The sanctions could intensify US-China tensions, impact global supply chains, and influence crypto markets amid heightened geopolitical risks.

The post Marco Rubio sanctions Chinese entities over satellite imagery supplied to Iran appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The ceasefire's potential extension could stabilize geopolitical tensions, influencing crypto market dynamics and investor sentiment significantly.

The post Trump expresses hope for extended Russia-Ukraine ceasefire as crypto markets react appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Lumentum's Nasdaq-100 inclusion boosts its market visibility and investor demand, highlighting the growing importance of optical tech in AI.

The post Lumentum joins Nasdaq-100 Index after stock surges 339% since 2025 appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Strategy's shift to prioritize Bitcoin Per Share over total holdings may redefine corporate Bitcoin strategies, impacting investor expectations.

The post Strategy CEO Phong Le prioritizes math over ideology in Bitcoin sales appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The shift of corporate lending to shadow lenders due to regulation may increase systemic risk by reducing transparency and oversight.

The post Federal Reserve’s Bowman says regulation is pushing corporate lending out of banks and into shadow lenders appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

What does Bitcoin “Power Projection” mean to the U.S. Military? 

On April 21st and 22nd 2026, during a Senate Armed Services Committee, Admiral Samuel Paparo of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command made comments on Bitcoin’s utility in cybersecurity for the country’s military, calling it a “valuable computer science tool as power projection,” and disclosing that INCOPACOM is running a Bitcoin node in their experiments with the protocol.  

The comments by the INCOPACOM Commander came just days after the Islamic Republic of Iran demanded payment in Bitcoin for safe passage across the Strait of Hormuz. The mention of “power projection” echoed the work of a famous and controversial Bitcoiner, Jason Lowery, author of Softwar: A Novel Theory on Power Projection, MIT Fellow and Special Assistant to the Commander of INDOPACOM. 

In his work — which involved an MIT thesis and book expanding on his work — Lowery discussed the cybersecurity value of Bitcoin and its unique ability to deliver “power projection” in cyberspace, a landscape of national security and military operations that otherwise lacks traditional deterrence options. 

The book gained significant popularity and earned Lowery both fans and critics across the Bitcoin industry, but was later taken down from distribution by Lowery at the request of his superiors. An event that suggested to some that the book might have something important enough that the U.S. military wants to keep it quiet. 

But what is this unique value that Bitcoin brings to military matters, and what does “Power Projection” in this context actually mean? 

According to Department of Defense’s 2002 Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, power projection is; “The ability of a nation to apply all or some of its elements of national power – political, economic, informational, or military – to rapidly and effectively deploy and sustain forces in and from multiple dispersed locations to respond to crises, to contribute to deterrence, and to enhance regional stability.” In other words, the ability of a nation to influence the behavior of other nations or political entities of interest, at a range beyond its national borders. Examples can range from diplomatic to economic influence, as well as military capabilities such as long-range missiles, drones or a powerful navy. 

The word deterrence is also doing a lot of work here. The DoD defines it as: “The prevention from action by fear of the consequences. Deterrence is a state of mind brought about by the existence of a credible threat of unacceptable counteraction.”

Lowery brings Bitcoin into the world of deterrence in the physical world by presenting a particularly interesting insight. That just as microchips are essentially wires moving electric power in “encoded logic” inside a computer’s motherboard, so can the globe’s electric grid be seen as a kind of “macrochip”, with giant wires moving large amounts of electricity from power sources across nations and throughout the world. These macrochips now also have logic gates in the form of Bitcoin mines — Lowery argues — they consume large quantities of energy, converting it into the scarce digital asset, which can be programmed via Bitcoin script. 

The Bitcoin macrochip could, in theory, bind cybersecurity matters to the physical world, since energy output is one of the most important and expensive resources a nation can muster. While governments can print paper money at will, summoning massive amounts of electricity to influence something like Bitcoin’s proof of work competition is orders of magnitude more difficult and is the basis of Bitcoin’s resilience.

Bitcoin’s Multisignature Deterrence

The most obvious and powerful demonstration of Bitcoin’s “embedded logic” security is the invention of multisignature Bitcoin wallets, which safeguard much of the Bitcoin wealth today. 

Multisignature wallets require multiple predefined private keys to sign valid transactions before Bitcoin can be transferred, making it possible to geographically decentralize the storage of Bitcoin private keys across space and jurisdictions. 

Multisig challenges hackers not just to hack one key pair, but multiple, across multiple locations under time constraints, since users have the advantage of legitimate access to those keys and can potentially move the bitcoin quickly in response to a threat. Hackers must gain access to enough keys while also fooling alarms and safeguards, avoiding getting caught. Multisig imposes high costs on attackers and, as such, might very well fit the definition of ‘deterrence’. It may even fit the definition of ‘power projection’ as Bitcoin funds can be kept secure and available to be sent when needed anywhere in the world, thanks to Bitcoin’s other networking-based censorship resistance qualities. 

This differs from traditional finance and its centralized databases since Banks can freeze and confiscate assets from their rightful owners when pressured politically, as seen in cases like that of Cyprus and their 40% bail in, or the United States’ confiscation of Russia’s foreign treasury reserves held in European custody.

But INDOPACOM did not explicitly talk about Bitcoin, the asset, in their comments; they seemed to think Bitcoin’s proof of work protocol could secure data and networks external to the Bitcoin asset. But the Bitcoin script, the logic internal to the Bitcoin blockchain, only governs BTC, its internal asset. 

For external networks to benefit from Bitcoin’s powerful proof of work macrochip, they would have to be anchored to Bitcoin somehow, and that’s where much of Lowery’s thesis starts to stall out. He does, however, develop this idea further by proposing the “Electro-Cyber Dome”.

Cyber Security Threats and the Electro-Cyber Dome

In Software 2.5, Lowery argues that “software system security vulnerabilities are derived from insufficient constraints on control signals” sent to networked machines. An example of this might be fake login attempts that cost a website more computer resources to authenticate than they cost attackers to send. Lowery adds that such vulnerabilities “can be exploited in such a way that it puts software into insecure or hazardous states.” Examples of such network security exploits include, but are not limited to:

• Email spam and comment spam — superfluous emails and comments that flood inboxes or forums.
• Sybil attacks — creation of large numbers of fake identities to manipulate systems.
• Bots and troll farms — automated or coordinated accounts used to amplify malicious activity.
• Weaponized misinformation/disinformation campaigns — flooding networks with false or manipulated information.
• Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks — flooding networks with superfluous control signals (service requests) to overwhelm bandwidth.
• Forged or replayed control signals — impersonating legitimate commands, orders, or data that put software into insecure/hazardous states.
• Systemic exploitation of administrative permissions/insider abuse — exploitation of trust-based hierarchies where high-privilege accounts can be compromised or misused.

Lowery suggests that other networks could defend themselves against all of these threats to some significant degree using proof of work (POW) protocols like Bitcoin’s.

In the Bitcoin white paper, Satoshi Nakamoto defined Bitcoin’s POW quite elegantly: “The proof-of-work involves scanning for a value that when hashed, such as with SHA-256, the hash begins with a number of zero bits. The average work required is exponential in the number of zero bits required and can be verified by executing a single hash.”

Nakamoto specifically references Adam Back’s “Hash Cash, A Denial of Service Counter-Measure”, which was designed to make email spam costly by requiring computers sending an email to produce a POW stamp of a difficulty defined by the recipient of the email. Recipient servers would need to keep a list of stamps already used, in order to prevent reuse of the same work by attackers, aka to prevent “double-spending” attacks. These stamps, however, were not transferable, a quality which some cypherpunks wanted in their pursuit of digital money. Hal Finney was one such engineer who furthered the field by inventing RPOW, or reusable proof of work.

RPOW essentially tokenized POW stamps via a centralized server that kept track and facilitated transfers. One of Nakamoto’s key innovations was decentralizing this server and its list of spent stamps, in the form of the blockchain, while also defining a global difficulty algorithm that all Bitcoin miners must satisfy, rather than relative difficulty targets chosen by each website at will. 

Lowery, in his concept of the Electro-Cyber Dome, is essentially talking about Hash Cash. He specifically says that servers can choose the difficulty target they see fit, and never proposes that the Dome would or should use Bitcoin’s SHA-256 protocol, though it is implied in his idea of the macrochip. What he does do is use Bitcoin as the principal example of such a cybersecurity network actually working at scale; “We know for sure that electro-cyber domes can function successfully as a security protocol because this is what Bitcoin uses to secure itself and its own bits of information against systemic exploitation.”

Lowery goes further than defense, pointing out that as such systems gain adoption, a concept of aggression becomes possible by large miners, he writes; “it should be noted that this wouldn’t be a strictly “defensive” power projection capability…People with access to proof-of-power can theoretically “smash” through these electro-cyber dome defenses if desired. Thus, proof-of-power protocols are not strictly “defense only” protocols as some have argued. A top threat to people using physical cost function protocols like Bitcoin is other people using the same protocol (hence why Nakamoto mentions the word “attack” 25 times in an 8-page whitepaper, each time referring to people running the same protocol).”

Criticisms of Lowery’s Softwar Thesis 

Lowery’s Softwar thesis can be fairly described as controversial within the Bitcoin community. It’s optimistic take that large portions of military conflict could instead be settled via hash rate wars in some future has been described by Shinobi at Bicoin Magazine as “delusional”. 

Broadly speaking, critics reject the idea that data or networks external to Bitcoin can be secured in any way with Bitcoin’s technology stack, be it its POW, its blockchain or its native asset. Jameson Lopp did a multi-part review of Lowery’s thesis and book, praising many aspects of the thesis but ultimately dismissing its conclusions, saying that: “Softwar falls short on acting as a blueprint for how we should build the future.”

The most obvious question to me is whether using SHA-256 proof of work to gatekeep access to networks outside of Bitcoin makes sense in the first place, or if it could even be considered using Bitcoin. If the Electro-Cyber Dome is not demanding a high enough POW difficulty to mine any Bitcoin, if it does not use Bitcoin’s target difficulty, its asset or its blockchain, then is it using Bitcoin? 

Furthermore, given that China has the bulk of the ASIC manufacturing industry for Bitcoin mining, would INDOPACOM — the U.S. military branch in charge of keeping the Indo Pacific in check — really want to secure its cyber networks with algorithms that China mass produces chips to brute force? That seems like an awkward decision to make at best, and is more likely to lead them to consider alternative POW algorithms. But at that point, they certainly would not be using Bitcoin and would lose the macrochip argument. It would instead be using classic Hash Cash, and maybe that’s the lesson in this story. Lowery’s affinity with Bitcoin might be more of a marketing strategy and a shout-out to an industry that inspired him, rather than the actual tool that INDOPACOM might end up using.  

The Happy Middle Ground

In the gap between theory, implementation, and criticisms of Software style ideas, there exist some projects that serve as young but curious examples of how Bitcoin can secure more than money. 

SimpleProof, an Open Time Stamps-based Bitcoin notary of sorts, has been using the blockchain to record hashes of data, demonstrating that a certain version existed at a certain time. This very narrow use of Bitcoin as a time-stamping server helped defend one side of the Guatemala elections a few years ago from accusations of fraud by the opposition, resulting in real political consequences for the country. 

Michael Saylor, on the other hand, led the creation of what some have called the Orange Checkmark protocol on top of Bitcoin. This tech stack, which can be found on Github, is a privacy preserving Bitcoin native decentralized digital identity system. It gained some interest from the Bitcoin community when it was announced a couple of years ago, but it does not appear to have gained any adoption. 

Finally and ironically enough, Jameson Lopp, perhaps Lowery’s most verbose critic with three dedicated articles on the topic, actually implemented a proof-of-work-based spam protection mechanism on his website for a submission form, which, according to Lopp, works well. So if even he can see the use of these old ideas, even if just based on Hash Cash, then perhaps we will one day see Bitcoin-like technologies used to secure the networks and data of the world. 

This post What does Bitcoin “Power Projection” mean to the U.S. Military?  first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Juan Galt.

Bitcoin Magazine

ANTPOOL, Block Inc, F2Pool, Foundry, Spiderpool, MARA Foundation & DMND Join Stratum v2 Working Group

The Stratum v2 Working Group announces today that ANTPOOL, Block Inc, F2Pool, Foundry, Spiderpool, MARA Foundation, and DMND have joined the working group to advance the adoption of the Stratum v2 protocol. 

The working group was founded in 2022 by Braiins and Spiral to develop and maintain the Stratum v2 protocol as an open and vendor-neutral specification usable by the Bitcoin mining ecosystem. The protocol is an upgrade to the original Stratum mining protocol, bringing massive efficiency gains, privacy, security, and functionality that can be used to improve overall mining decentralization. 

The onboarding of the new members, all substantial players in the mining ecosystem, represents a big leap forward for the working group’s progress in ensuring proper functioning and compatibility across real-world mining operations at scale. It also shows a growing consensus in the mining ecosystem that Stratum v2 is the direction to take going into the future. 

“We’re proud to support the broader adoption of Stratum V2. Aligning around an open, interoperable standard enables the industry to collaborate more effectively and drive improvements in efficiency, security and decentralization,” said Andy Zhou, CEO of ANTPOOL. 

Stratum v2 supports mechanisms for more efficient management of large fleets of miners, is end-to-end encrypted, and allows individual miners to produce their own block templates with supporting pools (among other features). 

Kenway Wang, CTO of Spiderpool had this to say: “Decentralization is core to our mission. Stratum V2 supports this by enabling miner-constructed templates, while also improving efficiency, especially for miners in bandwidth-constrained environments.” 

About the Stratum V2 Working Group

The Stratum V2 Working Group is an open collaboration initiative dedicated to advancing the development, adoption, and interoperability of the Stratum V2 mining protocol. It maintains a public specification and provides a coordination layer between developers and industry stakeholders.

This post ANTPOOL, Block Inc, F2Pool, Foundry, Spiderpool, MARA Foundation & DMND Join Stratum v2 Working Group first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Shinobi.

Bitcoin Magazine

Why eBay Should Ignore GameStop and Use Bitcoin to Save $1.2 Billion in Transaction Costs

Ryan Cohen’s unsolicited $55.5 billion unsolicited bid to absorb eBay into GameStop has the corporate world doing a double-take. Cohen’s pitch sounds seductive on paper: he promises to slash $2 billion in bloated overhead and instantly rocket eBay’s diluted GAAP earnings per share from $4.26 to $7.79 in year one.

But behind the flashy presentation lies a massive hurdle: a highly speculative cash-and-stock structure that requires taking on $20 billion in new debt from TD Securities and drastically diluting GameStop’s own stock to buy a company four times its size. Analysts and investors are deeply skeptical, which is why eBay’s stock continues to trade well below Cohen’s $125 offer price.

eBay’s board doesn’t need a smaller, meme-backed retailer to step in and aggressively strip its budget to find efficiency. Instead, they can look at a real-world blueprint proving that true operational efficiency isn’t found by gutting marketing, it’s found by upgrading the payment layer.

By taking a page out of the broader digital asset ecosystem and looking at how legacy brand Steak ‘n Shake just revolutionized its business model, eBay can unlock a massive structural victory completely on its own terms.

The Proof of Concept: The Steak ‘n Shake Case Study

When the national burger chain Steak ‘n Shake activated Bitcoin Lightning Network payments across its locations, it wasn’t just a marketing gimmick. The real-world data completely flipped the script on corporate retail finance:

• 50% Fee Savings: Steak ‘n Shake’s leadership confirmed that processing payments over the decentralized Bitcoin Lightning protocol instantly cut their payment transaction costs right in half compared to legacy credit card networks.
• The Strategic Reserve: Instead of converting those savings back to fiat, they funneled the capital directly into a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to fund employee bonuses, creating an organic, self-reinforcing financial flywheel.

The Opportunity Cost: What This Math Means for eBay

The Payments Blindspot

eBay is an e-commerce titan, facilitating massive scale across its global marketplace. In its fiscal year 2025 financial results, eBay reported steady momentum, yet it remains anchored to traditional payment rails. Because eBay runs its own internal payment infrastructure (eBay Managed Payments), it is stuck swallowing massive transaction fees from legacy credit card cartels, passing those costs onto sellers via a hefty ~13.25% take-rate.

While eBay guards its exact net processing fees, traditional credit card networks (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) charge large digital merchants an average global interchange and processing toll hovering between 2.5% and 3.5%.

Assuming a standard 3% merchant legacy swipe fee across eBay’s massive $80 billion volume, replicating Steak ‘n Shake’s proven 50% reduction in processing costs reveals a staggering annual opportunity cost currently paid to the banking cartel:

• $80B (Annual GMV) x 3% (Est. Legacy Swipe Fee) = $2.4B in Friction
• $2.4B x 50% (Lightning Efficiency) = $1.2B Annually

The Treasury Blindspot

While eBay has been letting its $2.92B in cash reserves sit in low-yield traditional treasury notes (generating a baseline productivity of just 12.23%), the opportunity cost of ignoring Bitcoin over the last three years has turned into a multi-billion dollar boardroom mistake.

If eBay’s board had allocated 100% of those reserves to Bitcoin instead of flat fiat cash, that treasury would have grown by a massive 1,406%. That represents a $5.02B unrealized gain that eBay completely left on the table.

Try the Bitcoin Treasury simulator.

Legacy Credit Card Rails vs. The Bitcoin Lightning Network

Instead of letting a leveraged buyout dictate its future, a native crypto payment layer permanently restructures eBay’s economics in favor of its 135 million active users [1.1].

3 Reasons Why the Payment Play Beats Cohen’s Takeover

1. It Protects Shareholders from Volatile Corporate Debt

GameStop’s proposal relies on stitching together an unconfirmed $20 billion financing letter and highly unpredictable meme-stock equity to cover the massive acquisition. Integrating a decentralized payment protocol, by comparison, costs eBay virtually nothing to implement. It expands profit margins organically without adding a single dollar of toxic corporate leverage to the balance sheet.

2. It Empowers the Lifeblood of eBay: The Sellers

Ryan Cohen intends to extract value by aggressively cutting $1.2 billion from eBay’s sales and marketing budget. Tech-forward payment integration takes the opposite approach: it extracts value from the banks. Passing a massive fee reduction back to power-sellers gives them an overwhelming incentive to list their best inventory exclusively on eBay rather than moving to independent storefronts or Amazon.

3. It Dominates the Collectibles Market Automatically

A massive pillar of GameStop’s buyout logic is using its 1,600 brick-and-mortar storefronts as physical hubs to authenticate trading cards and luxury items. However, the high-end collectibles market is already deeply intertwined with digital asset wealth. Seamlessly allowing global buyers to purchase a luxury watch or a rare comic book natively via Bitcoin unlocks a vast ecosystem of highly liquid global capital that a physical retail storefront simply cannot replicate.

The Ultimate Counter-Punch

GameStop is targeting eBay because it views the platform as a massive cash-generating engine that has grown technologically stagnant. Rather than allowing a smaller company to leverage itself to the hilt for a takeover, eBay’s board can render GameStop’s cost-cutting thesis totally obsolete.

By using the retail industry’s blueprint to fix its payment layer, cutting out banking monopolies, and returning $1.2 billion in annual savings to the marketplace, eBay can drive its own historic earnings boost, proving it doesn’t need a savior to dominate the future of digital commerce.

Disclaimer: This content was prepared on behalf of Bitcoin For Corporations for informational purposes only. It reflects the author’s own analysis and opinion and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Nothing in this article constitutes an offer, invitation, or solicitation to purchase, sell, or subscribe for any security or financial product.

References

• [1.1] GameStop Investor Relations. (2026). GameStop Proposes to Acquire eBay at $125.00 Per Share. GameStop Investor Relations
• [1.2] ANI News. (2026). GameStop proposes to acquire ebay at USD 125 per share in cash and stock. ANI News
• [1.3] Bitcoin Magazine. (2026). Steak ‘n Shake Says Bitcoin Payments Cut Processing Costs by 50%, Save $6 Million Annually. Bitcoin Magazine
• [1.4] CoinoMedia via Binance Square. (2025). Steak ‘n Shake Saves Big with Bitcoin Payments. Binance Square
• [1.5] Reddit r/Bitcoin. (2026). Steak ‘n Shake Says Bitcoin Payments Cut Processing Costs by 50%, Save $6 Million Annually. Reddit
• [2.1] Kotaku. (2026). GameStop’s Absurd Bid To Buy eBay For $56 Billion Sounds Bad. Kotaku
• [2.2] Digital Transactions. (2026). How Steak ‘n Shake Slashed Costs With Crypto. Digital Transactions
• [2.3] MyBroadband. (2026). GameStop offers R930 billion for eBay. MyBroadband
• [2.4] Reddit r/Bitcoin. (2026). Starting March 1, Steak n Shake will give all hourly employees at its company-operated restaurants a Bitcoin bonus. Reddit
• [3.1] Bitcoin Magazine. (2026). Steak ‘n Shake Teases “Bitcoin Milkshake” For Bitcoin Conference 2026. Bitcoin Magazine
• [4.1] eBay Inc. Investor Relations. (2026). eBay Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results. eBay Investor Relations
• [4.2] Value Added Resource. (2026). eBay Q4 2025 Earnings: GMV Growth & Depop Acquisition Surprise. Value Added Resource

This post Why eBay Should Ignore GameStop and Use Bitcoin to Save $1.2 Billion in Transaction Costs first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Nick Ward.

Bitcoin Magazine

Boltz Launches Non-Custodial USDC Swaps, Bridging Bitcoin Directly to Circle’s Regulated Dollar

Boltz, a leading non-custodial swap provider for Bitcoin, today announced the launch of USDC Swaps, enabling instant conversion between Bitcoin and USDC, the regulated stablecoin issued by Circle. Swaps are supported across all major Bitcoin layers, including the Lightning Network, and are live now at boltz.exchange.

“USDC Swaps mark a turning point for the Bitcoin ecosystem. For the first time, anyone can move between Bitcoin and the dollar most trusted by the regulated financial world without opening an account, completing KYC, or trusting a custodian in the process,” said the team in a press release shared with Bitcoin Magazine. 

A Non-Custodial Bridge

Exchanging Bitcoin for USDC is not new. What is new is doing it without giving up custody. Today, users who want to move between Bitcoin and a regulated dollar are typically funneled through centralized exchanges and brokerages that require account creation, identity verification, and full custody of user funds. A subset of services offer the same conversion without an account upfront, but because those services still take custody of user funds during the swap, they retain the ability to pause settlement and request identity documents if a transaction is flagged for review, with funds potentially getting confiscated in the meantime. The trade-off, in either case, has been the same: trust, surveillance, and friction in exchange for access.

Boltz removes that trade-off. USDC Swaps execute trustlessly, with no account, no sign-up, and no KYC at any stage. Funds remain under user control until the moment USDC arrives in the user’s wallet. This is the core innovation, and it is what separates Boltz from every other path between Bitcoin and Circle’s regulated Stablecoin.

Bridging Two Financial Worlds

For more than a decade, Bitcoin and the stablecoin economy have evolved on parallel tracks. Bitcoin built the open, permissionless side of the internet’s financial layer. Circle and USDC built the compliant, audited dollar that institutions require for operations. The two rarely connected directly.

USDC Swaps close that gap. With a single transaction, value can move between Bitcoin and a fully reserved, monthly-attested dollar that is already integrated into the products of Stripe, Coinbase, Visa, Mastercard, BlackRock, Robinhood, Revolut, Nubank, and a long list of banks, fintechs, and payment processors worldwide.

“The momentum is unmistakable,” wrote the Boltz team. USDC is the stablecoin that Stripe and Paradigm placed at the center of Tempo, their new payments-focused blockchain. It is the dollar on which Coinbase built its institutional infrastructure. It is the dollar that regulated card networks, asset managers, and global fintechs reach for when they need a digital dollar they can defend to a regulator. Boltz USDC swaps mean plugging Bitcoin directly into the rails that the regulated world is already standardizing on.

“Bitcoin and the regulated financial system have always been adjacent worlds, separated by intermediaries that demand custody and identity,” said Kilian Rausch, CEO of Boltz. “USDC Swaps remove that separation. A merchant accepting Bitcoin, a freelancer paid in sats, a treasury team managing operating capital, all of them can now reach the regulated dollar economy on their own terms, in seconds.”

Powered by the Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol

USDC Swaps are built on Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP), the native infrastructure that allows USDC to move across blockchains without wrapping or third-party bridges. Every USDC delivered through a Boltz swap is genuine, Circle-issued USDC, the same USDC accepted by regulated payment partners around the world.

By building on CCTP, Boltz is able to serve users across every USDC-supported network, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, and others, from a single, focused liquidity provider.

Use Cases Across Consumer and Business

Boltz believes that USDC Swaps unlock a broad set of practical applications, including:

• Off-ramping Bitcoin into the banking system through regulated partners that already accept USDC, such as Stripe, Coinbase, and Bridge.
• Day-to-day operations for Bitcoin-native businesses, such as paying vendors, funding payroll, and settling recurring bills in regulated dollars without leaving non-custodial infrastructure.
• Merchant settlement for Bitcoin-accepting businesses that need to book revenue in compliant, accountant-friendly USDC.

All of the above are now unlocked without having to use crypto wallets outside of Bitcoin. Users send Bitcoin through Boltz and the recipient can receive USDC.

Bitcoin First, by Design

Boltz emphasized that the launch does not change the company’s Bitcoin-first orientation. All swaps remain non-custodial, all swaps settle atomically, and a “Bitcoin-Only Mode” continues to be available for users who prefer a stripped-down interface. USDC Swaps simply extend the reach of Bitcoin into a part of the financial system that, until now, has been difficult to access without trusted intermediaries.

USDC Swaps are available immediately to all users at boltz.exchange. Integration into various SDKs and the Boltz BTCPay Plugin is planned to follow in the coming weeks, according to the company.

This post Boltz Launches Non-Custodial USDC Swaps, Bridging Bitcoin Directly to Circle’s Regulated Dollar first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Juan Galt.

Bitcoin Magazine

Strategy Opens Door to Bold Bitcoin Sales Pivot Unlocking $2.2 Billion Tax Benefit

Strategy Inc. (formerly MicroStrategy, Nasdaq: MSTR), the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder and first Bitcoin Treasury Company, held its Q1 2026 earnings call on May 5. The results were dominated by massive non-cash GAAP losses from Bitcoin’s fair-value accounting amid a volatile quarter. Yet the real story, and the market’s focal point, was a clear strategic pivot: the company signaled it is now willing to sell portions of its Bitcoin holdings tactically. This marks a departure from the long-standing “never sell” narrative and positions BTC as an actively managed capital allocation asset rather than untouchable inventory.

The Numbers: GAAP Pain, Operational Resilience, Bitcoin Growth

Strategy reported an operating loss of $14.47 billion and a net loss of $12.54 billion ($38.25 per diluted common share), compared to smaller losses in Q1 2025. The primary driver was a $14.46 billion unrealized fair-value loss on its digital assets as Bitcoin prices declined during the quarter (roughly from ~$87,000 to ~$68,000 by late March). These are non-cash charges under current accounting rules.

The core software business showed modest growth, with total revenues of $124.3 million (up ~12% year-over-year) and gross profit of $83.4 million (67.1% margin). Cash and equivalents stood at $2.21 billion. More importantly for the Bitcoin Treasury thesis:

• Holdings: 818,334 BTC as of early May (3.9% of total supply), up 22% year-to-date in 2026.
• Acquisitions: 89,599 BTC purchased in Q1 alone (~$7.3 billion at ~$80,900 average) plus another 56,235 BTC in Q2-to-date.
• Key Metrics: 9.4% BTC Yield and ~63,410 BTC gain year-to-date (equating to ~$5 billion in dollar gains). Bitcoin per share rose 18% year-over-year to 213,371 sats.
• Capital Raised: ~$11.7 billion year-to-date (roughly half common equity, half preferred—primarily the flagship STRC “Stretch” digital credit product, which has scaled to $8.5 billion outstanding with strong liquidity and a 11.5% dividend yield). fool.com

The balance sheet remains fortress-like: modest net leverage (~9%), ample cash reserves, and a sophisticated digital credit engine via STRC that has attracted institutional and DeFi interest (including tokenized versions). Executives highlighted a proposed shareholder vote to shift STRC dividends from monthly to semi-monthly for better liquidity, with return-of-capital (ROC) tax treatment expected for the foreseeable future.

The Headline Shift: Tactical Bitcoin Sales as Financial Engineering

The call’s biggest takeaway, echoed in real-time X (Twitter) commentary, was the explicit openness to selling Bitcoin under the right conditions. Executive Chairman Michael Saylor stated the company “will probably sell some Bitcoin to fund a dividend just to inoculate the market, just to send the message that we did it.” President and CEO Phong Le added: “We will sell Bitcoin when it’s advantageous to the company… We’re not gonna sit back and just say, ‘We’ll never sell the Bitcoin.’ We wanna be net aggregators of Bitcoin, increasing our total Bitcoin, but more importantly, increasing our Bitcoin per share.” This isn’t a fire sale or abandonment of accumulation. Instead, as detailed in the earnings presentation slides and elaborated by executives, it’s optimized capital allocation:

• Tax Harvesting Opportunity: Strategy’s BTC stack has clear cost-basis tiers (from early low-basis holdings to recent higher-cost purchases). Slides illustrated that selling higher-cost-basis BTC (e.g., ~$80k–$100k+ tiers) at current levels could realize substantial capital losses—potentially turning ~$7.6 billion in unrealized losses into immediate tax benefits (estimated $2.2 billion in tax assets at a 29% rate). These losses can offset gains elsewhere, reduce CAMT (corporate alternative minimum tax) exposure, and create valuable tax shields. Because Bitcoin is treated as property by the IRS, wash-sale rules don’t apply, allowing strategic repurchases if desired. thestreet.com
• Redeployment for Accretion: Proceeds would fund high-BPS-accretive actions—buying back undervalued MSTR shares (especially below ~1.22x mNAV), retiring convertible debt, or supporting dividends—while maintaining or growing Bitcoin per share. A presentation slide modeled a $1 billion “sell BTC to buy MSTR” trade, showing strong positive delta to BTC yield and gains at sub-1.22x mNAV levels (e.g., +636 bps yield at 0.5x mNAV). This could crush shorts, reduce float/dilution risk, and boost mNAV. thestreet.com
• Dividend and Liability Management: Small, targeted sales could perpetually fund STRC preferred dividends (with STRC issuance potentially outpacing the BTC “breakeven” cost). This inoculates against FUD about forced sales or dilution while keeping the company a net BTC buyer overall.

In short, BTC transitions from a static “digital gold” reserve to a dynamic tool for optimizing taxes, liquidity, capital structure, and shareholder value, without increasing leverage. As one sharp X analysis put it: “BTC is no longer treated as untouchable inventory. It’s becoming an actively managed capital allocation asset optimized around Bitcoin per share, float control, taxes, and capital structure.”

Follow BFC on X.

Market Reaction

Disclaimer: This content was prepared on behalf of Bitcoin For Corporations for informational purposes only. It reflects the author’s own analysis and opinion and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Nothing in this article constitutes an offer, invitation, or solicitation to purchase, sell, or subscribe for any security or financial product.

This post Strategy Opens Door to Bold Bitcoin Sales Pivot Unlocking $2.2 Billion Tax Benefit first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Nick Ward.

In a May 8 speech, SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the agency could consider a limited “innovation pathway” for on-chain trading systems in the near future.

Meanwhile, the agency will reserve formal notice-and-comment rulemaking to determine how crypto platforms fit inside the exchange definition. Atkins tied that idea directly to the SEC's handling of electronic trading in the 1990s.

The SEC spent years issuing ad hoc no-action letters as electronic trading challenged the exchange framework, then built Regulation ATS in 1998. The rule was a middle path that allowed alternative trading systems to operate as broker-dealers under specific conditions as the market matured.

The original adopting release described the framework as designed to “encourage market innovation” while preserving investor protections. Atkins is pointing at that sequence of targeted guidance first, fit-for-purpose architecture second, as a template for on-chain finance.

The two-step reading makes the speech different from generic crypto-policy rhetoric.

Atkins appears to be preparing the SEC to allow certain on-chain trading systems to operate inside the regulatory perimeter under conditions, while a longer rulemaking process settles how exchange, broker-dealer, clearing, and transfer-agent definitions apply to software-based markets.

For crypto firms that spent years facing enforcement before rules existed, that sequence would represent a genuine departure from recent agency posture.

Why on-chain markets force a new architecture

Traditional SEC rules were built around separate actors performing separate regulated functions, such as exchanges matching orders, broker-dealers routing and executing them, clearing agencies settling them, and transfer agents recording ownership.

A single on-chain protocol can perform all of those functions automatically, often within seconds, without distinct intermediaries at each step.

Applying a rulebook designed for that separation to software that collapses it produces legal uncertainty that firms and regulators alike are trying to escape, and Atkins acknowledged that friction directly.

Clean compliance requires the SEC to do more than declare existing rules apply. Some functions that appear to be exchange activity in on-chain form also resemble broker-dealer or clearing activity, or both simultaneously.

A limited pathway is intended to address this problem by giving firms a route to operate inside the perimeter before the more difficult definitional rewrites are complete.

This pathway could take the form of exemptive relief, conditional no-action letters, a pilot program, a tailored registration framework, or a registration-lite model for certain on-chain venues.

The sequence is near-term conditional access, then formal rulemaking to future-proof the framework.

The SEC has already been operating with temporary tools in this space. On Apr. 13, the Division of Trading and Markets issued a staff statement offering conditional relief to certain self-custodial crypto interfaces, calling it an “interim step” while broader regulatory questions are considered.

Between Mar. 17 and May 4, the SEC's Crypto@SEC page recorded five market structure or tokenization actions, and Atkins' speech serves as the policy frame that connects those operational moves into a coherent sequence.

Commissioner Hester Peirce pointed to specific design levers in December 2025, asking whether the SEC should tailor Form ATS for crypto alternative trading systems, revise public-versus-non-public disclosure requirements, and rethink ATS reporting in light of public blockchains.

The February FAQ clarified that pairs trading of securities and non-security crypto assets is permissible, confirmed that current ATS forms can accommodate crypto disclosures, and established that broker-dealer ATS operators may perform certain clearing and settlement functions under applicable law.

The pathway Atkins is hinting at appears to build on those components.

Bridge or funnel

The optimistic reading is that the SEC is preparing a true Reg ATS-style bridge, with formal conditional pathways for on-chain venues, purpose-built disclosure frameworks, and explicit recognition that some on-chain clearing and settlement can sit inside broker-dealer activity.

In that version, firms that have operated offshore or in legal ambiguity would have a practical route to register, disclose, and operate domestically.

The Nasdaq tokenized-securities approval, the NYSE tokenized-securities filing, and the HQLAx no-action relief are all operational evidence that the SEC can structure conditional accommodations without waiting for Congress.

Conditional accommodation and deregulation are distinct outcomes. The original Regulation ATS brought new trading venues inside the SEC's perimeter and imposed conditions on their operation.

A crypto equivalent would impose requirements on disclosure, recordkeeping, custody standards, routing transparency, and conflict-of-interest controls, with a framework built around how on-chain protocols actually function.

The practical benefit to the industry would be a compliance route built on an on-chain architecture.

The pessimistic reading is that the pathway materializes primarily for intermediated or hybrid actors, leaving autonomous protocols and decentralized systems in the same legal uncertainty they face today.

The conditional relief it offers applies only to providers that hold no customer assets, take no orders, route no transactions, execute no trades, and solicit no specific user activity. That exclusion list covers most of what makes an automated market-maker or lending protocol function.

A pathway designed around those parameters would help firms closest to the traditional broker-dealer model while doing little for parts of on-chain finance that have no obvious broker-dealer analog.

Atkins also used the speech to urge Congress to send the CLARITY Act to President Donald Trump's desk, and the legislative backdrop helps explain why SEC action carries independent weight.

CLARITY Act faced a February stalemate over stablecoin rewards provisions, an April push from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and a May 1 deal on a key provision that may restore Senate momentum.

That stop-start trajectory means the SEC must act with its own tools while Congress negotiates, and Atkins said in January that statute alone leaves operational questions for the agency to answer.

His FTX reference closed the political argument, noting that regulatory voids displace risk offshore, leaving American investors exposed.

FTX operated outside the US, yet American customers still lost money. A domestic pathway brings activity inside the system before the next structural failure makes the gaps undeniable.

The speech is best taken as a marker that the SEC appears to be moving from a classification argument about crypto fitting the old rulebook to a design exercise about what conditions a bridge for on-chain venues would actually require.

The post The SEC looks at a 1990s fix for crypto markets to allow true “innovation pathway” appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Toncoin (TON) surged from roughly $1.32 on May 1 to an intraday high of $2.90 by May 7, pushing its market cap to approximately $7.8 billion.

The catalyst was Pavel Durov's announcement that Telegram would replace the TON Foundation as the network's primary driving force and become its largest validator within two to three weeks.

Alongside that, ton.org was updated to state that the domain is “controlled by MTONGA.” Traders took the combination as confirmation that TON had, in substance, become Telegram's chain. This means being directed by the same company whose 1 billion users would determine its value.

In January 2025, Telegram and TON formalized exclusivity agreements that went far beyond branding.

TON became the sole blockchain infrastructure for Telegram Mini Apps, TON Connect became the required wallet-connection standard for blockchain-enabled mini apps, and Toncoin became the only cryptocurrency accepted for Telegram Stars, Premium, Ads, Gateway, and certain developer and channel-owner payouts.

Those terms gave TON a structural claim on every financial transaction running through Telegram's platform. What the early-May post added was a governance layer on top of that commercial position.

The practical effect of the January deal became apparent only once Telegram began building the product stack to exploit it.

TON Pay launched in February 2026, institutional stablecoin access came through SCRYPT in April, embedded wallet infrastructure arrived via Dynamic and Fireblocks in late March, and sub-second finality went live on mainnet in April, cutting confirmation times from roughly ten seconds to approximately one second, with blocks arriving every 400 milliseconds.

Those releases assembled an in-app payments architecture fast enough to feel invisible inside a chat window.

Distribution, data, and more to cover

TON's payments thesis shows that consumer crypto adoption wins by embedding inside surfaces where users already spend time. This argument becomes a product roadmap when Telegram's 1 billion-plus active users are on that surface.

Durov's announcement provided traders with a specific trigger, but the trade was a bet that Telegram could convert its user base into a payment network, with TON as the settlement layer.

DefiLlama showed $152.9 million in decentralized exchange volume for the seven days ended May 7, up 1,054% week-over-week, and $12.4 million in perpetuals volume over the same period, up 3,200%. App fees reached $1.48 million for a single day.

Those numbers show the distance TON still has to cover, as Solana recorded $6.37 million in app fees on a comparable day and holds $15.4 billion in stablecoins, compared with TON's $752.5 million.

TRON, built on dollar-denominated stablecoin transfer volume, has $89.6 billion in assets. TON's payment-rail footprint lags far behind the chains it would need to displace for the Telegram thesis to pay out at scale.

The more honest peer comparison sits closer to Sui, which shows $567.2 million in stablecoins, $120,600 in app fees per day, and over $4 billion market cap.

The difference between TON's current on-chain scale and its Telegram-narrative valuation is what the market is pricing in Telegram's ability to close. If Mini App payments and TON Pay generate real adoption, that premium holds.

The centralization problem at the center of the bull case

The uncomfortable dimension of Durov's announcement is that the feature traders are buying runs structurally opposite to what most blockchain projects sell as their core value.

Durov framed Telegram's validator role as a net positive, arguing that a credible anchor would attract more participants and lock more TON into staking at roughly 20% APR.

The case for decentralization-through-concentration relies on Telegram executing on its commitments without extracting monopoly rents from the network it now leads.

The Financial Times reported earlier this year that Telegram's revenue was already tied to Toncoin-linked exclusivity agreements, and that a writedown in Toncoin's value contributed to a net loss.

That entanglement means Telegram's balance sheet and TON's price move together, which is the same corporate dependency that makes the bull case intuitive, and it is also what makes Telegram a self-interested steward. Telegram has direct economic reasons to deepen TON's value, making it a financially invested principal with skin in every price move.

Three near-term risks could end that acceptance before the bull case proves itself.

DefiLlama flags a May 24 unlock of approximately 36.58 million TON, worth roughly $93.65 million at current prices, or 1.36% of float. For a rally built on an announcement, that supply overhang arrives at a vulnerable moment.

Durov's legal exposure adds another layer of uncertainty, as he received a Russian criminal summons naming him as a suspect, and earlier reporting documented an ongoing French inquiry.

A founder whose personal freedom is contested cannot provide the stable governance anchor that Telegram's central validator role requires.

The 2-to-3-week timeline Durov cited for the validator transition also means the market bought an announced intention, one that only settles once on-chain stake data confirm the move, and sell-the-news dynamics could punish any delay.

The bear case rests on the market's conclusion that Telegram control warrants a centralization discount and prices TON based on current fundamentals.

At that point, TON's stablecoin base, app fees, and validator structure place it in mid-tier territory, priced for a future that has yet to materialize.

The post TON price doubles after Telegram made a move critics say cuts against crypto’s core promise appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The CLARITY Act is finally moving toward a long-awaited Senate Banking Committee markup next week, but its path is being complicated by a fight over whether Congress should impose new ethics restrictions on federal officials and elected leaders involved with the crypto industry.

On May 7, crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett reported that the draft text of the crypto market structure bill had circulated among industry participants ahead of a potential committee vote.

According to her, the language is still being revised, with Democratic priorities expected to shape additional changes before the panel acts.

This move marks the clearest sign in months that Senate negotiators are trying to revive the CLARITY Act, which would define when digital assets fall under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Related Reading

CLARITY Act markup could come next week after stablecoin deal breakthrough

The new Tillis-Alsobrooks language just dropped, and it could decide whether the bill finally escapes committee or stalls again.

May 4, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

Yet the bill’s return to the committee calendar has also exposed a new fault line, with Democrats considering whether to withhold support unless strong ethics language is included to curb President Donald Trump’s family crypto interests before the bill leaves Banking.

The dispute threatens to shift the debate away from the technical details of market structure and toward a broader political fight over presidential conflicts, investor protection, and whether Congress should advance a major crypto bill while Trump-linked ventures remain active in the market.

Democrats press for ethics language

According to Politico, Democratic negotiators are weighing whether to oppose the bill unless the Banking Committee version includes provisions governing how federal employees and elected officials engage with digital assets.

Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who has led Democratic ethics discussions, reportedly indicated that the issue should be addressed in the committee-approved text rather than left to a later floor amendment.

However, Republicans have argued that such language falls outside the Banking Committee’s jurisdiction and should be handled later in the legislative process.

That procedural divide is now central to the bill’s prospects. Republicans say they are open to adding ethics restrictions before final passage. Democrats are wary that delaying the issue could allow the bill to advance without firm conflict-of-interest guardrails.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of the crypto industry’s most prominent Democratic critics, has framed the issue in direct terms. On May 7, she said:

“The Trump family crypto project quietly cashed in while regular investors got stuck holding the bag. Any crypto legislation that doesn’t shut down this presidential corruption and protect investors isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”

The demand places Democrats who have been open to crypto legislation in a difficult position. Supporting the bill could help deliver the regulatory framework the industry has sought for years.

However, advancing it without their preferred ethical language could expose them to criticism that they helped legitimize a market that benefits Trump’s family while leaving conflicts unresolved.

Why are Democratic lawmakers focused on their ethics demands?

The ethics fight has gained force because of the scale and visibility of Trump-linked digital asset activity.

Over the past year, World Liberty Financial and other crypto ventures associated with Trump’s family have become a recurring flashpoint in the debate over crypto legislation.

A report released last year by congressional Democrats alleged that the president has used his office to advance his personal financial interests, citing crypto holdings worth as much as $11.6 billion and an estimated $800 million in income from digital asset sales in the first half of 2025 alone.

The report also raised national security and conflict-of-interest concerns regarding foreign entities and state-linked actors investing heavily in these ventures.

Furthermore, Democrats argue the administration has systematically rolled back federal oversight to benefit industry donors.

The report highlighted the dissolution of the Department of Justice’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) and alleged that the administration intervened to halt federal investigations into major firms, including Coinbase, Gemini, Robinhood, Ripple, Crypto.com, Uniswap, Yuga Labs, and Kraken.

While Republicans dismiss the report as politically motivated, the allegations form the basis of the Democrats' refusal to advance the CLARITY Act out of committee without explicit safeguards against executive conflicts of interest.

Banks' lobbying efforts against stablecoin rewards remain

Apart from the ethics language demand, the CLARITY Act also continues to draw sharp opposition from the traditional financial sector over stablecoin yields.

The banking fight had been one of the largest policy barriers to a Senate Banking Committee markup before lawmakers reached a compromise earlier this month.

The bill had stalled amid disputes over stablecoin rewards, decentralized finance provisions, software developer protections, and the balance of authority between the SEC and CFTC.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong withdrew support for an earlier draft, citing concerns that the language could undercut parts of the crypto industry it was meant to regulate.

However, the bill's momentum improved after Sens. Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks reached a compromise on stablecoin-yield language. The proposal would bar crypto firms from offering rewards that function like interest on bank deposits while preserving room for incentives tied to customer activity, platform usage, or spending.

That distinction helped bring the legislation back within reach of a committee vote. Crypto firms viewed the compromise as a way to avoid a blanket ban on customer rewards, while supporters argued it addressed banks’ central warning that stablecoins could become deposit-like products outside the traditional financial system.

The agreement, however, did not end the lobbying fight. It shifted the dispute to the details of what counts as prohibited yield and what remains a permissible customer reward.

As a result, a coalition of banking trade groups, led by the American Bankers Association (ABA), has argued that the draft still leaves open the possibility for exchanges and other intermediaries to offer rewards linked to account balances, customer tenure, or membership programs.

Banks say those incentives could encourage customers to hold idle funds in stablecoins rather than insured deposits, weakening the funding base lenders use to support mortgages, small-business credit, and community lending.

For traditional financial institutions, the concern is that crypto platforms could compete for deposit-like balances without being subject to the same banking rules.

However, Tillis has rejected the criticism, saying the compromise reflects months of negotiation and directly addresses the risk that stablecoin rewards could mimic bank interest.

Still, the banks' opposition adds another layer of pressure on negotiators, even if it is no longer the only source of risk.

What's next for the CLARITY Act?

Despite all of these oppositions to the bill, supporters of the CLARITY Act are trying to keep the bill on schedule by arguing that the political case for action is now stronger than the case for delay.

A HarrisX survey of 2,008 registered voters conducted May 1-4 found that 52% supported the CLARITY Act after receiving a neutral description, while 11% opposed it.

The poll also found that 70% of voters said the US should already have passed clear crypto legislation, and 60% preferred federal legislation over case-by-case enforcement.

These findings give pro-crypto lawmakers and industry advocates a counterweight to the pressure from banks and Democratic ethics demands.

Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital, said the polling showed support across party lines for congressional action. He said:

“Democrats, Republicans and independents, people across the spectrum want Congress to pass CLARITY and they want them to pass it now.”

Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a pro-crypto lawmaker, has also warned that further delay could push US crypto activity offshore.

That urgency is colliding with a narrow legislative calendar that could be impacted by the upcoming midterm elections. The administration and Republican allies have pushed to have the bill reach President Donald Trump’s desk by July 4, aligning the market-structure effort with the country’s 250th anniversary.

Sen. Bernie Moreno has framed the target date in sweeping terms, saying:

“On July 4th we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s revolution and it will also be the beginning of America’s financial revolution.”

But the path remains difficult even if the Senate Banking Committee advances the bill. The measure would still need to clear the full Senate, be reconciled with the House version, and win final approval before reaching the president.

At the same time, lawmakers must bear in mind that nearly half of voters (47%) said they would consider voting for a candidate outside their preferred party if that candidate supported the CLARITY Act, a figure that jumps to 72% among cryptocurrency owners.

Considering this, the coming markup will be a test of whether months of negotiation have produced a coalition strong enough to survive both banking industry resistance and Democratic demands for conflict-of-interest safeguards.

For crypto firms, the vote could determine whether Congress is still on track to deliver the federal market structure framework the industry has sought since the collapse of FTX.

For Democrats, it could determine whether that framework advances with ethics guardrails strong enough to defend in an election year.

The post Next week’s CLARITY Act markup could fall apart over Trump family crypto ethics fight appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Ethereum's share of the total value locked (TVL) in DeFi compressed from 63.5% at the start of 2025 to around 54% as of May 7, hovering near the lowest level recorded since May 2025.

DefiLlama puts Ethereum's current TVL at $45.4 billion, while the chains absorbing share have each staked out a distinct function, such as decentralized exchange (DEX) flow, stablecoin settlement, BTC collateral, consumer onboarding, and perpetuals trading.

Solana holds 6.66% of DeFi TVL, BNB Chain 6.60%, Bitcoin 6.35%, Tron 6.17%, Base 5.44%, and Hyperliquid 1.81%. That clustering defines that DeFi has moved from a single Ethereum-centered hub into a network of specialized rails.

Which chains captured market

BSC built its position on Binance-linked distribution. In the second quarter of 2025, CoinGecko reported that PancakeSwap volume surged 539.2% quarter-over-quarter to $392.6 billion, accounting for 45% of top-10 DEX volume, with Binance Alpha routing trades directly through PancakeSwap.

DefiLlama currently shows BSC with $5.55 billion in TVL and $739.6 million in 24-hour DEX volume. Binance has deepened that integration via Alpha Earn, which lets users provide liquidity to PancakeSwap V3 directly from Binance Wallet, and Alpha 2.0 embeds DEX trading inside the Binance Exchange interface.

Binance controls the front end, PancakeSwap executes the trade, and BSC collects the volume.
Tron operates on a different axis. DefiLlama shows $89.6 billion in stablecoins on Tron, with USDT accounting for 97.86% of that figure, while 24-hour DEX volume stands at only $55.5 million.

Tron's DeFi TVL of $5.19 billion understates its role as the chain with the largest stablecoin flows in crypto, running as a dollar-settlement rail with thin app diversity and enormous throughput.

Bitcoin's DeFi TVL reached $5.34 billion, with 6.35% dominance, up 13.4% over 30 days, despite a 24-hour DEX volume of just $338,516. The difference defines the BTCFi thesis is capital migrating onto Bitcoin to generate yield and collateralize.

Bitcoin's DeFi role is emerging as a productivity layer, one where capital earns through collateral and lending protocols.

Base is the most consequential part of the competitive map because it operates inside the Ethereum stack while eroding Ethereum L1's headline share. Coinbase built Base as an Ethereum layer-2 (L2) on the OP Stack, and the distribution advantage is that Base App operates in more than 140 countries.

DefiLlama shows $4.58 billion in Base TVL, $4.93 billion in stablecoins, and $854.97 million in 24-hour DEX volume.

Activity that migrates from Ethereum L1 through Base continues to settle within the Ethereum security model. Coinbase has packaged Ethereum blockspace behind its own consumer distribution layer and routes that activity through a Coinbase-operated execution environment.

Hyperliquid demonstrates that liquidity can now be organized entirely around execution quality. DefiLlama shows $1.52 billion in TVL on Hyperliquid L1, alongside $9.37 billion in 24-hour perpetuals volume, $42.4 billion over 7 days, and $8.94 billion in open interest.

Hyperliquid runs fully on-chain perpetual and spot order books on a purpose-built chain, and those volume figures confirm that perpetuals have grown large enough to form a self-contained DeFi liquidity center.

Open interest and daily turnover measure Hyperliquid's actual market weight, as TVL captures only a fraction of the chain's activity.

Solana operates at a scale that puts it in a separate category from the specialized rails. CoinGecko shows $15.26 billion in 24-hour chain trading volume on Solana, the largest of any chain, and DefiLlama puts its DeFi dominance at 6.66%.

Solana functions as a high-throughput general-purpose trading venue, distributing flow across DEXes, memecoins, liquid staking, and institutional tokenization efforts simultaneously. Its continued scale confirms that the DeFi market sustains both specialized rails and broad-based competitors.

What Ethereum still controls

Ethereum's absolute position is still strong. DefiLlama shows $45.4 billion in TVL, $165.5 billion in stablecoins, $1.45 billion in 24-hour DEX volume, and $1.61 billion in 24-hour perps volume.

Ethereum hosts the blue-chip lending protocols, the deepest stablecoin liquidity pools, and the institutional integrations that most DeFi infrastructure relies on as a backstop.

The 30-day TVL data adds important context: Ethereum grew 13.9% over that period, alongside Bitcoin at 13.4%, Base at 10.5%, Hyperliquid at 7.3%, Tron at 6.8%, and BSC at 2.9%.

The market is expanding across multiple chains simultaneously, and share redistribution reflects specialization across that expansion.

Any dominance analysis built purely on TVL needs a methodological caveat. DefiLlama counts chain TVL as the sum of protocol TVL and excludes liquid staking from chain totals by default.

Price appreciation can move TVL figures without net capital inflows, and DefiLlama tracks bridge TVL separately. A complete picture requires stablecoin supply, transaction counts, and trading volumes alongside TVL, each of which tells a different story about where DeFi activity is actually concentrated.

Two paths for Ethereum's share

If stablecoin- and lending-heavy activity expands faster than specialist venues, and if Base's growth is read in the market as Ethereum stack strength, Ethereum's TVL share could recover toward 55%-58% by end-2026.

Ethereum's $165.5 billion stablecoin base and its depth in blue-chip lending protocols provide the foundation for that path.

If Binance deepens Alpha integration, Coinbase keeps pushing Base through its consumer app layer, BTCFi collateral use expands further, and Hyperliquid maintains its grip on on-chain perpetuals, Ethereum's share compresses toward 46%-50%.

In that scenario, Ethereum functions as DeFi's primary settlement and custody layer while most user-facing activity flows through specialized venues with better distribution economics.

Ethereum's real challenge is holding the settlement layer while specialist chains capture the use cases with the fastest user growth.

The absolute TVL lead is large enough to absorb compression, and the stablecoin and institutional depth reinforce its position as DeFi's core balance sheet.

The post Ethereum loses 10% of its DeFi market share as rival chains close in appeared first on CryptoSlate.

At Consensus 2026, Cardano's Charles Hoskinson said that “users should probably never have their private keys,” adding that “something should have the private keys for the users.”

He argued that the secure chips already embedded in iPhones, Android phones, and Samsung devices outperform those in Ledger and Trezor devices, and that most crypto users already carry better signing hardware in their pockets without realizing it.

Private key management has been a bottleneck to retail adoption since Bitcoin's earliest days. Users have trouble with their 12- or 24-word seed phrase, usually forgetting it, photographing it, storing it in cloud notes, or losing it entirely.

Hardware wallets solved the extraction problem, since a Ledger or Trezor generates and stores keys that never leave the device in plaintext, while introducing a friction that mainstream users have consistently rejected.

FIDO reported on May 7 that there are now 5 billion active passkeys globally, with 75% of consumers having enabled at least one. Users already accept device-bound, biometric-unlocked credentials as a normal part of authentication.

Coinbase's smart wallet operationalizes this by letting users onboard without a recovery phrase, using Apple or Google passkeys, and by creating a non-exportable credential bound to secure hardware. Face ID or a PIN becomes the only interface the user needs.

Hoskinson is correct that mainstream phones contain serious security hardware. Apple's Secure Enclave is a dedicated subsystem isolated from the main processor, and the firm says it protects sensitive data even if an attacker compromises the application-processor kernel.

Android's Keystore system supports hardware-backed keys that can stay non-exportable and bind to a Trusted Execution Environment or secure element, with StrongBox implementations adding a dedicated CPU and further isolation requirements.

Samsung's Knox system provides hardware-backed key protection through TrustZone, with DualDAR adding additional encryption layers for managed work profile data.

Hoskinson described the Knox work profile as “a separate operating system, separate circuits in the hardware.”

Dedicated wallets hold an advantage

Phone-based secure hardware and dedicated signing devices operate on different threat models.
Ledger's secure element drives a secure screen on the device itself, so users can verify transaction details even when the connected phone or laptop is under attack.

Trezor's trusted display shows the transaction being signed, regardless of what the host machine displays. Trezor's newer Safe 3, Safe 5, and Safe 7 models also include secure elements, so the critique that hardware wallets lack secure silicon is now outdated.

The shortcoming Hoskinson identified is accessibility, since Ledger and Trezor require a separate device, a companion app, and a signing flow that interrupts the transaction.

For everyday transaction volumes and routine self-custody, phones are plausible primary signers. For larger balances or users who want the strongest available threat model, dedicated devices with isolated displays keep the signing screen physically separate from the compromised machine, ensuring that the host's malware cannot reach the display.

The integration of AI into payments adds a layer to the stack. AI agents need payment authority to be useful, but granting an agent access to a master private key is something most users would not knowingly accept.

The viable architecture is bounded delegation, consisting of an agent authorized to spend within preset limits, during a set period, without access to the credential that controls the broader wallet.

Base's Spend Permissions documentation already frames AI-agent purchases as a core use case for recurring, limited-scope authorizations. Coinbase's AgentCore Payments integration and AWS's stablecoin agent payment tooling implement the same model of agents transacting under budget controls with full audit logs, without direct private-key access.

Ethereum's EIP-4337 has enabled over 26 million smart wallets and 170 million UserOperations, and Pectra's EIP-7702 extends programmable wallet behavior to externally owned accounts, enabling batching, gas sponsorship, recovery logic, and custom controls.

The infrastructure for permission-based, agent-compatible wallets already exists at a meaningful scale.

Your keys, but you never see them

“Not your keys, not your coins” was always as much a philosophical position as a technical one, and it assumes that users should handle cryptographic secrets directly.

Yet, this position may not survive contact with mass-market distribution. The more durable version of self-custody looks like biometric-based authentication and generating a non-exportable key in secure hardware, without seeing the raw key material.

What the user controls are spending caps, session keys, delegated allowances, recovery logic, and human-readable approval flows.

Apple's secure intent mechanism lets hardware physically confirm user intent in a way even root or kernel software cannot spoof. Android Keystore supports per-operation authentication requirements.

Those capabilities relocate custody from “can you keep a secret” to “can you verify what you meant to authorize.”

The sharpest limitation in Hoskinson's framing is that a compromised application or operating system may be unable to extract a hardware-backed key while still being able to use it on the device.

Key non-extractability and transaction security are separate guarantees, and recent history shows how catastrophically that difference can play out.

CertiK's analysis of the Bybit incident found that attackers deceived signers into authorizing a malicious transaction. The attack succeeded even as the private key never left the hardware.

Chainalysis reported that impersonation scams grew over 1,400% in 2025, and AI-enabled scams produced 4.5 times the returns of traditional ones.

A phone-native self-custody model would hide private keys from users and simultaneously make transaction intent, approval UX, and spending limits the primary security surface.

Two trajectories

If wallets solve intent UX well enough to earn consumer trust via standardized spend caps, revocable delegation, and clear approval prompts, phone-primary self-custody could account for 70% to 85% of new retail users by 2028.

Seedless onboarding becomes the default, account abstraction moves from advanced feature to baseline expectation, and the seed phrase becomes a configuration option for users who want it.

If mobile signing incidents, phishing, compromised approval flows, or confusing recovery mechanics continue to produce high-profile losses, phone-based self-custody stalls at 20% to 35% of the retail market.

Users who lose funds due to a phone wallet manipulation attack describe it as a hack and return to exchanges.

The uncomfortable subtext in either trajectory is platform dependence. If self-custody moves into hardware embedded inside phones, then Apple, Google, Samsung, and major wallet SDK providers become quite powerful centers in crypto's security architecture.

The model stays non-custodial in a technical sense, but wallet security depends more on OS APIs, enclave access policies, and app distribution rules.

The post Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson says the future of crypto wallets will be inside iPhones and Androids appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Crypto Clarity Act heads to a key Senate vote

The Crypto Clarity Act is heading toward an important moment in Washington. The U.S. Senate Banking Committee has scheduled an executive session for May 14, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time to consider H.R.3633, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025. The session will take place in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, according to the committee’s official schedule.

Why the Crypto Clarity Act matters for the market

The main goal of the Crypto Clarity Act is to reduce the legal uncertainty that has surrounded the U.S. crypto sector for years. Crypto companies have often argued that unclear rules make it difficult to build, list tokens, offer services, or compete globally. Investors, meanwhile, have faced a market where regulation often comes through enforcement rather than clear legislation.

A clearer framework could support crypto adoption by giving exchanges, token issuers, investors, and institutions a more defined rulebook. This matters because regulatory clarity is often seen as one of the missing pieces for broader institutional participation in digital assets.

The bill is also important because it comes at a time when crypto regulation is no longer a niche issue. Stablecoins, tokenized assets, crypto exchanges, and digital payment systems are increasingly connected to the broader financial system. That makes the Crypto Clarity Act a major political and market event, not just a crypto industry update.

Stablecoin rewards are the biggest fight

One of the most controversial parts of the bill is stablecoin rewards. Banks oppose parts of the proposal because they fear that rewards paid on stablecoin holdings could compete with traditional savings accounts and pull deposits away from banks.

The latest compromise tries to separate passive stablecoin rewards from activity-based rewards. Under the deal brokered by Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Democratic Senator Angela Alsobrooks, rewards on idle stablecoin holdings would be prohibited because they may resemble bank deposit interest. However, rewards linked to other stablecoin activity, such as payments, would still be allowed.

This distinction is important. Banks want tighter limits because they believe stablecoin reward programs could weaken deposit flows into the regulated banking system. Crypto firms argue that a full ban on third-party stablecoin rewards would be anti-competitive and could limit innovation in digital payments.

Why Coinbase and crypto firms support the compromise

Crypto companies, including Coinbase, now support the updated language because it appears to protect some forms of user rewards while addressing concerns from banks. The compromise gives the bill a better chance of moving forward after months of disagreement between the crypto sector and traditional finance.

For Coinbase and other crypto platforms, the issue is bigger than stablecoins alone. If the Crypto Clarity Act advances, it could help create a more predictable operating environment in the U.S. That could benefit exchanges, blockchain projects, stablecoin issuers, and institutional investors waiting for clearer rules.

Still, this is not a final win for crypto. The bill can still change during the committee process, and the final Senate version may look different from the current proposal.

Democratic support remains uncertain

The biggest political question now is whether the Crypto Clarity Act can gain enough Democratic support. Reuters reported that several Democrats remain concerned that the bill may be too weak on anti-money laundering rules and does not do enough to prevent political officials from profiting from crypto ventures.

That issue could become one of the biggest obstacles before a full Senate vote. Even if the Senate Banking Committee advances the bill, it would still need broader support in the Senate. Reuters also noted that the bill would need support from at least seven Democrats to pass the full Senate.

This means the May 14 vote is only the first major step. The bill could still face amendments, delays, or political resistance before reaching a final vote.

What this could mean for crypto prices

The Crypto Clarity Act could become a positive catalyst for the crypto market if investors see progress toward a real U.S. regulatory framework. Regulatory clarity often supports market confidence, especially for Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and major U.S.-linked crypto companies.

However, traders should be careful. A committee vote does not mean the bill has become law. The market may react positively if the bill advances, but volatility could return if political disagreement grows or if the final language becomes less favorable for crypto firms.

The key market reaction will depend on three things: whether the bill passes the Senate Banking Committee, whether Democrats push for major changes, and whether the stablecoin rewards compromise survives the next stage.

Bitcoin Price Recovery Puts Altcoins Back in Focus

The crypto market started May 2026 with a clearer upward trajectory after Bitcoin recovered from its low zone near $65,000–$66,000 and moved back toward the $80,000 level. Bitcoin crashed below $65,000 in Feb 2026, while current market data now places $BTC near $80,000, confirming a stronger short-term recovery phase.

This rebound matters because Bitcoin usually leads the first stage of a crypto market recovery. When BTC stabilizes after a deep correction, traders often start looking for altcoins with stronger upside potential, higher beta, active ecosystems and attractive weekly momentum. The current total crypto market cap sits at around $2.75 trillion, with Bitcoin dominance above 58%, meaning altcoins still have room to catch up if capital rotates beyond BTC.

Top 10 Altcoins to Buy in May 2026: Quick Stats

Current prices and weekly percentage changes are based on CoinMarketCap data available on May 8, 2026.

1. Ethereum (ETH): The Core Altcoin for DeFi and Tokenization

Ethereum remains one of the most important altcoins to watch in May 2026 because it is still the leading smart contract network by total value locked. CoinGecko’s blockchain TVL data shows Ethereum with around $45.2 billion in TVL and more than 54% dominance across tracked chains, making it the strongest base layer for DeFi liquidity, tokenized assets and institutional blockchain activity.

ETH is currently trading around $2,317.99, with a modest 7-day gain of 0.3%. That may not look explosive compared to smaller altcoins, but Ethereum’s appeal is its depth. If Bitcoin remains stable near $80,000 and investors begin rotating into major altcoins, ETH is usually one of the first assets to benefit.

Ethereum’s potential in May 2026 comes from three major narratives: DeFi recovery, Layer 2 activity and real-world asset tokenization. For investors looking for a more established altcoin rather than a high-risk small-cap token, ETH remains one of the strongest names on the list.

2. Solana (SOL): One of the Strongest Momentum Altcoins

Solana is currently one of the most interesting altcoins to buy in May 2026 because it combines strong market momentum with real ecosystem activity. SOL is trading around $92.38, up 10.0% over the past week, making it one of the stronger performers among large-cap altcoins.

Solana’s strength comes from its position as a fast, low-cost Layer 1 blockchain. It continues to attract memecoins, DeFi protocols, NFT activity and major token launches. In previous market cycles, Solana benefited when retail activity returned to crypto, and the same setup could develop again if Bitcoin’s recovery encourages traders to take more risk.

The key reason SOL stands out is that it is not only a speculative asset. It has a large user base, strong developer activity and a recognizable ecosystem. If altcoin season begins in May 2026, Solana could be one of the first major Layer 1 coins to react.

3. XRP (XRP): A Payments-Focused Altcoin With Institutional Appeal

XRP is trading around $1.42, with a 7-day gain of 1.9%. While its weekly move is not as aggressive as Solana, Sui or Chainlink, XRP remains one of the largest altcoins by market cap and continues to attract attention because of its payments and settlement narrative.

XRP’s potential comes from its role in cross-border payments, liquidity solutions and institutional crypto discussions. In a market where regulatory clarity and real-world use cases matter more than pure hype, XRP continues to hold a strong position.

For May 2026, XRP may appeal to investors looking for an altcoin that is already highly liquid, widely recognized and connected to the broader institutional adoption story. If Bitcoin remains stable and large-cap altcoins begin to move, XRP could benefit from renewed market confidence.

4. BNB (BNB): Utility, Exchange Exposure and Ecosystem Demand

BNB is trading around $647.80, up 4.6% over the past week. It remains one of the largest non-stablecoin crypto assets and continues to benefit from its role inside the Binance and BNB Chain ecosystem.

BNB’s strength is its utility. It is used for fees, ecosystem activity, launchpad participation and blockchain transactions across BNB Chain. That gives it a different profile from many altcoins that depend mainly on speculation.

In May 2026, BNB could remain attractive because it combines liquidity, utility and strong market recognition. It may not be the most aggressive high-risk altcoin on the list, but it is one of the more established names to watch if the broader crypto market continues to recover.

5. Chainlink (LINK): The Oracle Altcoin for Real-World Assets

Chainlink is one of the strongest weekly performers on this list, trading around $10.37 after a 12.6% gain over the past seven days.

LINK’s potential is tied to one of the most important crypto narratives of 2026: real-world asset tokenization. As more financial products, funds, bonds and institutional assets move on-chain, blockchains need reliable data infrastructure. Chainlink’s oracle network plays an important role in connecting smart contracts with external data.

This makes LINK more than a simple market momentum trade. It is an infrastructure altcoin. If tokenization continues to grow, Chainlink could remain one of the most relevant crypto projects for institutions, DeFi protocols and blockchain developers.

6. Sui (SUI): A High-Growth Layer 1 With Strong Weekly Momentum

Sui is trading around $1.02, with a 10.8% gain over the past week. That makes it one of the stronger Layer 1 altcoins in May 2026.

Sui’s appeal comes from its focus on scalability, fast transactions and developer-friendly infrastructure. The project has been closely watched in the Layer 1 sector because it aims to support DeFi, gaming, NFTs and consumer-facing blockchain applications.

SUI is higher risk than Ethereum or BNB, but it may also offer stronger upside if capital rotates into newer Layer 1 ecosystems. For investors searching for altcoins with growth potential in May 2026, Sui deserves a place on the watchlist.

7. Avalanche (AVAX): A Recovery Candidate for DeFi and RWA Growth

Avalanche is trading around $9.89, up 7.8% over the past week.

AVAX has gone through several difficult market phases, but it remains one of the most recognized Layer 1 projects. Avalanche’s long-term potential comes from its subnet architecture, DeFi ecosystem and real-world asset use cases.

In May 2026, AVAX looks interesting because it is not only a momentum play. It is also a recovery candidate. If the market continues to shift from Bitcoin into large and mid-cap altcoins, Avalanche could benefit from renewed attention toward scalable blockchain infrastructure.

8. Cardano (ADA): A Long-Term Altcoin With Renewed Weekly Strength

Cardano is trading around $0.2722, with a 9.0% gain over the past seven days.

ADA remains one of the most debated altcoins in the market. Supporters see Cardano as a research-driven blockchain with a long-term development approach, while critics argue that its ecosystem growth has been slower than competitors like Solana, Ethereum Layer 2s and Sui.

Still, ADA’s weekly performance shows that traders are paying attention again. If Bitcoin continues to stabilize near $80,000 and altcoin sentiment improves, Cardano could attract capital from investors looking for established names that have not yet fully recovered.

9. Hyperliquid (HYPE): A DeFi Trading Altcoin With Strong Market Interest

Hyperliquid is trading around $43.32, up 5.7% over the past week.

HYPE is different from most Layer 1 coins because its core narrative is tied to on-chain trading and derivatives. This is important because crypto traders are increasingly looking for decentralized platforms that offer speed, liquidity and advanced trading tools.

The potential of HYPE depends on whether Hyperliquid can continue growing as a serious DeFi trading venue. If decentralized derivatives remain one of the strongest sectors in crypto, HYPE could stay on investors’ radar throughout May 2026.

10. Toncoin (TON): The Highest Weekly Performer on This List

Toncoin is the most aggressive momentum play in this top 10 list. TON is trading around $2.59 after a massive 94.6% weekly gain.

TON’s potential is tied to its ecosystem growth and its connection to Telegram-related crypto adoption. The project has attracted attention because it sits at the intersection of messaging, payments, mini apps and consumer crypto usage.

However, TON’s strong weekly rally also means investors should be careful. A 94% move in seven days can attract momentum traders, but it can also lead to sharp pullbacks. TON may be one of the most exciting altcoins to watch in May 2026, but it is also one of the riskiest after such a strong short-term move.

Which Altcoin Looks Best in May 2026?

The best altcoin depends on risk appetite. For lower-risk exposure among altcoins, Ethereum, BNB and XRP remain the most established choices. For stronger upside potential, Solana, Sui, Chainlink and Avalanche look more attractive because they combine ecosystem growth with stronger weekly momentum.

For aggressive traders, HYPE and TON offer higher-risk opportunities. HYPE is linked to the growth of on-chain derivatives, while TON has the strongest weekly performance on the list. However, both require more caution because fast-moving altcoins can reverse quickly.

Final Thoughts: Is May 2026 a Good Time to Buy Altcoins?

May 2026 could be an important month for altcoins because Bitcoin’s recovery from the $65,000–$66,000 low zone toward $80,000 has improved market sentiment. When BTC stabilizes after a correction, capital often starts looking for stronger opportunities across the altcoin market.

Still, not every altcoin will perform well. The best altcoins to buy in May 2026 are not just the ones with short-term hype. Stronger picks should have liquidity, real ecosystem activity, clear narratives, weekly momentum and long-term relevance.

Based on current market structure, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, BNB, Chainlink, Sui, Avalanche, Cardano, Hyperliquid and Toncoin are among the top altcoins to watch as the crypto market attempts to recover.

Coinbase Service Restored After Major Infrastructure Failure

The leading U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, has officially resumed trading operations following a massive service disruption that lasted over five hours. The outage, which began early on May 8, 2026, left millions of users unable to execute trades, access accounts, or manage portfolios during a period of heightened market activity.

According to official status reports, the interruption was not caused by a cyberattack but by a physical infrastructure failure at an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center in the US-EAST-1 region.

Why was Coinbase Down?

The exchange confirmed that the downtime was triggered by elevated temperatures at a primary AWS facility, specifically within availability zone use1-az4. This heat-related event caused a cascade of hardware impairments, forcing Coinbase to take its trading engines offline to protect the integrity of the order books.

To ensure market stability during the recovery phase, Coinbase implemented a staged restoration process:

• Offline: All trading halted.
• Cancel-Only Mode: Users could cancel existing orders but not place new ones.
• Auction Mode: Limit orders were collected to establish fair opening prices.
• Full Trading: Normal operations resumed across all pairs.

Is My Coinbase Account Safe?

In a statement released via their official status page, Coinbase emphasized that "all customer funds remain safe and secure." The issue was strictly limited to the interface and execution layers of the platform, with no compromise to the underlying cold storage or wallet security protocols.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the "centralization risk" within the crypto industry, as many major platforms rely on the same cloud providers. For users looking to mitigate such risks, diversifying across different crypto exchanges or moving long-term holdings to hardware wallets remains a recommended strategy.

Market Impact and Stock Performance

The outage comes on the heels of a difficult week for the company. Just yesterday, Coinbase (COIN) shares tumbled nearly 5% after reporting a $394 million net loss for Q1 2026. This technical glitch has added further pressure to the stock, which is currently down roughly 15% year-to-date.

The cryptocurrency market experienced a notable pullback on May 8, 2026, with Bitcoin (BTC) slipping below the psychologically significant $80,000 level. This move comes after a period of consolidation following April’s rally. The sudden downturn has wiped out millions in leveraged positions, bringing the total market capitalization down to approximately $2.66 trillion.

Why Is Crypto Crashing?

The primary reasons for the current crypto market decline include:

• Geopolitical Instability: Renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran regarding nuclear deal negotiations have sparked a "risk-off" sentiment across global markets.
• Profit Booking: After BTC tested resistance near $82,000, traders began securing gains, leading to a natural technical retracement.
• Mass Liquidations: Over $90 million in long positions were liquidated within 24 hours, accelerating the downward momentum as Bitcoin broke below its support levels.
• Corporate Moves: Major holders, including MicroStrategy (Strategy), have hinted at potential share offerings or portfolio rebalancing to manage debt, causing brief jitters among retail investors.

Current Crypto Prices: Market Overview

As of today, the market is showing significant red across major assets. You can track the live Bitcoin price here to see if the support at $75,000 holds.

Geopolitical Pressures and the "Safe Haven" Debate

The most immediate catalyst for the drop was the report that Iran rejected a proposed U.S. deal, leading to a spike in regional uncertainty. Traditionally, Bitcoin has been viewed as "Digital Gold," but in the short term, high-volatility assets are often the first to be sold during geopolitical flare-ups as investors flee to the U.S. Dollar.

According to reports from Reuters and Bloomberg, this macro-economic shift is also impacting traditional equities, though crypto has shown a higher sensitivity to these headlines this morning.

Crypto Price Analysis: Key Levels to Watch

Technically, Bitcoin faced a strong rejection at the $82,000 resistance. This level aligns with the 200-day exponential moving average (EMA), a critical line separating the long-term bullish trend from a potential bearish reversal.

• Immediate Support: The $75,000 – $77,000 zone is the next major area where buyers are expected to step in.
• The Bullish Scenario: If BTC can reclaim the $80,000–$81,700 range quickly, the move could be labeled a "fakeout," potentially leading to a fresh run toward $90,000.
• The Bearish Scenario: A sustained close below $75,000 could open the door for a deeper correction toward the $65,000 support level.

Zcash Price is up by more than 70%

Zcash ($ZEC) has emerged as the breakout star of the early May 2026 crypto market. While major assets like $Bitcoin faced resistance near $82,000, ZEC decoupled from the broader market to post gains exceeding 70% within seven days. This explosive move has pushed the privacy-centric token to levels not seen in years, reclaiming its position as a top-tier institutional asset.

Why is Zcash Price UP?

The primary driver behind the ZEC price surge is a high-profile endorsement and disclosure from Multicoin Capital. The hedge fund revealed a massive long position in Zcash, framing it as a vital hedge against global surveillance and wealth seizure. This institutional validation, combined with a severe short squeeze and a retail boost from a recent Robinhood listing, created a "perfect storm" for price appreciation.

The Multicoin Catalyst: Privacy as a Macro Hedge

On May 4, 2026, Tushar Jain, co-founder of Multicoin Capital, disclosed that the firm had been aggressively accumulating ZEC since February. In a widely circulated thesis, Jain argued that Zcash represents the "cleanest" bet on private, seizure-resistant money.

• Seizure Resistance: As governments globally discuss wealth taxes and digital asset tracking, Zcash's "Shielded Pools" provide a level of financial sovereignty that transparent blockchains cannot match.
• Institutional Alignment: Unlike other privacy coins that have faced exchange delistings, Zcash’s optional privacy features have allowed it to remain compliant on major platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood.

Secondary Drivers: Short Squeezes and Scarcity

The technical breakout was amplified by market mechanics. Over $55 million in ZEC short positions were liquidated within 24 hours as the price moved past the $500 mark. Additionally, on-chain data confirms that nearly 30% of the ZEC circulating supply is currently locked in shielded pools, significantly reducing the liquid supply available for sale on exchanges.

ZEC Price Analysis: Can the Rally Continue?

Looking at the current ZEC/USD chart, the momentum remains historically high but is entering a consolidation phase.

Key Technical Levels to Watch

Based on the current price action:

• Immediate Resistance: The recent local high of $603. A confirmed 4-hour close above this level could open the doors for a run toward $700.
• Critical Support: The $550.99 and $546.44 zones are vital. As long as ZEC holds above these levels, the bullish structure remains intact.
• The Pivot Point: A break below the $469 support would signal a trend reversal, likely leading to a deeper pullback toward the $427 range.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently hovering around 55.87, suggesting that the asset has cooled down from "overbought" territory, providing room for a secondary leg up if buying pressure resumes.

Is the "Privacy Narrative" Back for Good?

The rally in ZEC has sparked a sector-wide interest in privacy protocols. Monero ($XMR) and Dash have also seen positive price action, suggesting a rotation of capital into "cypherpunk" assets. For investors looking to secure their assets, comparing hardware wallets is becoming an essential step as the focus on self-custody and privacy intensifies.

Senators had hoped the issue, which has plagued crypto legislation for months, had been put to bed with a proposed compromise last week.

Publicly traded Bitcoin miner and data center operator TeraWulf reported a hefty net loss in Q1 as its AI revenue took over from BTC.

A preliminary Apple-Intel manufacturing agreement—backed by a White House push—sent Intel stock above $130 on Friday.

The Senate Democrat said Meta’s reported plans to partner with a third-party stablecoin issuer could undermine “competition, privacy… and financial stability.”

Users of Myriad's prediction market believe it's likely Strategy will part ways with some of its Bitcoin holdings this year.

Shiba Inu exchange inflows are not disappearing, despite the relatively calmer market composition.

XRP has entered one of its lowest-volatility phases in years, with price action now mirroring the 915-day sideways drift seen before the 2024 breakout, and the market may be only at the start of it.

XRP is seeing rapid demand from institutional investors amid the broad crypto market resurgence as the funds achieved their first weekly inflow in May.

UBS Group, the largest bank in Switzerland with $6.6 trillion in assets, has significantly accelerated its pivot into the digital asset ecosystem, solidifying a massive $1.12 billion position in MicroStrategy (MSTR).

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan has declared the traditional fiat monetary system "dead," a claim underscored by institutional data showing Bitcoin aggressively replacing gold as the world’s premier "debasement trade".

The biggest moves in crypto always start with a headline from outside the market, and the blockbuster crypto news on May 7 was exactly that. Elon Musk dissolved xAI into SpaceX, signed a compute deal with Anthropic worth 220,000 Nvidia GPUs, and set the stage for an IPO that could reach $2 trillion.

When the richest person on the planet bets this hard on AI, the capital that follows touches every connected sector, and blockchain is first in line. But the real question is not which large cap will gain 20% from this wave.

The question is which entry still has a listing event ahead, because that is where the money that changes lives gets made. One project already has $9.86 million in presale capital, a working exchange, and a Binance listing approaching.

Elon Musk Dissolves xAI Into SpaceX and Signs Compute Deal With Anthropic

SpaceX confirmed that Anthropic will use all compute at the Colossus 1 data center in Memphis, gaining 300 megawatts of capacity within a month. Musk announced xAI no longer exists separately and now operates as SpaceXAI.

The company targets a mid-2026 IPO valued up to $2 trillion according to Stocktwits, and this blockbuster crypto news shows AI spending is pushing capital into blockchain at the same pace.

Crypto Has Made More Millionaires Than Any Other Asset Class, and 2026 Is the Next Wave

No other asset class in the last decade has created wealth as fast as crypto. Bitcoin turned $100 into $75 million for early holders. Ethereum turned $1,000 into over $4 million. Shiba Inu turned $8,000 into $9 million in one year according to CNN.

Those are not predictions, those are facts. And every one of those returns came from entering before the crowd showed up. In 2026, the blockbuster crypto news around AI and trillion-dollar IPOs is bringing a fresh flood of capital into digital assets, and the entries that deliver the next millionaire-level returns are the ones priced before a listing event.

Stocks cannot do this. Real estate cannot do this. Only crypto presales at the right moment produce this kind of return.

Pepeto: The Presale Raising Faster Than Any Project in 2026 With AI Contract Scanning

The blockbuster crypto news around Elon Musk and AI is not only about compute power, it is about which projects use AI as a real tool. Pepeto runs a contract scanner powered by AI that checks every token for risks before a buyer puts money in, putting the exchange ahead of platforms where traders depend on outside audit sites.

The exchange handles cross chain swapping across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana with zero fees, so every dollar moved stays as value instead of bleeding into costs.

That zero fee model becomes a growth engine because each swap generates organic demand for the token as users grow. Meme culture draws new users in, and the tools keep them trading because the savings hit every order and the scanner lowers the risk of bad contracts.

SolidProof and Coinsult both audited every contract, a builder from the original Pepe project backs the team, and $9.86 million raised during a correction proves real capital.

Staking at 175% APY pays holders who enter now, and each presale stage sells faster because the price only moves up once a stage closes. The wallets filling this presale today are not guessing. They see the same math that made Shiba Inu buyers millionaires, and they are acting on it.

Conclusion

The blockbuster crypto news of 2026 is writing the next chapter of wealth creation, and Pepeto at $0.0000001869 with $9.86 million raised, dual audits, 175% APY staking, and an AI contract scanner sits at the center of it. Each presale stage fills faster than the last, and the price on Pepeto today will not be there when you come back tomorrow.

The crowd has not arrived yet, and by the time it does the Binance listing will have already repriced the token for everyone who waited. People who watched Shiba Inu turn pennies into fortunes and told themselves they would not miss the next one are looking at that moment right now.

Letting this presale close without entering is how those returns disappear from your hands. Getting in before listing day is how the next wave of crypto millionaires gets built.

Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale

FAQs

How does the Elon Musk SpaceX Anthropic deal connect to blockbuster crypto news for investors?

The SpaceX Anthropic deal sends a $2 trillion signal that AI infrastructure is reshaping capital markets, pushing fresh money into blockchain projects with real AI features. Pepeto runs an AI contract scanner with $9.86 million raised at $0.0000001869 before an expected Binance listing.

What is Pepeto and why are presale holders expecting 100x after listing?

Pepeto is a cross chain exchange with zero fee trading, an AI contract scanner, and 175% APY staking that has raised $9.86 million at $0.0000001869 before an expected Binance listing. The presale to listing repricing compresses months of price discovery into one move, the same math that created millionaires in past meme coin cycles.

The post Blockbuster Crypto News: Elon Musk SpaceX Anthropic Deal Fires Up AI Rally and Pepeto Could Be the Last Presale Entry Before Listing appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• MU shares jumped approximately 38% over the past week — marking the strongest weekly performance since late 2008.
• Shares finished Friday’s session at $746.81, climbing more than 15% during that trading day and reaching an intraday record of $712.82.
• The company’s valuation surpassed $840 billion, moving ahead of JPMorgan Chase in market capitalization.
• A worldwide shortage of memory chips has fueled higher pricing and improved profit margins.
• All of Micron’s manufacturing capacity for 2026 has been reserved by customers.

Micron Technology (MU) delivered a performance this week that market observers won’t soon forget.

Shares concluded Friday’s trading at $746.81, posting gains exceeding 15% for the session. Across the entire week, MU climbed nearly 38% — representing its strongest weekly showing since December 2008, when shares were changing hands below $5 during the depths of the Great Recession.

Micron Technology, Inc., MU

Yes, you read that correctly.

Year-to-date gains now stand at approximately 147%, while the past 30 days alone have delivered returns exceeding 84%. The company’s market capitalization has climbed above $840 billion, positioning it ahead of JPMorgan Chase. While Micron required more than four decades to accumulate its initial $200 billion in market value, it matched that achievement within just seven days.

Friday saw the stock reach an all-time intraday peak of $712.82, according to historical data extending back to 1984.

What’s Driving the Rally

The straightforward explanation: a worldwide scarcity of memory semiconductors.

Appetite for DRAM and NAND — the primary memory chip categories — has intensified dramatically as hyperscale cloud providers invest heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Combined capital expenditures from major cloud companies could eclipse $1 trillion before the close of next year, based on projections from Bank of America and Evercore.

Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix collectively manufacture over 90% of global DRAM production. This concentrated supply base, paired with accelerating demand, has granted memory producers significant control over pricing.

Every bit of Micron’s production capacity through 2026 has been contracted.

Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh observed that Micron “remains well positioned across the memory landscape with leading edge DRAM nodes helping drive cost-downs year-over-year.”

The rally extends beyond Micron alone. AMD climbed 26% during the week, reaching a fresh 52-week high. Intel surged 25% and has more than doubled in value over the past month. Sandisk advanced over 16% on Friday.

Retail Investors Are Paying Attention

Retail trading activity in Micron has intensified notably. Net purchasing reached its highest point in two years during mid-April, based on data from Vanda Research.

“Micron is commanding a much bigger share of retail flow and attention,” said Viraj Patel, strategist at Vanda.

Samsung achieved trillion-dollar valuation status this week. SK Hynix is reportedly receiving investment proposals from international technology companies seeking to finance additional memory production facilities.

During recent quarterly earnings presentations, corporations ranging from Meta Platforms to CoreWeave have cited escalating component expenses as a factor behind elevated spending levels — a direct result of the supply constraints.

Not all observers believe the upward trajectory will persist indefinitely. Carolyn Bell, lead portfolio manager at Stonehage Fleming, characterized it as a cyclical pattern connected to the present stage of data center expansion. Other Wall Street analysts contend that Micron is being reframed as a high-growth AI infrastructure investment rather than a conventional cyclical semiconductor manufacturer.

Micron currently holds the position of 12th largest U.S. company by market capitalization, trailing only Eli Lilly at $900 billion.

The post Micron (MU) Stock Skyrockets 38% in Historic Weekly Rally Fueled by Memory Chip Shortage appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• Large whale address transferred 244K ETH to Binance across three days, creating downward price pressure
• Spot Ethereum ETFs in the US registered $103.5 million in withdrawals, breaking a four-day positive flow trend
• Since February’s market low, institutional investors have preferred Bitcoin allocations over Ethereum holdings
• An address connected to Erik Voorhees accumulated 2,920 ETH valued at $6.67 million USDT during recent weakness
• ETH price is range-bound between $2,197 floor and $2,389 ceiling, eyeing $3,000 as major bullish milestone

Ethereum hovers around $2,290 on Friday, retreating from its weekly peak as major whale distributions and deteriorating ETF flows create headwinds.

A substantial whale address, reportedly connected to Bitcoin veteran Garrett Jin, moved 78K ETH into Binance on Friday. This followed an earlier 166K ETH deposit on Wednesday, totaling 244K ETH in potential liquidations within a three-day window.

The timing of these transfers correlates with ETH’s nearly 6% correction, sliding from $2,423 down to $2,277 during the identical timeframe.

Jin has demonstrated market timing ability previously, notably executing a leverage liquidation strategy on October 10 after establishing a $1.1 billion short stake. He also absorbed a $378 million loss from bullish positions in January.

On the fund flow front, US-based spot Ethereum ETFs reversed their four-day accumulation pattern on Thursday, recording $103.5 million in net withdrawals.

Analysis from CryptoQuant reveals Bitcoin-focused funds have accumulated 92,116 BTC since February’s market trough, whereas Ethereum funds have decreased holdings by 127,000 ETH during the corresponding timeframe.

“Throughout volatile conditions, numerous funds demonstrate greater readiness to trim ETH holdings initially, while preserving or expanding BTC positions as the ‘more secure’ digital asset allocation,” CryptoQuant noted.

Strategic Accumulation Persists Despite Distribution Pressure

Not every major holder is exiting positions. An address linked to Erik Voorhees purchased 2,920 ETH using 6.67 million USDT, at approximately $2,284 per token, data from Lookonchain shows.

This particular address had accumulated 123,184 ETH previously, representing $266 million in total value. While the connection to Voorhees remains unverified, market observers are monitoring this accumulation pattern.

Cryptocurrency analyst Ted highlighted on X that ETH breaking beneath $2,300 has amplified bearish momentum throughout the market, with declining investor confidence following the adverse ETF data.

Critical Price Levels Under Watch

From a technical perspective, Ethereum maintains position near its 20-day and 50-day exponential moving averages at approximately $2,307 and $2,265. The 50-day EMA offered cushion following a two-session downturn.

Trader Sky published chart analysis on X identifying three cup-and-handle formations developing beneath the $2,389 resistance barrier. The assessment suggests a potential rally toward $3,000 upon clearing that threshold.

Trader Cantonese Cat shared alternative technical analysis displaying ETH revisiting a downward trendline recently breached in late April, indicating a possible false breakout before any durable upward trajectory.

Critical support zones are positioned at $2,197 and $2,107. Overhead resistance barriers stand at $2,389, followed by $2,746.

ETH has yet to validate a decisive breakout above $2,389 as of Friday’s session, with pricing remaining contained below that threshold.

The post Ethereum (ETH) Slides Under $2,300 Amid Major Whale Dumping and ETF Withdrawals appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• The crypto space is witnessing AI agents emerge as a significant narrative for 2026, continuing the evolution from DeFi, NFTs, and meme coin cycles
• Close to 1,000 developers participated in building AI agent applications during the Consensus Miami EasyA Hackathon, with representation from tech giants like Microsoft and Google
• Amazon Web Services introduced Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments, developed alongside Coinbase and Stripe, enabling AI agents to conduct payments with USDC
• Payment settlements occur on Base and Solana networks, creating a direct bridge between artificial intelligence and blockchain payment infrastructure
• Market observers caution that numerous projects might adopt “AI agent” terminology superficially without demonstrating genuine products, user bases, or revenue streams

Autonomous AI agents represent software capable of performing searches, making reservations, processing payments, and handling various tasks with minimal human oversight. The integration of these agents with cryptocurrency payment frameworks is capturing significant interest from developers, venture capital, and leading technology corporations.

This momentum became evident during Consensus Miami, where the EasyA Hackathon drew approximately 1,000 developers focused on creating AI agent applications. The event featured contributors from blockchain platforms including Base and Solana, alongside professionals from major tech companies such as Microsoft and Google.

Developer engagement at such gatherings frequently indicates emerging market directions. When programmers transition from theoretical discussions to actual product deployment, investment communities typically respond with heightened attention.

This movement extends beyond cryptocurrency-focused developers. Traditional web developers, cloud computing platforms, blockchain networks, and artificial intelligence firms are collectively addressing a fundamental challenge: how autonomous software should manage digital financial transactions.

Amazon Web Services Collaborates With Coinbase and Stripe

Amazon Web Services advanced this conversation significantly this week by unveiling Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments, a preview functionality developed through collaboration with Coinbase and Stripe.

This solution empowers AI agents to purchase web content, access APIs, utilize MCP servers, and transact with other autonomous agents. Coinbase and Stripe supply the wallet architecture and payment infrastructure.

Based on AWS technical documentation, the platform targets microtransaction use cases, encompassing payments for premium APIs, MCP servers, and digital content. Many of these transactions involve amounts under one dollar.

Conventional payment networks often prove inefficient for small-value transactions due to processing fees and settlement delays. Stablecoins offer rapid movement, global settlement capability, and programmable integration, positioning them as viable solutions for AI agent commerce.

CoinMarketCap confirmed that AgentCore Payments operates using USDC, with transaction finality occurring on Base and Solana blockchains.

Investment Considerations

Many market analysts identify the infrastructure segment as offering early-stage opportunities. This encompasses stablecoins, digital wallets, Layer-1 and Layer-2 blockchain networks, payment protocols, and developer tools. Entities such as Coinbase, Stripe, USDC, Base, Solana, and Ethereum each play roles within this emerging ecosystem.

AI-focused cryptocurrency tokens may likewise generate investor attention. Initiatives centered on decentralized computing, autonomous agent frameworks, data distribution networks, and oracle infrastructure could experience increased demand as this narrative expands.

Investors should prioritize identifying genuine user adoption, operational products, active developer communities, and transparent token economics. Previous market cycles witnessed numerous projects appropriating trending terms like “metaverse” or “AI” without producing viable offerings.

Security protocols and regulatory compliance represent additional considerations. AI agents with spending capabilities will require transaction limits, identity verification mechanisms, and fraud prevention measures. Regulatory bodies may intensify scrutiny of autonomous systems conducting large-scale stablecoin transfers.

The AWS AgentCore Payments platform, supported by Coinbase and Stripe partnerships, utilizing USDC transactions on Base and Solana, represents the most tangible advancement in this sector to date.

Concluding Observations

The AI agent narrative remains in its formative phase. However, with Amazon Web Services, Coinbase, and Stripe already deploying functional products, alongside nearly 1,000 developers actively contributing to the ecosystem, this movement has progressed beyond conceptual discussions. Its longevity as a crypto market component versus fading like previous trends will ultimately depend on achieving genuine user adoption and sustainable demand.

The post AI Agents and Crypto Payments: The Emerging 2026 Narrative appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR:

• Ethereum’s DeFi TVL share dropped from 63.5% to 54% in 2026, yet it still leads with $45.4 billion locked.

• Hyperliquid recorded $9.37 billion in 24-hour perpetuals volume, confirming its role as DeFi’s top perps venue.

• Tron holds $89.6 billion in stablecoins with USDT at 97.86%, making it crypto’s largest dollar-settlement rail.

• Ethereum’s DeFi TVL share could recover to 55–58% or compress to 46–50% by end-2026, data projects.

Ethereum DeFi TVL declined from 63.5% at the start of 2025 to approximately 54% as of May 7, 2026. Even so, Ethereum retains the top position with $45.4 billion locked across protocols, per DeFiLlama.

Rival chains have narrowed the gap by targeting distinct roles in decentralized finance. BSC dominates DEX flow, Tron leads stablecoin settlement, and Hyperliquid controls perpetuals. Each of these competing chains currently holds under 7% of DeFi TVL individually.

How Rival Chains Are Claiming Specialized DeFi Roles

BSC built its position through Binance distribution and PancakeSwap integration. In Q2 2025, PancakeSwap volume surged 539.2% quarter-over-quarter to $392.6 billion.

Binance deepened this through Alpha Earn and Alpha 2.0, embedding DEX trading inside its exchange interface. DeFiLlama shows BSC at $5.55 billion in TVL and $739.6 million in 24-hour DEX volume.

Tron operates as a stablecoin settlement rail rather than a broad trading platform. DeFiLlama records $89.6 billion in stablecoins on the network, with USDT at 97.86% of that total.

Its 24-hour DEX volume of only $55.5 million confirms thin application diversity. At $5.19 billion in TVL, Tron stands as crypto’s leading stablecoin settlement network.

Bitcoin’s DeFi TVL reached $5.34 billion with 6.35% dominance, growing 13.4% over 30 days. Its 24-hour DEX volume of $338,516 confirms that capital flows to Bitcoin for yield, not active trading. The BTCFi model centers on collateral use and lending protocols rather than exchange activity.

Hyperliquid has grown into a purpose-built on-chain perpetuals venue. DeFiLlama shows $9.37 billion in 24-hour perpetuals volume and $8.94 billion in open interest.

Its TVL of $1.52 billion understates its true market weight. These metrics confirm that perpetuals now form a self-contained DeFi liquidity center.

Ethereum’s Remaining Strengths and the Path Forward

Ethereum’s absolute position remains strong across key DeFi metrics. DeFiLlama records $45.4 billion in TVL and $165.5 billion in stablecoins.

The chain hosts blue-chip lending protocols and the deepest stablecoin pools in the market. Institutional integrations continue to place Ethereum as the core balance sheet for DeFi.

Base adds nuance here, operating within the Ethereum technology stack. Coinbase built Base as an L2 on the OP Stack, available in over 140 countries.

Activity on Base still settles within Ethereum’s security model. DeFiLlama puts Base at $4.58 billion in TVL and $854.97 million in 24-hour DEX volume.

Two scenarios project Ethereum’s DeFi TVL share by end-2026. In the recovery path, share climbs to 55%–58% as stablecoin and lending growth outpaces specialist chains.

Ethereum’s $165.5 billion stablecoin base and lending depth support this outcome. Institutional tokenization further reinforces capital concentration on Ethereum.

In the compression scenario, Ethereum’s DeFi TVL share falls toward 46%–50% by end-2026. This occurs if Binance deepens integration, BTCFi grows further, and Hyperliquid maintains its perpetuals lead.

Ethereum would then serve as DeFi’s settlement layer while user activity shifts to specialized venues. Its stablecoin depth and institutional role keep it central regardless.

The post Ethereum DeFi TVL Falls to 54% as Specialized Chains Claim Market Share appeared first on Blockonomi.

Ethereum’s native coin finally managed to break its all-time high during the 2025 rally, but only mildly compared to other assets, such as BTC. Its subsequent behavior has been quite painful, as it now trades over 53% away from its peak at $4,950 from August 2025, even after the market-wide rebound seen in the past few weeks.

Moreover, on-chain data shows that whales have been disposing of their assets, which begs the question: what does ETH need to recover to $3,000 and beyond?

Whales Moving Off ETH?

Recall that ETH whales went on a massive accumulation spree in the middle of last year, which peaked shortly after the asset’s all-time high and before the massive market-wide crash in early October. More precisely, those holding between 1,000 and 10,000 tokens had increased their portfolios from 12.95 million to 15.95 million in just several months, according to data shared by Ali Martinez.

Since then, though, their behavior has changed completely aside from a few brief exceptions. Their total holdings have declined by 21.5%, Martinez continued, bringing them below the starting point of 12.95 million to 12.52 million ETH.

Given this significant whale exodus, Martinez questioned whether they will be able to sustain a more profound rally to $3,000 and beyond. In fact, he suggested that the asset might require “a fresh wave of institutional or retail demand” to offset the whales’ distribution.

Ethereum whales are doing something they haven’t done in a year.

Since October 6, 2025, Ethereum whales holding 1,000 to 10,000 $ETH have undergone a significant regime change in their market behavior.

Before this shift, this cohort was in a steady accumulation regime. Their… https://t.co/5WAJSKsnl9 pic.twitter.com/qezrxfq6Re

— Ali Charts (@alicharts) May 7, 2026

ETF Inflows Incoming?

After five consecutive months of outflows dominating inflows, the spot Ethereum ETFs finally broke this adverse streak in April, attracting over $355 million in fresh capital. Although May began on a high note as well, with roughly $170 million entering the funds in just several days, the year-to-date numbers remain deep in the red.

Moreover, the ETH ETF cumulative total net inflows are far from their peak marked in early October of approximately $15 billion. As last week’s closing bell, they stood at just over $12 billion.

Consequently, it’s safe to assume that ETF investors have not stepped up to offset the whales’ distribution so far. Perhaps that’s why ETH remained over 53% below its August 2025 ATH, and every breakout attempt has been halted at $2,400.

The post What Does ETH Need to Surge Past $3,000 Again as Whales Are Abandoning Ship? appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Bitcoin’s price slide below $80,000 didn’t last long, as the asset reclaimed that level yesterday following US President Trump’s announcement of a three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.

Many altcoins have produced a lot more impressive gains today, led by ONDO, SIREN, JUP, ICP, and VVV.

BTC Taps $80K Again

Bitcoin’s late April/early May rally began at the end of the previous month when it had dipped to $75,000 following the latest FOMC meeting in which the Fed maintained the interest rates unchanged. In the following week, the cryptocurrency added roughly $8,000 to chart a three-month peak at $82,800.

Following such an impressive run in relatively unstable market conditions, many analysts warned that BTC could be due for a correction as the environment didn’t appear solid enough. This retracement transpired on Thursday and especially on Friday, when the asset fell to $79,100, thus dropping by almost $4,000 from its local peak.

Nevertheless, it rebounded swiftly, perhaps due to positive developments in the Ukraine/Russia war, where US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire.

This means that its market capitalization has returned to just over $1.6 trillion on CG, while its dominance over the alts has been reduced to 58.1%.

Alts Rocket

Essentially, all alts have posted some gains today. Ethereum has reclaimed $2,300 after a minor increase, while XRP and BNB continue to fight for the fourth spot in terms of market cap. XRP has taken a slight lead after a 3% daily jump. SOL, ADA, LINK, and CC have jumped by 5-8%, while ZEC is up by 10% to $630. SUI, UNI, and NEAR are also well in the green.

Even more impressive gains come from ONDO (25%), JUP (24%), ICP (20%), SIREN (19%), FIL (16%), VVV (15%), and ARB (13%).

The cumulative market cap of all crypto assets has added more than $40 billion since yesterday’s low and is up to $2.780 trillion on CG.

The post Massive Double-Digit Gains From These Alts as BTC Returns to $80K: Weekend Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.

US President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform that the two warring parties in Europe, Russia and Ukraine, have agreed to a three-day ceasefire.

Bitcoin’s price reacted to the news positively, but in a more modest manner.

“This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country. This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” reads the Truth Social post.

Trump also expressed hopes that the ceasefire now will be the beginning of “the end of a very long, deadly, and hard-fought war.” He added that both parties have opened talks in an attempt to end the conflict, which he described as “the biggest since World War II.”

Bitcoin tends to react well to ceasefire news in the past month or so. The asset had dipped to $79,100 yesterday after it was rejected at $83,000 in the middle of the week, but jumped by over a grand to well above $80,000 as of now.

However, this $1,000 rally isn’t as impressive as its move after the ceasefire between the US and Iran. At the time, the cryptocurrency traded at around $68,000 before it shot up to $73,000 in minutes.

Weeks later, bitcoin registered another notable price pump after the ceasefire was extended, and most altcoins followed suit. Today, very few larger-cap alts have marked substantial gains, such as SOL (5.5%) and ZEC (10%).

The post Bitcoin Reclaimed $80K After Trump Announced Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire appeared first on CryptoPotato.

[PRESS RELEASE – London, United Kingdom, May 8th, 2026]

• GoBTC Pay is a protocol that lets consumers make native and instant payments on Bitcoin’s base layer.
• GoMining launches its own mining pool to prioritize GoBTC Pay transaction confirmation, targeting a 12-hour final on-chain settlement by the end of 2026.
• The launch marks a strategic expansion for GoMining, a platform with 5 million users. GoBTC Pay extends this ecosystem into everyday payments.

GoMining launches GoBTC Pay a Bitcoin payment protocol that delivers on what the 2008 whitepaper promised: peer-to-peer electronic payments. GoBTC Pay enables free and instant Bitcoin payments on the core Bitcoin layer. This makes it practical to use Bitcoin at the point of sale for everyday purchases. Payments are free for end-users and merchants pay a small acquiring fee that undercuts traditional card processing.

GoBTC Pay is designed as an open infrastructure. GoMining operates the reference implementation, but any wallet provider — from Ledger to Trust Wallet to MetaMask — can integrate the protocol to offer instant Bitcoin payments to their users.

Why this matters 

Bitcoin is the dominant cryptocurrency with a market cap above $1.5 trillion. Over 150 public companies hold BTC on their balance sheets. Spot Bitcoin ETFs, which didn’t exist two years ago, now manage roughly $100 billion in assets across a dozen funds. The U.S. government holds approximately 328,000 BTC. But Bitcoin still can’t process a retail transaction quickly and reliably.

The Lightning Network, introduced in 2018 to solve this problem, took seven years to reach $1 billion in monthly volume and its average transaction of $223 mostly reflects exchange-to-exchange flows, not someone paying for groceries. In the US, about 22% of adults own Bitcoin, yet there are only 2,300 U.S. businesses that accept Bitcoin directly, and the gap between how many people own Bitcoin and how many places accept it is widening.

“The first line of the Bitcoin whitepaper describes a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. Bitcoin was designed to be money, not just an asset. That promise is still unfulfilled, and we intend to deliver on it,” said Mark Zalan, CEO of GoMining. “We already serve millions of users, and run data centers on three continents. All of this provides us a unique position to enable native Bitcoin payments with GoBTC Pay.”

Mining-powered confirmation

GoBTC Pay enables free and instant payments in Bitcoin, using GoMining’s own mining infrastructure to confirm the transactions. It uses a 2-of-3 multi-signature architecture shared between the user, GoMining, and a regulated third-party custodian.

GoMining serves 5 million users globally. The company has created a dedicated mining pool for processing GoBTC Pay transactions, aiming for a 12-hour on-chain settlement by the end of 2026. Where most payment companies depend on third-party pools for confirmation, GoMining mines the blocks itself.

The pool also serves GoMining’s “digital miners” — users who own tokenized hashrate through GoMining’s app. A portion of GoBTC Pay transaction fees flows back to these miners as additional BTC yield: consumers pay with BTC, merchants earn BTC, miners earn a share of payment fees, and GoMining’s pool processes the transactions.

Any wallet provider, whether hardware, software, or custodial, can connect to the GoBTC Pay network and enable instant Bitcoin payments for their users.

Bitcoin payments for Merchants 

For merchants, GoBTC Pay is a Bitcoin-native acquiring network that undercuts every major card processor on cost. Its acquiring fee of 0.2% is substantially lower than traditional card processing, which range from 1.5% to 3.5% in the US. On a $100 sale, the merchant keeps $99.80.

GoMining distributes the entire fee back into the ecosystem: half goes to the miners who confirm transactions, and half goes to the wallet provider that initiated the payment. GoMining retains nothing on third-party transactions to incentivize wallet integrations and accelerate adoption.

Merchants can receive BTC directly to their own wallet, or use GoMining’s custodial merchant solution, which offers yield on their BTC balance — including during the settlement window — and an off-ramp to fiat. GoBTC Pay will ship with a dedicated PoS terminal, a web merchant dashboard, a developer SDK, and plugins for Shopify and WooCommerce in the coming months.

The launch coincides with GoMining’s major expansion in the United States. The company is building combined data centers for Bitcoin mining and AI workloads, with a target of securing 1 GW of compute capacity in 2026.

GoMining presented a live demo of GoBTC Pay at Consensus Miami 2026 (May 5–7, Miami Beach Convention Center).

About GoMining

GoMining is an all-in-one Bitcoin ecosystem that makes it simple and secure to mine, earn, and use Bitcoin every day. GoMining serves 5 million users and ranks among the top-10 Bitcoin miners by hashrate globally, with data centers in the U.S. and internationally. The company makes Bitcoin accessible through tokenized hashrate, daily BTC rewards, and an expanding suite of payment and earning products. For more information, please visit https://gomining.com/

The post GoMining Launches GoBTC Pay to Bring Native Instant Payments to Bitcoin appeared first on CryptoPotato.

In February, XRP tried to break out after the early-month calamity but was stopped at $1.65. A month later, the bears stepped up even before that when the asset challenged $1.60. During the following couple of months, the cross-border token’s attempts were exhausted long before those levels, at $1.50 in April and $1.47 in May.

On the positive side, all of these rejections were met by fresh buying power at around $1.30, which became XRP’s most important support since then. Now, another buying signal has flashed, and the question is whether this time will finally be any different for the token or if it will be more of the same.

XRP Buy Signal

Ali Martinez, who frequently touches upon the TD Sequential metric, noted that the indicator has flashed a buy signal on XRP’s 4-hour chart. The metric is used to determine the exhaustion of price moves in either direction for the underlying asset. Although it doesn’t have a 100% success rate, it’s generally very reliable when it comes to XRP in particular, as the analyst noted.

The latest example was on May 6, when it flashed a sell signal after XRP tapped $1.46 for the first time in several weeks. The subsequent rejection pushed the token south by over 5% in less than 48 hours.

Martinez said about today’s buy signal flash that it suggests the “local exhaustion is over, and XRP is ready to rebound.” He speculated that the first move would be toward the same resistance at $1.45 and posted a secondary, more bullish target at $1.80 “once we clear the overhead supply.”

Major Move Ahead?

This is not the first time Martinez has brought out the $1.80 target for XRP, as he did so last week when he noted that the asset has been sitting in a tight range for too long and could be primed for a major move ahead. Other analysts have doubled down on this narrative, such as MikybullCrypto. They posted on X that XRP’s triangle consolidation could be coming to an end soon, but the only question is “which side will it break out into?”

Fellow analyst CW believes there’s a bigger chance for an upside breakout as “there is absolutely no downside pressure in the futures market.” They categorized the current drop to under $1.40 as an “artificial decline” and predicted that once it ends, “bigger upward momentum will occur.”

Although the price of $XRP is falling, there is absolutely no downside pressure in the futures market.

This is an artificial decline. On the contrary, net buying of long positions has increased, and Open Interest (OI) is also rising.

Once this short-term trend ends, bigger… pic.twitter.com/QgwTrwwMdI

— CW (@CW8900) May 8, 2026

The post XRP Price Alert: Major Buy Signal Flashes as Analysts Expect Massive Move Ahead appeared first on CryptoPotato.