ground:
Bitcoin hovered around $77,000, a level that remains historically high, but a massive $584 million long‑futures liquidation revealed a fragile bullish stance. The sell‑off, the largest single‑session long wipeout since February, exposed an 8‑to‑1 imbalance between long and short liquidations, turning...
Crypto ETFs Record $2B April Inflows, BlackRock Bitcoin Outflow $331M, Altcoins Gain
Bitcoin ETFs attracted a record $2 bn of net inflows in April 2026, yet early May saw a sharp $331 m outflow from BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). The outflow coincided with inflows into XRP and Solana ETFs, highlighting a split in...
Plume’s Kimber Subsidiary Wins Bermuda Licence, Launches First Regulated On‑Chain Vaults
Plume’s Bermuda subsidiary, Kimber Digital Assets Bermuda (KDAB), was granted a Class M Digital Asset Business Licence by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, making it the world’s first regulated on‑chain vault manager. The move positions Plume alongside Circle, Coinbase and Kraken and...
BIT Secures BVI SIBA and VASP Licences, Expanding Global Crypto Footprint
BIT, the Singapore‑based digital‑asset platform, received a SIBA Investment Business Licence and VASP registration from the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission, unlocking new product offerings for institutional investors. The approval follows three years of regulatory work and adds to...
CME Launches Bitcoin Volatility Futures, Introducing First VIX‑Style Crypto Product
CME Group announced that its Bitcoin Volatility futures (ticker BVI) will begin trading on June 1, giving institutions a regulated way to hedge or speculate on Bitcoin’s price swings without taking a direct price view. The contract settles to the CME...
Zerohash Secures First EU EMI Licence for Stablecoin Payments
zerohash Europe B.V. has been granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence by De Nederlandsche Bank, making it the first MiCAR‑licensed firm to hold both a crypto‑asset and a payment licence in the EU. The dual licensing clears a regulatory...
Blockchain Association Calls on FDIC to Trim Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act
The Blockchain Association submitted a joint comment letter to the FDIC on May 18, urging the agency to keep its GENIUS Act rulemaking narrowly focused on Congress’s intent. The group warned that expansive requirements on reserve segregation, ownership structures and...
Blockchain.com Co-CEO Says Institutions Are Buying the Crypto Dip While Retail Stays Cautious
Lane Kasselman, co‑CEO of Blockchain.com, told Beluga that institutional investors are actively buying Bitcoin and Ethereum as prices fall, while retail users remain on the sidelines. The split, underscored by the firm’s 40 million‑plus verified wallet users and a growing family‑office...
Minnesota Law Lets State Banks Offer Crypto Custody Starting Aug. 1, 2026
Governor Tim Walz signed HF 3709, authorizing Minnesota‑chartered banks and credit unions to offer crypto‑custody services beginning Aug. 1, 2026. The law mandates strict risk‑management policies and coincides with a statewide ban on crypto ATMs, signaling a mixed regulatory approach.
Anchorage Offers Quantum‑Resistant, Fully Insured Custody for BlackRock ETFs
Keys at Anchorage are created algorithmically, encrypted, and distributed across hardware security modules held in level four facilities globally. Nobody ever sees the full key and it never fully reconstitutes, which provides quantum resistant protection. Withdrawals require whitelisted destinations and...
Crypto Custody Firm Copper Is Looking to Sale the Company for $500 Million
Crypto custody firm Copper is seeking a $500 million sale, hiring Cantor Fitzgerald as advisor. Its flagship ClearLoop settlement system enables on‑platform delivery‑versus‑payment and supports over 1,000 active counterparties with roughly $50 billion of monthly notional trading. After shutting its enterprise custody...
Will AI Agents Dominate DeFi Trading? - Sergej Kunz | ATC #612
In this episode, OneInch co‑founder Sergej Kunz discusses the evolution of the DEX aggregator from its hackathon origins to its current role as infrastructure for institutional crypto trading, including cross‑chain atomic swaps and compliance‑focused services. He explains how OneInch’s suite...
The New Standard for Digital Wealth
Cense, a Swiss fintech spun out of Glassnode, is redefining crypto compliance by shifting banks from single‑wallet risk labels to full‑portfolio analysis. Its Detect‑Decode platform first flags crypto‑related fiat flows, then reconstructs the entire wealth story across wallets, exchanges and...
The Protocol: Ethereum Foundation's High-Profile Departures Spark Fresh Debate
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is facing a wave of high‑profile departures, reigniting community debate over its opaque governance and decentralized structure. Critics on X demand greater transparency as the nonprofit stewards a blockchain that underpins hundreds of billions in assets....
Why Trump's Bitcoin ETF Plans Likely Collapsed Before Getting Off the Ground
Trump Media & Technology Group withdrew its filings for a Truth Social Bitcoin ETF and a Bitcoin‑and‑Ethereum ETF in May 2026. Analysts attribute the pull‑back to a crowded spot Bitcoin ETF market, fee compression to as low as 14 basis points,...
Sui Quietly Builds Massive Crypto Infrastructure Despite Price Dip
SUI is one of the most under-discussed setups in crypto right now. While everyone was watching the price drop from $5.35 to ~$0.90, this is what was actually being built: → 5th spot crypto ETP listed (Feb 2026) → CME futures live;...
LayerZero's Incident Report Says Kelp Downgraded From 2-of-2 to 1-of-1 DVN Before $292M Exploit
LayerZero Labs released a forensic report detailing the April 18 KelpDAO bridge hack that siphoned roughly $292 million worth of rsETH. The report reveals that Kelp’s bridge was reconfigured from a 2‑of‑2 to a 1‑of‑1 Decentralized Verifier Network, leaving LayerZero as the...
Hal Finney Claims He Received Satoshi’s First Test Bitcoin
Or was Hal Finney Satoshi sending Bitcoin to himself?🤔 “I was likely the first person after Satoshi to run Bitcoin. I mined block seventy-something and received the first BTC transfer when Satoshi sent me 10 coins as a test....
Vitalik Buterin Outlines Ethereum's Privacy Measures. Here Is What It Means for the Network and ETH
Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin announced three near‑term upgrades—account abstraction with FOCIL, keyed nonces, and access‑layer tools like the Kohaku privacy toolkit—to embed privacy directly into the protocol. These changes aim to make transactions uncensorable, hide on‑chain activity, and protect wallet queries...
Court of Chancery Rejects Fiduciary Duty and Veil-Piercing Theories in Crypto Case
The Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed Hash Asset Management’s lawsuit against DMA Labs and related parties, finding it lacked subject‑matter jurisdiction because the fiduciary‑duty and veil‑piercing claims were insufficiently pled. The court emphasized that commercial relationships between sophisticated parties do...
Fireblocks Launches Agentic Payment Support, Joins X402 Foundation
Fireblocks announced the Agentic Payments Suite, a full‑stack solution that handles the entire lifecycle of AI‑agent payments, from wallet creation to merchant settlement. The suite adds compliance and settlement tools aimed at regulated institutions and targets a surge in stablecoin...
CoW Swap Expands to Solana With NEAR Intents Backend Support
CoW Swap announced its expansion onto the Solana blockchain, using NEAR Intents as the backend to power its intent‑based trading model. The protocol will now settle user‑submitted trade intents through batch auctions on Solana, complementing its existing Ethereum presence. NEAR...
Valor Management Puts $139 Million Into Bitgo, Its Largest Crypto Bet Yet
Valor Management LLC announced a $138.91 million acquisition of 12,538,608 Bitgo Holdings shares, instantly making the crypto‑custody provider its largest position at 57% of the fund’s assets. The move marks a dramatic shift from the manager’s traditional healthcare focus to a...
Margex Adds Gold‑Collateralized Futures and Options with $3 M Sui Incentive
Margex, the Seychelles‑based digital‑asset exchange, unveiled a new ecosystem on May 19, 2026 that lets traders use tokenized gold and privacy coins as collateral for futures and options. The upgrade is paired with a $3 million Sui liquidity campaign, aiming to...
Dustbit Casino Review 2026: No-KYC Crypto Gambling With Instant Withdrawals
Dustbit, operated by Oxilium Limited and licensed in the Comoros, positions itself as a no‑KYC crypto casino and sportsbook that promises 5–10 minute crypto withdrawals. The platform relies on wallet‑based onboarding, supports ten single‑chain coins plus Ethereum and multi‑network assets—including...
Crypto Swap No KYC: What to Look For Before You Trade
Regulatory pressure in the EU, U.S., and globally has pushed 92% of centralized crypto exchanges to adopt full KYC, leaving a shrinking niche for privacy‑first swaps. Non‑custodial, no‑KYC platforms avoid holding user funds and eliminate the identity bridge, but they...
DeFi Week: SpaceX Valuation, Oracle Deal, Bridge Failures
SpaceX trading at a $2.5T implied valuation on Hyperliquid. Polymarket signing Nasdaq as oracle. Grok drained by a Morse code tweet. Bridges bleeding again. @kaiynne, @tayvano_, and @LucaNetz break down DeFi's loudest week. Today at 4pm ET Join us on: X - https://t.co/AohKSQ3UXI YouTube -...
Kraken Ink Shows Exchanges Will Go On‑Chain First
Kraken Ink has been one of the most successful Aave deployments, structured as a white-label lending market with full ownership that provides onchain DeFi infrastructure for a centralized exchange. Eventually, all exchanges will transition their backends to onchain-first systems.
MAS Revokes Bsquared Crypto Permit over ‘Serious Breaches’
Singapore’s Monetary Authority (MAS) revoked Bsquared Technology’s major payment institution licence on May 14, citing “serious breaches” of regulatory rules. The regulator highlighted false or misleading statements, weak risk‑management, conflict‑of‑interest lapses, and non‑compliance with outsourcing guidelines. Bsquared, a crypto‑liquidity provider, must...
Funeral Aid Firm Faces $33M Loss on Crypto Bet
South Korean funeral mutual aid enterprise Bumo Sarang (Parent’s Love) sits on a $33 million unrealised loss on a 2x long Bitmine ETF It put in $43 million of its client's money into the trade https://t.co/oJYhzBUXmy
Earn XRP Yield Directly via D'CENT‑Flare Integration
JUST IN: Flare and D’CENT launch new integration that lets D’CENT hardware wallet users earn yield on $XRP directly without moving assets, alongside the debut of the 'XRP Alliance' https://t.co/xFYyF19Qbs
Altcoins Hold Firm Amid Bitcoin Outflows
Digital asset investment products recorded a $1.07 billion net outflow for the week ending May 18, marking the first negative week in seven and the third‑largest outflow of 2026. Bitcoin alone shed $982 million, pushing year‑to‑date crypto ETF withdrawals to $3.9 billion, while Ethereum...
Which Crypto Casinos Don’t Require KYC Verification for UK Players?
Offshore crypto casinos are allowing UK players to sign up without immediate KYC checks, especially for low‑value transactions. BetPanda emerges as a balanced choice, blending a clean interface, crypto‑friendly deposits, and both casino and sportsbook offerings. The article contrasts BetPanda...
One Year of Tax Savings & Bitcoin Stacking
A Blockware client invested roughly $101,000 in ten Antminer S21 XP units, paying $22,779 for a year of electricity at $0.07/kWh. The fleet never operated at a loss, producing each Bitcoin at about $49,100 in power—well below market prices—yielding 0.455 BTC...
Trump Order Puts Kraken, Ripple, Coinbase and Circle in Line for Fed Payment Rails
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on May 19 directing the Federal Reserve to review its policies on granting payment‑account access to non‑bank financial firms, including crypto and fintech companies. The order asks agencies to identify rules that may...