Meta's job cuts and AI investment highlight a tech shift towards AI, impacting workforce dynamics and emphasizing data privacy concerns.

The post Meta begins 8,000 job cuts globally, starting with Singapore layoffs appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Ark Invest's strategic move into Bullish shares highlights a growing institutional focus on regulated digital assets, signaling confidence in crypto's future.

The post Ark Invest buys $4.4M in Bullish shares as stock rebounds appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The coalition's instability amid Haredi draft bill debates could lead to significant political shifts and impact Netanyahu's government stability.

The post Haredi draft bill debates resume as Israeli coalition faces dissolution risk appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The dominance of dollar-pegged stablecoins reinforces U.S. financial influence globally, complicating efforts for currency diversification in DeFi.

The post Non-dollar stablecoins struggle to gain market share, holding just 0.2% of total supply appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

The withdrawal of crypto ETF plans by Truth Social may signal shifting strategies or regulatory challenges in the evolving digital asset market.

The post Trump’s Truth Social files to scrap Bitcoin, Ether and blue chip ETF plans appeared first on Crypto Briefing.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin Price Slides Below $77,000 as ETF Exodus Tops $1 Billion

Bitcoin price’s recovery narrative is under pressure. The world’s largest cryptocurrency has shed nearly $5,000 from its recent high of $82,000, dropping to around $76,900 as of this morning — a four-day losing streak driven by a powerful convergence of macro headwinds, accelerating institutional outflows, and on-chain metrics that reveal a recovery without the capital conviction of prior bull cycles.

Bitcoin price opened Monday at roughly $77,500 before slipping further throughout the session. The total crypto market cap has shed over $100 billion in valuation since last Friday, falling to approximately $2.65 trillion.

Liquidations have been severe. Total crypto liquidations reached near $657 million in a single 24-hour window on Monday, with $584 million — roughly 89% — coming from long positions, according to Glassnode data and Bitcoin Magazine Pro data. 

On top of this, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs logged $648.6 million in net outflows on Monday alone — their largest single-day net negative since January 29. BlackRock’s IBIT led the exodus with $448.3 million in outflows, followed by Ark & 21Shares’ ARKB at $109.6 million and Fidelity’s FBTC at $63.4 million. 

Combined with last week’s total net outflows of $1 billion — which snapped a six-week positive streak — cumulative outflows since May 16 now sit just under $1 billion.

Last Thursday, the bitcoin price was fighting near $82,000, since then it’s dropped over 5% to current levels.

Bitcoin price analysis 

Overall, Bitcoin price’s recent rebound has been met with caution from analysts who say the rally still lacks the kind of capital support seen in stronger phases of the last bull cycle.

As market sentiment transitions from acute fear toward persistent uncertainty, the validity of the current recovery hinges on objective measures of net capital inflows. The Realised Cap 30-Day Net Position Change, which quantifies the monthly fluctuation in on-chain capital, serves as the primary barometer for this structural support. 

In the wake of the recent ascent to $82,000, this metric reached a positive $2.8 billion per month, providing a basis for recent constructive momentum. 

“The current $2.8 billion reading remains significantly shy of this historical benchmark, representing a substantial shortfall in aggressive capital commitment. This data-driven discrepancy suggests the recovery lacks the institutional velocity required to withstand a “higher-for-longer” macroeconomic regime, leaving the market vulnerable to exogenous shocks and interest rate volatility.” Bitfinex analysts wrote to Bitcoin Magazine. 

From a macro perspective, tensions between Iran and the United States remain high, with Tehran warning it will respond decisively to any attack while Donald Trump says planned military action has been delayed amid ongoing negotiations encouraged by Gulf states. 

Meanwhile, the conflict is still fueling regional instability — from Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks in Lebanon to a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza — and raising global concerns about a potential food crisis if Iran disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

This post Bitcoin Price Slides Below $77,000 as ETF Exodus Tops $1 Billion first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Btrust Appoints New Board of Directors to Steer Next Phase of Bitcoin Development

Btrust, the non-profit organization dedicated to decentralizing Bitcoin open-source development, has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors, marking the completion of a landmark governance transition and the launch of the organization’s next strategic chapter.

Following a global, open call and a rigorous, multi-stage selection process, Janet Maingi, Bruno Garcia, and Laurence Aderemi have assumed full governance responsibilities, the organization told Bitcoin Magazine.

The selection was guided by Btrust’s Genesis Principles, which prioritize transparency, fairness, and mission alignment — values that have anchored the organization since its founding.

The transition fulfills the original mandate set in 2021, when Btrust was established with a 500 BTC endowment from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and rapper Jay-Z — a donation valued at approximately $24.5 million at the time of announcement. The gift was intended to fund Bitcoin development across Africa and India, with Dorsey and Jay-Z deliberately stepping back from governance to allow an independent board full decision-making authority.

The inaugural board — composed of Obi Nwosu, Ojoma Ochai, Carla Kirk-Cohen, and Abubakar Nur Khalil — was tasked with building the organization’s operational and financial foundation before enabling a structured handover to a successor board. 

Btrust’s long-term mission of bitcoin development

Over a multi-week transition period that concluded April 30, 2026, the incoming and outgoing boards collaborated closely to ensure continuity across governance, financial oversight, and operations. The handover included budget reviews, documentation consolidation, and the initiation of an independent audit designed to reinforce accountability.

“Today marks an important milestone for Btrust,” said CEO Abubakar Nur Khalil, who was formally named to the top executive role in late 2025 after serving in an interim capacity. “We are confident the new board will strengthen our impact and safeguard our long-term mission.”

The new board brings deep and complementary expertise spanning Bitcoin infrastructure, energy systems, and open-source software development. Their appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the organization, which has steadily expanded its footprint across the Global South. 

In 2023, Btrust acquired Qala, a Bitcoin and Lightning Network developer training firm, rebranding it as the Btrust Builders Programme to accelerate the pipeline of open-source contributors from Africa. More recently, Btrust has signaled expansion into Latin America as part of its broader global strategy.

With the governance transition now complete, Btrust moves forward with renewed institutional clarity. The organization’s core mission — ensuring the Bitcoin ecosystem remains open, inclusive, and resilient by diversifying who builds it — remains unchanged. The new board is expected to guide grantmaking strategy, strengthen oversight of the Builders Programme, and deepen Btrust’s presence in underrepresented developer communities worldwide.

This post Btrust Appoints New Board of Directors to Steer Next Phase of Bitcoin Development first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

TD Cowen Raises Strategy (MSTR) Price Target to $400 on Bitcoin Accumulation and Balance Sheet Shift

TD Cowen has raised its price target on Strategy (MSTR) to $400, pointing to strong bitcoin accumulation and a shift in financing strategy as key drivers of potential upside. With shares trading near $166, the new target implies a gain of more than 140%.

The brokerage maintained its buy rating, citing faster-than-expected bitcoin purchases and a change in capital structure that supports growth in bitcoin per share. Strategy, led by executive chairman Michael Saylor, now holds 843,738 BTC, valued near $64 billion. That position represents more than 4% of the total bitcoin supply cap.

Analysts noted that the company has exceeded prior forecasts for bitcoin purchases during the current quarter. Between May 11 and May 17, Strategy acquired 24,869 BTC for about $2.01 billion. TD Cowen now expects the firm to purchase close to 100,000 BTC in the second quarter of this year alone.

A central metric for the firm’s thesis is bitcoin per 1,000 fully diluted shares, which has risen to 2.21 from 1.95 at the end of 2025. This increase suggests that bitcoin accumulation has outpaced dilution from share issuance, a key concern among investors tracking Strategy’s aggressive capital strategy.

Strategy’s preferred equity 

The firm’s recent use of preferred equity has played a major role in that dynamic. In the second quarter, Strategy raised about $1.95 billion through preferred share issuance, with most proceeds directed toward bitcoin purchases. TD Cowen views this approach as less dilutive than common stock issuance and more favorable for existing shareholders.

At the same time, Strategy has taken steps to improve its credit profile. The company repurchased about $1.5 billion in convertible notes at a discount, a move that reduces future refinancing risk and limits potential share dilution. Analysts described the transaction as a positive signal for both equity holders and creditors.

TD Cowen’s valuation framework applies a multiple to projected bitcoin gains and incorporates expected holdings, debt, and preferred equity obligations. The firm projects bitcoin-related gains of more than $15 billion in 2026, supporting the higher price target.

Despite the bullish outlook, Strategy’s stock remains volatile and tied to bitcoin price movements. Shares have fallen about 60% over the past year and sit well below their 52-week high above $450. Recent declines in bitcoin have also weighed on the stock, reinforcing its role as a leveraged proxy for the digital asset.

This post TD Cowen Raises Strategy (MSTR) Price Target to $400 on Bitcoin Accumulation and Balance Sheet Shift first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Bitcoin-Backed Loans Could Hit $1 Trillion, Ledn Says — But Most Crypto Holders Still Haven’t Borrowed

A new report from Bitcoin lending platform Ledn is putting a big number on a market that barely exists yet: $1 trillion. The company released research showing that the consumer Bitcoin-backed loan market — currently worth around $3 billion — could grow 300 times larger within the next decade. 

To put that in context, Galaxy Research pegged the entire crypto lending market, across every type of platform and product, at a $73.6 billion all-time high in Q3 2025. Ledn is betting the consumer Bitcoin slice alone will dwarf that figure.

The research was conducted by Protocol Theory, a consumer insights firm, and surveyed 1,244 cryptocurrency holders across the United States and Australia in February 2026. The headline finding: 88% of crypto holders said they would consider borrowing against their digital assets, but only 14% currently do. 

That leaves a 74-percentage-point gap between people who are open to the idea and people who have actually done it. So what’s stopping them?

The top barriers were not about understanding the product. Non-borrowers pointed to three confidence-related concerns: worries about crypto price swings, the risk of getting liquidated if prices fall, and uncertainty about regulation. When asked what they look for in a lending platform, respondents ranked risk management practices, platform reputation, and clear terms ahead of interest rates or features. Trust, in other words, is the product.

“The demand side of the equation is solved,” said Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, co-founder of Ledn. “What’s still catching up is the trust infrastructure that gives borrowers the confidence to act.”

Ledn’s $200 million bitcoin-collateralized bond rated by S&P

That infrastructure is starting to take shape. In February 2026, Ledn closed what it calls the first-ever investment-grade Bitcoin-collateralized asset-backed security — a $200 million bond deal with its senior tranche rated BBB- by S&P Global. 

Galaxy Research described it as crypto credit moving “away from a niche product toward broader institutional acceptance.” Since issuance, those bonds have traded roughly 5% tighter on interest, a signal that institutional buyers are pricing the underlying credit well.

Among the 14% who already borrow against their crypto, the behavior mirrors how wealthy people use mortgages or securities-backed loans — accessing cash without selling a long-term asset. The research found 72% of crypto holders agree that Bitcoin-backed loans give them a way to access funds without selling their holdings.

Regional differences emerged too. Australian respondents were more likely than Americans to borrow as part of a financial plan and to shop around between lenders, reflecting a more fragmented market in Australia where no single platform has locked up the category.

Ledn’s co-founders first made the $1 trillion forecast publicly at the Bitcoin 2026 Conference in Las Vegas in April. The company has serviced more than $10 billion in loans since launching in 2018 and operates in more than 100 countries.

This post Bitcoin-Backed Loans Could Hit $1 Trillion, Ledn Says — But Most Crypto Holders Still Haven’t Borrowed first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Bitcoin Magazine

Canaan (CAN) Wins Contract to Supply Crypto Mining Heat to Nordic District Heating Network

Canaan Inc. (NASDAQ: CAN), the Bitcoin mining equipment manufacturer, has secured a contract to provide heat-recovery computing infrastructure to a district heating network in the Nordic region, the company announced today.

The deal centers on Canaan’s Avalon A1566HA hydro-cooled mining units, which capture thermal output from Bitcoin mining operations and redirect it as hot water into residential heating systems. The units generate water at approximately 80 degrees Celsius — a temperature range compatible with existing district heating infrastructure.

The project is structured in two phases. A first phase of 228 A1566HA units, totaling 2 MW of heating capacity, is operational and has been delivering hot water to local residents. 

In March 2026, the unnamed Nordic heating provider placed a follow-on order for an additional 692 units, expanding total capacity to 8 MW. At full deployment, the system is expected to serve approximately 2,800 homes.

Canaan’s architecture gives the system a technical edge over traditional boilers, according to the company. Because the heating nodes run many parallel A1566HA units that support dynamic overclocking and underclocking, operators can adjust output in real time to match shifting heating demand. The parallel design also reduces single-point failure risk and simplifies maintenance compared to centralized boiler systems.

The selection came through a competitive evaluation process in which the Customer assessed multiple solutions before choosing Canaan’s equipment for the second and larger phase of the project. The Nordic region is a global benchmark for district heating technology, and governments there have built policy frameworks that incentivize efficient heat distribution across urban networks.

Bitcoin and energy-integrated compute

CEO Nangeng Zhang said he took a direct role in the platform’s development, including the physical design of the unit’s form factor. 

“Heat reuse is no longer an ancillary byproduct of compute. It is central to building a more efficient, sustainable energy future, and a core part of how we think about system design at Canaan,” Zhang said.

For Canaan, the contract represents a strategic push beyond its core Bitcoin mining equipment business into what the company calls “energy-integrated compute infrastructure.” The hash-to-heat concept has circulated in the mining industry for years, but the challenge of generating high-grade heat at commercial scale has limited widespread adoption. Canaan positions the Nordic deployment as evidence that the barrier has been crossed.

Canaan’s stock was down nearly 15% today, trading near $0.40.

This post Canaan (CAN) Wins Contract to Supply Crypto Mining Heat to Nordic District Heating Network first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

The Bitcoin price dropping below $78,000 has shifted market attention to whether buyers can defend the $76,000 area or whether the pullback opens the way for a deeper move toward $70,000.

Crypto market maker Wintermute said the latest decline followed another rejection near $82,000, where Bitcoin has struggled to reclaim its 200-day moving average.

The move has turned what looked like a routine consolidation after a rally from $60,000 into a broader test of market depth, institutional demand, and short-term holder conviction.

That makes the $76,000 area the immediate Bitcoin support level to watch.

Inflation and yields weaken the case for risk assets

BTC's sudden shift in market behavior stems directly from a deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop that has forced a sweeping repricing across all risk-sensitive asset classes.

CryptoSlate previously reported that April’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) print came in hotter than anticipated, showing headline inflation at 3.8% year-over-year against a 3.7% consensus estimate.

This acceleration, coupled with the fact that vital global shipping straits remain closed, suggests that the energy shock has evolved from a transitory supply-chain bottleneck into a persistent core economic headwind.

The immediate fallout is visible in the real economy, where US real wages have turned negative for the first time in three years, undercutting consumer purchasing power.

At the same time, the US fixed-income markets reacted with extreme volatility to the inflation data, directly undercutting the investment thesis for non-yielding digital assets.

CryptoSlate previously reported that the 10-year US Treasury yield surged to 4.58%, its highest level since September 2025.

This move forced an aggressive recalibration of expectations for Federal Reserve policy. Federal funds futures have entirely erased the previously anticipated rate cuts for 2026, and the market now prices in a 44% probability of an interest rate hike by December, up from 22.5% just a week ago.

Wintermute stated that the conversation across trading desks has shifted from “when do they cut” to “do they hike” over the past five trading days.

Meanwhile, this rapidly shifting environment coincided with the narrow Senate confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve Chair.

Wintermute noted that Warsh brings a historically hawkish reputation to the central bank ahead of the crucial June 16-17 FOMC meeting, where a fresh dot plot and updated Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) will be released.

With yields spiking, the Empire State Manufacturing index surging to 19.6 against a 7.0 expectation, and prices paid accelerating, higher inflation and rising yields reduce the appeal of duration-sensitive assets.

Bitcoin loses the support that carried the rally

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s push toward $82,000 stalled at the level traders needed it to reclaim to confirm a stronger recovery.

Wintermute said the asset failed near $82,200, roughly where its 200-day moving average sits. Bitcoin has been rejected around that moving average five times this month, making it a clear technical ceiling for spot buyers.

Those repeated failures showed that the rally had not yet developed the depth needed to move beyond a momentum trade. Instead, the market remained heavily dependent on derivatives positioning and short-covering.

CryptoQuant data reinforced that view, showing that Bitcoin’s April advance was accompanied by a sharp buildup in leverage. The analytics platform said:

“Bitcoin’s rally toward $80,000 triggered the fastest growth in BTC perpetual futures open interest so far in 2026.”

That buildup helped lift prices as sentiment improved, but it also left the market exposed once conditions turned.

At the same time, Bitcoin ETF outflows weakened institutional demand as the products ended a six-week run of inflows. Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1 billion in net outflows last week, their worst weekly performance since January.

Glassnode said institutions used the earlier move above $80,000 to take profit, with the seven-day simple moving average of net ETF flows falling to -$88 million per day, the lowest reading since mid-February.

That left leveraged traders carrying more of the market’s upside momentum as the spot bid faded. Once macro pressure arrived, Bitcoin could not hold the level that would have signaled stronger underlying demand.

The reversal quickly moved through derivatives markets. Wintermute noted that BTC's weekend slide toward $76,800 triggered $657 million in liquidations across major exchanges, with long positions accounting for about $584 million of the forced selling.

Ultimately, this sequence showed why the rejection near $82,000 was important. Bitcoin did not simply fail at resistance; it lost the support of the same leverage-driven structure that had carried the rally higher.

Long-term holders keep the bearish case from taking over

Despite the negative headline price action and institutional outflows, underlying on-chain metrics offer a strong counter-argument to the immediate bearish thesis.

In a note shared with CryptoSlate, crypto exchange CEX.io noted that BTC supply from committed holders remains limited, keeping the network's structural framework intact while short-term holders and ETF investors currently set the price at the margin.

According to the firm, dedicated long-term Bitcoin holders added approximately 80,000 BTC to their wallets over the past seven days, extending a multi-month accumulation pattern.

This cohort has maintained its buying program even as a growing portion of its recent acquisitions falls into an unrealized loss position, signaling deep structural conviction rather than near-term speculation.

CEX.io noted that the lack of capitulation among the core network participants is reflected in the market's sell-side risk ratio, which has plummeted to its lowest level since October 2023.

This low sell-side risk ratio indicates that long-term holders feel very little urgency to realize profits or cut losses at current valuations, keeping exchange reserves stuck at multi-year lows.

However, historically, similarly low sell-side risk ratios have often preceded sharp price moves in either direction in the short term.

However, because the Bitcoin Days Destroyed (BCDD) metric points to an increase in inactivity among long-term holders while short-term holders currently dominate Bitcoin selling, this dynamic could temporarily support bearish momentum.

The thinned-out liquidity environment allows marginal short-term sellers to exert an outsized influence on spot prices before the broader long-term trend can resume.

What's next for Bitcoin?

Against this market backdrop, Bitcoin is now sitting near the level that may determine whether the pullback remains contained.

The top digital asset is currently trading below $78,000, an area tied to the short-term holder cost basis and the market’s true mean price. When Bitcoin trades below that zone, more recent buyers move into a loss, raising the risk that some of them sell into weakness.

CEX.io noted that the next level to watch is $76,250, which aligns with the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement of Bitcoin’s all-time high. If buyers defend that area and Bitcoin reclaims $78,000, the market could rebuild enough confidence to retest $80,000.

The exchange stated that a sustained move above that level would ease pressure on short-term holders and could reopen a path toward $85,750.

That leaves the Bitcoin price outlook dependent on whether buyers can reclaim $78,000 or lose the $76,000 support zone.

If $76,000 fails, the setup becomes more fragile. A break below $75,000, combined with continued ETF outflows and an uncertain macro environment, would increase the $70,000 Bitcoin risk case.

The post Bitcoin price risks slide toward $70,000 as $76,000 support weakens appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The Ethereum price pullback toward $2,100 has turned a short-term price correction into a broader test of the market’s conviction in one of crypto’s largest assets.

Data from CryptoSlate show that ETH has fallen nearly 10% over the past week, wiping out its May gains and bringing traders’ focus back to the $2,000 level.

This price performance came as selling pressure spread across spot markets, derivatives, and regulated investment products.

The weakness has left Ethereum price caught between two competing forces. In the near term, rising oil prices, exchange inflows, aggressive futures selling, and ETF redemptions have weighed on the token.

Over a longer horizon, supporters, including BitMine Chairman Tom Lee, say Ethereum’s role in tokenization and agentic artificial intelligence remains intact, creating a sharper divide between the current price action and the asset’s structural investment case.

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How oil pressure is weighing on the Ethereum price

Lee has placed the first part of Ethereum’s price decline outside crypto itself, arguing that oil has become the largest macro headwind for ETH.

The BitMine chairman said rising crude prices represent the biggest source of pressure on Ethereum, pointing to what he described as a record inverse correlation between ETH and oil.

For traders, the Ethereum oil correlation matters because crude is acting as a proxy for inflation, liquidity stress, and broader risk appetite.

In that setup, crude’s rally has coincided with Ethereum’s slide, making energy markets an important part of the current crypto selloff.

Oilprice.com data show crude has advanced more than 54% since the US-Iran war began on Feb. 28, pushing prices above $100 and to their highest level in years.

The move has added another layer of pressure to markets already sensitive to inflation, interest rates, and liquidity expectations.

Higher oil prices can act as a tax on consumers and businesses by raising transport, production, and energy costs. They can also complicate the outlook for central banks by keeping inflation risks elevated.

For crypto assets, which often trade as high-liquidity, high-beta expressions of risk appetite, that backdrop can reduce demand quickly when traders begin to cut exposure.

Ethereum price has been particularly exposed to that shift because the token entered May in recovery mode. A move toward $2,400 had started to rebuild confidence, but the rise in crude prices coincided with renewed weakness across digital assets.

However, as oil climbed over the past weeks, ETH steadily lost momentum and moved back toward the lower end of its recent range.

Still, Lee has described the oil-linked pressure as “short-term tactical noise,” suggesting the drag could ease if crude prices stall or reverse.

That view keeps the focus on oil as the immediate macro trigger, while leaving room for Ethereum’s longer-term thesis to reassert itself once the market moves beyond the current inflation and liquidity concerns.

Binance flows and futures selling show pressure moving into the market structure

While the macro backdrop set the tone for Ethereum’s decline, on-chain and derivatives data show how the pressure moved through the market.

CryptoQuant data show Binance recorded sustained positive ETH netflows during the first half of May, meaning more ETH was deposited onto the exchange than withdrawn.

That shift is important because exchange inflows increase the amount of liquid available for trading, even when the deposits are not sold immediately.

The move was large enough to change the market’s short-term balance. More than 225,000 ETH moved into Binance in a single day, pushing the seven-day moving average of exchange netflows to its highest level since late 2022.

The timing amplified the signal because ETH was already losing strength after trading near the $2,400 region.

Large transfers to exchanges can reflect several motives. Some holders may be preparing to sell, others may be positioning for hedges, and some may be moving collateral for derivatives trades.

In a declining market, however, a surge in deposits tends to increase concern that more supply could enter order books as buyers become more cautious.

That helped explain why the Ethereum price pullback accelerated as ETH approached $2,100. The token was no longer dealing only with macro pressure from oil and rates. It was also absorbing fresh exchange supply from large holders, forcing the market to find a new level at which buyers could absorb the additional liquidity.

The pressure then moved into futures markets. CryptoQuant data show Binance taker sell volume climbed above $1.1 billion within a single hour over the weekend as ETH moved near $2,100.

Taker sell volume tracks aggressive market selling, where traders hit existing bids rather than placing passive orders. A spike in that metric during a decline often points to forced de-risking, stop-loss execution, or short-term traders leaning into downside momentum.

Ethereum ETF outflows add another price drag as institutional demand weakens

Ethereum’s decline became harder to dismiss as a short-term exchange-led move once regulated investment products started showing persistent outflows.

SoSoValue data show US-based spot Ethereum ETFs recorded six consecutive trading days of net outflows, shedding more than $340 million.

The redemptions came during the same period that ETH weakened, suggesting ETF demand was not strong enough to absorb pressure from spot sellers and derivatives traders.

Meanwhile, the retreat also appeared in global flows. CoinShares data show Ethereum investment products posted $249 million in weekly outflows for the period ending May 15, the largest single-week withdrawal since Jan. 30.

Those withdrawals broaden the weakness beyond Binance and leveraged futures traders.

ETF flows are closely watched because they provide a cleaner read on regulated investor appetite. When ETFs attract capital, they can support the market by absorbing supply and reinforcing confidence. When they lose capital during a price decline, they can become more dependent on spot buyers and short-term traders to stabilize the price.

That is the challenge now facing Ethereum price, as the token is facing pressure from multiple channels at once. Oil has weighed on macro sentiment. Binance inflows have increased the available exchange supply. Futures sellers have pressed the move lower. ETF redemptions have removed a potential source of institutional support.

The overlap helps explain why ETH struggled to defend its May gains. Each source of pressure fed into the next, turning what began as a macro-sensitive pullback into a broader test of liquidity, positioning, and demand.

For a recovery to look more durable, those signals need to improve together. Exchange inflows would need to remain contained, aggressive futures selling would need to fade, and ETF outflows would need to slow or reverse.

Without that shift, Ethereum’s longer-term story may remain intact while the near-term market continues to trade defensively.

Ethereum tokenization and AI frame ETH’s path to price recovery

Lee has argued that Ethereum’s current weakness should be separated from the longer-term forces that could support the network through 2026.

While oil, exchange inflows, futures selling, and ETF redemptions have shaped the near-term decline, Lee said the larger drivers for ETH remain tokenization and agentic AI.

Those themes have become central to the investment case for Ethereum because both depend on programmable financial rails, deep liquidity, and settlement infrastructure that can support activity beyond speculative trading.

Tokenization is the more developed part of that argument. Financial institutions are increasingly using blockchain networks to represent assets such as Treasuries, funds, credit products, and other securities on-chain. Ethereum has remained one of the main venues for that shift because of its developer base, liquidity, security record, and established smart contract infrastructure.

Token Terminal data show the on-chain market value of real-world assets has surpassed $38 billion, with Ethereum accounting for about 67% of tokenized RWAs.

Grayscale has also described tokenization as a large potential investment opportunity, noting that tokenized assets still represent only a small share of global equity and bond markets despite rapid growth over the past year.

That gives Ethereum a structural argument that extends beyond the current selloff. If more traditional assets move onto public ledgers, the networks that provide settlement, liquidity, and smart contract execution could capture a larger share of financial activity.

Ethereum supporters argue that the chain is already positioned for that role because it has the deepest DeFi ecosystem and one of the most mature bases of tokenized asset infrastructure.

Lee’s second driver, agentic AI, adds a newer layer to the same thesis. Autonomous software systems that can transact, borrow, lend, verify data, or settle payments will need digital rails designed for machine-driven activity.

Ethereum’s supporters claim the blockchain network is suited to that role because agents can interact directly with code, liquidity pools, stablecoins, and on-chain credit markets.

Those long-term drivers are the basis for BitMine’s view that the recent decline has created an opportunity rather than weakened the broader thesis.

The firm said it sees ETH’s pullback below $2,200 as an attractive level to accumulate the asset, citing continued tokenization and agentic AI developments as reasons to look beyond the current market stress.

BitMine owns more than 5.2 million ETH, making it the largest public company holder of the digital asset. That position gives the firm direct exposure to whether Ethereum’s structural demand story can outlast the current pressure from oil, exchange supply, derivatives selling, and ETF outflows.

However, ETH's price recovery case still requires confirmation from the market. ETH needs exchange inflows to cool, futures selling to fade, and ETF redemptions to slow before investors can more confidently treat the latest decline as a reset. A reversal in oil would also support Lee’s view that the largest macro drag on ETH is temporary.

The post Ethereum price pullback to $2,100 pits oil pressure against AI, tokenization bets appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Throughout 2026, MSTR stock and Strategy’s preferred securities are trading as more than a simple Bitcoin proxy.

Bitcoin is down about 12.5% year to date, while Strategy stock, trading as MSTR, is up about 6.8%

Strategy's preferred securities have also held up better than BTC in price. STRC is nearly flat, while STRD, STRF, and STRK have all shown smaller price declines than spot Bitcoin. Those preferred figures are price moves and exclude dividends.

The split shows investors valuing two separate parts of Strategy's model: the common stock's exposure to Bitcoin plus capital-markets execution, and the preferreds' claim on dividend confidence, collateral coverage, and the durability of the funding channel.

Within Strategy's investment complex, MSTR has delivered the strongest realized price move so far. STRC is the better risk-adjusted asset for the rest of 2026 because it is the live test of whether preferred buyers will keep financing Strategy's Bitcoin purchases without demanding deeper price concessions.

How the tickers fit together: MSTR is the common stock, the high-beta expression of Strategy's BTC balance sheet, and its ability to keep raising capital at a premium. STRC is a par-anchored preferred stock that has become the most important 2026 funding gauge. STRF and STRD appear more credit- and yield-sensitive, while STRK carries more equity-linked sensitivity. Note: The legacy MicroStrategy stock search term still points investors toward the same Strategy equity trade.

That structure explains why the group can move in different directions. MSTR reacts to Bitcoin, the company's net asset value premium, and the market's confidence in future issuance. The preferreds react more directly to whether investors trust the dividend stream, the collateral cushion, and Strategy's ability to keep the funding channel open.

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MSTR is pricing more than Bitcoin exposure

MSTR's strength is striking because, in a simple model, its common stock should be highly exposed to Bitcoin. Strategy's balance sheet is dominated by BTC, and its equity is the highest-beta part of the stack.

If the market were treating MSTR purely as a BTC wrapper, a double-digit Bitcoin decline would normally pressure the common stock.

MSTR's gain suggests investors are pricing a second layer: Strategy's execution premium.

The company is holding BTC and using public equity and preferred stock markets to turn investor demand for yield, convertibility, or leveraged Bitcoin exposure into fresh purchasing power.

That distinction is central to the vehicle choice. MSTR gives investors the highest-beta expression of Strategy's BTC balance sheet and the strongest upside to a durable premium.

It also carries the clearest downside if that premium fades, because the common equity is where expectations for repeated issuance, accretive purchases, and market confidence meet.

Strategy's Bitcoin count keeps rising. The company's purchase table shows holdings of 843,738 BTC as of May 18, up from 672,500 BTC on Dec. 31, 2025.

That is an increase of 171,238 BTC year-to-date. The same table shows an aggregate acquisition cost of $63.87 billion and an average cost of $75,700 per BTC.

That scale helps explain why MSTR can trade differently from Bitcoin itself.

The stock is exposed to BTC price, but it also reflects whether markets believe Strategy can keep issuing capital above the value of its Bitcoin holdings, buy more BTC during weak periods, and preserve a premium to its BTC net asset value.

The risk is that the same mechanism can become less efficient.

If the equity premium compresses, common issuance becomes less attractive. If preferred buyers demand a wider discount or a higher yield, the capital machine still operates with greater friction.

MSTR's outperformance is the strongest evidence for Strategy's access to public markets. For spot BTC, support is indirect and depends on incremental buying enabled by the funding channel.

STRC is the more direct funding gauge

The preferreds are sending a quieter message than MSTR. They have outperformed Bitcoin by price year to date, yet they have not captured the common stock's upside.

That is defensive behavior in the year-to-date comparison, with each preferred still tied to dividend confidence, collateral coverage, and funding durability.

STRC is the key instrument because it is close to par, has become a major funding channel, and sits at the center of Strategy's 2026 issuance.

Strategy said it raised $11.68 billion through capital markets activity year to date as of May 3, including $5.58 billion from STRC.

That makes STRC more than another ticker in the stack. It is a market referendum on whether investors still want to fund Strategy's Bitcoin strategy through preferred stock. That makes the Strategy Bitcoin trade a funding question as much as a balance-sheet question.

The May 18 filing made that point clearer. Strategy reported that it acquired 24,869 BTC over May 11-17 for about $2.01 billion at an average price of $80,985 per BTC.

For the latest disclosed purchase period, Strategy raised roughly $1.95 billion of net proceeds from STRC, compared with $83.7 million from MSTR common stock.

That mix means the latest disclosed purchase was funded primarily through the preferred channel.

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May 14, 2026 · Oluwapelumi Adejumo

For Bitcoin holders, that creates incremental demand. For Strategy holders, it also creates a liability and confidence test.

Preferred capital has a cost, and Strategy said cumulative dividends declared and paid on all preferred stock reached $692.5 million as of May 3.

That makes the preferred comparison a price-return snapshot, rather than a complete total-return ranking. Preferred dividends would need to be included before comparing their full investor return with MSTR or spot BTC.

Those distributions are also the carrying cost Strategy must keep servicing as the funding stack grows.

STRF and STRD appear more tied to credit and yield confidence. STRK, which has fallen more than the other preferreds year to date, has greater equity-linked sensitivity.

STRC's near-flat price is important because it is the instrument closest to the current funding question: can Strategy keep selling a par-anchored preferred at terms that make new Bitcoin purchases look accretive?

The newest Bitcoin has little cushion

The funding question is tied to Strategy's purchase prices. The full Bitcoin stack sits near its aggregate cost basis, while the newest disclosed purchase was made above the current BTC price context used here.

Strategy's full Bitcoin stack, at an average cost near $75,700, is close to the current Bitcoin market context.

CryptoSlate's Bitcoin price page showed BTC near $76,700, while the broader crypto market was around $2.56 trillion with BTC dominance near 60.1%.

That leaves the aggregate position with a modest cushion. The newest capital has less room.

The May 11-17 purchase price of $80,985 is above the current BTC price context, around $76,700. If Bitcoin stalls below that purchase price, the newest tranche can look stretched even while the full stack remains near its aggregate cost basis.

This is the core tension behind the capital-stack outperformance.

Strategy is still accumulating BTC at scale during a drawdown, which can support the bullish case around institutional-style demand for Bitcoin.

The same facts raise the funding test. If BTC fails to rebound, preferred investors must remain confident in collateral coverage, dividend durability, and the company's ability to convert market trust in refinancing into Bitcoin purchases.

Prior CryptoSlate coverage has already framed STRC as part of Strategy's preferred-stock funding loop and questioned whether large Strategy purchases continue to serve as straightforward bullish catalysts for BTC.

Note: The MicroStrategy Bitcoin frame still describes the same core issue: equity and preferred markets are financing incremental BTC accumulation.

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The 2026 divergence extends that point. Public markets are separating the equity option, the preferred funding channel, and the underlying asset.

For realized performance, the answer is MSTR. It is the clear winner year to date, rising while Bitcoin fell and while the preferreds mostly defended rather than rallied.

For the rest of 2026, the more useful signal is STRC.

If STRC can hold near par and continue absorbing issuance, Strategy's funding window remains open. That keeps the company positioned to buy Bitcoin into weakness and sustain the premium narrative embedded in MSTR.

If STRC trades persistently below par or requires more expensive terms, the machine becomes less efficient, even if Strategy can still raise capital.

That makes the divergence mainly bullish for Strategy's capital-markets machine. It is selectively bullish for Strategy because MSTR is still receiving credit for issuance capacity and execution.

For Bitcoin, the support is indirect: it depends on the funding channel staying open and on the new purchases eventually looking accretive.

The next test is whether STRC remains a repeatable funding channel while BTC is below the newest purchase price.

A move back above $80,985 would make the May 11-17 tranche look cleaner. Continued trading near the aggregate cost basis would keep the debate alive.

A deeper BTC decline, paired with sustained below-par preferred pricing, would turn the capital-stack split from a sign of resilience into a stress test of Strategy's 2026 model.

The post MSTR stock is beating Bitcoin, but another Strategy asset matters more now appeared first on CryptoSlate.

SBI Group has told investors that its asset management arm plans to launch ETFs focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as investment trusts that hold baskets of multiple crypto assets, once Japan reforms its rules on crypto funds and taxation.

SBI has already built the architecture through a joint venture with Franklin Templeton, established product categories, and set an AUM target of $31.5 billion within three years of launch.

SBI Global Asset Management Group's AUM exceeded $75.5 billion at the end of March 2026, with the company holding a 51% stake in the Franklin Templeton venture and managing a broader securities business with AUM exceeding $415 billion.

The crypto ETF products would plug into that distribution network upon arrival, the kind that already routes millions of Japanese households into equities, bonds, and mutual funds.

The FSA reportedly aims to enable crypto ETF trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by 2028, and separate taxation could apply as early as 2027 if related legislation passes.

Why Bitcoin ETF Japan demand matters

Bank of Japan data show that Japanese households held $14.8 trillion in financial assets at the end of 2025, of which 48.5% was held in cash and deposits.

The government has spent years pushing households toward investment, and Japan's tax-favored investment wrapper, NISA accounts, reached 28.26 million accounts and $447 billion in purchases by the end of 2025.

Reaching SBI's $31.5 billion target would require an allocation rate of just 0.21% of total household financial assets.

Japanese crypto accounts have already reached approximately 14 million, nearly half the number of NISA accounts, with customer assets exceeding $31.5 billion.

Chainalysis recorded Japan's on-chain value received up 120% in the 12 months to June 2025, the strongest growth among top APAC markets. A fund wrapper would route that existing demand through the brokerage and securities platforms where Japan's broader household savings already sit.

Hong Kong launched Asia's first spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in April 2024, establishing the regional precedent.

Japan would enter with a distinct structural advantage with a far larger domestic savings pool, an entrenched retail brokerage culture, and major financial institutions that already manage everyday investment behavior for millions of households.

The US spot Bitcoin ETF approval in January 2024 gave Bitcoin access to Wall Street balance sheets, registered investment advisers, and institutional custody.

Japan's version would give Bitcoin access to yen-denominated brokerage accounts, fund supermarkets, conservative household portfolios, and a tax-favored savings infrastructure that already routes millions of ordinary investors into equity and bond funds.

US ETF flows made US trading hours the dominant regulated demand window, and Japanese ETFs would add a yen-denominated, Asia-hours flow channel as a second regulated layer with its own institutional buyers, custody providers, and brokerage incentives.

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What has to happen first

Proposed reforms could bring Japan’s crypto gains from the current 55% ceiling to 20%, matching the rate applied to stock trading.

SBI's May 2026 deck says that separate taxation could be implemented as early as 2027 if legislation passes. A regulated ETF with a 20% tax ceiling becomes a portfolio product.

Beyond taxation, the products require regulatory approval for ETF and investment-trust structures, custody frameworks, benchmark construction, market-maker depth, and a decision from regulators about whether crypto funds can qualify for NISA-style tax-favored accounts.

That last question could determine whether crypto exposure reaches the same households currently buying domestic and foreign equity index funds through their NISA allocations.

Open savings rail or regulatory delay?

In the bullish case, crypto funds receive 20% tax treatment and gain eligibility for mainstream long-term brokerage accounts by 2027, and SBI and Rakuten launch products across their combined distribution networks.

The $31.5 billion target falls within the three-year window, drawing from 14 million existing crypto account holders and from brokerage investors who would never open a crypto exchange account.

Japan joins Hong Kong as a regulated source of Asia-hours ETF flows, and Bitcoin's demand base broadens into a second major currency and time zone.

Chainalysis' 120% on-chain growth figure points to domestic appetite already building, and the ETF wrapper routes it through securities infrastructure and into mainstream portfolio allocations.

For the bearish case, ETF and investment-trust rules slip past 2028, and tax reform delivers a framework that excludes crypto funds from NISA accounts.

Products launch with a high-risk classification, keeping them off mainstream brokerage platforms and out of tax-favored accounts, and SBI reaches $3.1 billion to $12.6 billion, mostly from existing crypto-native users migrating to a regulated wrapper.

Asia's regulated crypto narrative stays centered on Hong Kong and offshore trading venues, and the Franklin Templeton JV produces a credible product that reaches only a narrow, already crypto-native audience.

SBI has built the product architecture to address a regulatory opening that Japan's regulatory calendar has set in motion.

The people who could move meaningful capital into Bitcoin exposure in Japan may be the same people who hold $7.2 trillion in cash deposits and already use NISA accounts to buy index funds.

An ETF wrapper, favorable tax treatment, and brokerage distribution would give those investors a familiar path, which is what SBI is building now.

The post Japan Bitcoin ETF plan ready to open route into household savings appeared first on CryptoSlate.

The SEC is expected to release an innovation exemption for tokenized stocks as soon as this week.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Commissioner Hester Peirce had already sketched the plan in February, describing a temporary, limited framework with volume caps, white-listed buyers and sellers, automated market makers, and temporary relief while the SEC develops longer-term rules.

Atkins confirmed in April that the agency was “on the cusp” of releasing a cabined framework for compliant on-chain trading of tokenized securities.

Bloomberg Law reported the move on May 18, which represents the clearest crypto-adjacent securities policy signal in years, with implications that run well beyond token prices.

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What the exemption actually is

SEC staff defined tokenized securities in January 2026 as traditional securities represented as crypto assets, with crypto networks maintaining ownership records, in whole or in part.

The legal status of the asset follows it regardless of its form, so federal securities laws apply whether a share resides on a blockchain or in a DTC account.

The innovation exemption would allow qualifying firms to test tokenized securities trading on novel venues, including AMMs and, potentially, public permissionless blockchains, within defined parameters.

Atkins explicitly discussed embedding compliance checks directly into smart contract code, including resale restrictions and issuer-holder communications.

A tokenized security can include its own eligibility rules, transfer restrictions, and compliance logic, delivered automatically at the point of transfer.

US equities already moved from T+2 to T+1 settlement in 2024, and the SEC framed that move as making market plumbing more resilient by reducing time, credit exposure, and liquidity risk.

Tokenization extends this logic further with longer trading windows, near-instant settlement, fractional access, and programmable post-trade processing.

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Nasdaq received SEC approval in March 2026 to allow certain DTC-eligible securities to trade in tokenized form on the same order book as traditional shares, with T+1 settlement preserved.

NYSE-parent ICE is separately developing a tokenized securities platform targeting 24/7 operations, instant settlement, dollar-sized orders, and stablecoin-based funding, pending regulatory approval.

Incumbent exchanges are building their own versions of the next pipe before crypto platforms can claim the market.

Coinbase sought SEC approval in 2025 to offer tokenized equities, a move that would reportedly put it in direct competition with retail brokerages.

Kraken's xStocks platform already offers 100 fully backed tokenized US stocks and ETFs outside the US market, and Robinhood has launched EU stock tokens while building a layer-2 blockchain for real-world asset tokenization.

The SEC exemption would determine whether those crypto-native models can compete for US investors under a regulated framework.

The window

DefiLlama data puts the on-chain RWA market at close to $30 billion, which represents just 0.02% of global equity value, against SIFMA's 2024 global equity market capitalization of $126.7 trillion.

The stock-token segment is still early, and the exemption could determine if tokenized stocks expand into a regulated extension of US equities or stay a crypto side market.

SEC staff distinguishes issuer-sponsored tokenized securities, in which the token represents a direct claim on the underlying share, from third-party products, including custodial receipts, linked securities, and synthetic derivatives.

Robinhood's EU stock tokens explicitly carry that distinction in their disclosures: they are derivatives that expose investors to counterparty and insolvency risks tied to Robinhood's financial position.

A tokenized stock can look identical in an app and carry entirely different legal rights depending on its structure.

Crypto rails enter the securities stack, or incumbents control the upgrade?

If pilots succeed and the exemption expands, issuer-sponsored tokenized shares and custodial tokenized securities will have clearer regulatory pathways, and crypto-native platforms will compete for tokenized equity flows alongside Nasdaq's DTC-compatible model and ICE's parallel digital venue.

Stablecoin settlement becomes a standard post-trade mechanism for liquid securities, and smart contract networks that carry tokenized equities become a durable infrastructure.

The winners extend beyond the firms that launch products. Stablecoin issuers gain a settlement use case inside regulated securities markets, and high-throughput programmable chains gain sustained demand from securities settlement activity.

Wallet providers and tokenization agents enter a market previously controlled by broker-dealers, and the crypto-native trading stack gains a securities-grade use case, legitimizing it across jurisdictions.

However, if the SEC allows tokenization primarily through Nasdaq's DTC-compatible model and ICE's regulated venue. The innovation exemption for crypto-native and AMM-based trading stays narrow, heavily volume-capped, or restricted to institutional participants.

Tokenization modernizes settlement mechanics, and the competitive opening for crypto-native platforms stays narrow.

Broad exemptions for tokenized trading could undermine investor protection and market stability if tokenized securities trade outside the long-standing protections of the securities markets.

Peirce warned that third-party tokenized stocks can expose holders to counterparty and insolvency risks tied to the tokenizing intermediary's own financial position.

Those risks provide regulators with a durable justification for keeping crypto-native venues at the margins while incumbents absorb the technological upgrade.

The competitive map

Three models are now competing for the next securities pipe.

Nasdaq's DTC-compatible approach keeps tokenized and traditional shares on the same order book, with incumbents controlling settlement. ICE's parallel digital venue targets 24/7 operations and stablecoin funding. The crypto-native model tests whether securities can trade on-chain through crypto infrastructure under SEC conditions.

The SEC exemption determines which of these models can legally compete, and the scope of that determination sets the boundary of the opening.

Atkins framed the exemption as letting the market discover whether crypto infrastructure can carry stocks more efficiently than the current venue-clearing-custody sequence.

That test, run under regulatory supervision with white-listed participants and volume limits, is the policy event Bloomberg reported.

The SEC is letting crypto rails compete for the business of carrying stocks, and the exemption will measure if they can win.

The post SEC tokenized stock exemption to let equities move onto crypto rails appeared first on CryptoSlate.

As of May 19, 2026, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is hovering at $2,116.7, leaving many retail and institutional investors asking a blunt question: Is Ethereum a bad investment?

To understand why sentiment has flipped so aggressively to the bearish side, one only needs to look at the historical comparisons circulating through the trading community. A popular visual contrast highlights Ethereum’s valuation exactly five years ago versus today.

At first glance, a 50% decline over a five-year horizon paints a grim picture for an asset often touted as "ultrasound money." However, evaluating whether an asset is a poor investment requires digging beneath the surface of raw price data into technical indicators, macroeconomic pressures, and on-chain health.

Is ETH Coin a Bad Investment?

Whether $Ethereum is a bad investment depends entirely on your trading time horizon and risk tolerance.

For short-term swing traders, ETH is currently exhibiting a highly volatile, bearish structure that carries significant downside risk toward the $2,000 support level. For long-term investors, however, historical data and on-chain fundamentals suggest this deep correction represents a classic cyclical re-accumulation phase rather than a permanent structural failure.

Ethereum Price Analysis over the Years

Looking at the multi-year ETHUSD chart, the asset has established a wide, macro-scale trading range. Following its peak near $4,946 earlier in the cycle, Ethereum has retraced roughly 57%, landing it back into the critical liquidity pocket between $2,000 and $2,300.

Key Support and Resistance Levels

• Immediate Support ($2,088): This represents the critical 0.5 Fibonacci retracement level. Daily and weekly candle closes must defend this area to prevent a deeper capitulation event.
• Psychological Floor ($2,000): If $2,088 fails to hold, the active impulse wave is highly likely to flush out leveraged long positions down to the flat $2,000 support mark.
• Primary Upside Target ($2,462 - $2,561): A successful defense of the current floor exposes a path to the 0.618 Fibonacci level, which acts as the initial validation gate for a structural trend reversal.

A significant silver lining on daily timeframes is the Gaussian Channel, which has recently flipped from purple (bearish) to green (bullish). Statistically, when ETH sits at the lower boundary of a green Gaussian Channel—similar to the market structure observed in mid-2025—it has historically served as a Launchpad for multi-month rallies.

Macroeconomic Headwinds: Why is Crypto Crashing?

The current downward trajectory of the broader crypto market is not happening in a vacuum. Ethereum’s price drop is heavily correlated with shifting global macroeconomic factors and sudden geopolitical escalations.

1. The Crude Oil Price Shock

The single biggest short-term headwind for Ethereum right now is the price of oil. Since late February, crude oil has surged over 66%, climbing from $65 to over $110 per barrel (Brent crude).

This massive energy spike triggers immediate inflation anxieties across traditional financial systems. When inflation threats loom, central banks—including the Federal Reserve—are forced to keep interest rates elevated for longer. This directly drains liquidity out of high-beta risk assets like technology stocks and cryptocurrencies. The inverse correlation between ETH and crude oil recently hit an all-time high of -0.40, showcasing exactly how macro factors are suppressing token valuations.

2. Geopolitical Tensions & Liquidations

Recent political friction in the Middle East has triggered widespread risk-off behavior. Warnings regarding stalled ceasefire talks led to over $580 million in overnight liquidations across the crypto market, forcing leveraged traders to sell off assets rapidly and driving the spot price of Ethereum straight through its $2,200 support floor.

Divergent On-Chain Data: Price vs. Ecosystem Health

While the spot price looks weak, Ethereum's underlying network fundamentals tell a completely different story. There is a glaring divergence between negative price action and positive ecosystem growth:

• Record Staking Participation: Despite ETH declining significantly year-to-date, the total supply of Ethereum locked in staking contracts has actually increased from 29% to 31%. Long-term holders are opting to earn yield rather than dump their tokens into the market.
• Supply Scarcity: This steady influx of staked capital actively removes millions of ETH from liquid circulation on cryptocurrency exchanges, lowering the structural sell pressure.
• Institutional Tokenization: Major financial institutions continue to deploy tokenized funds on the Ethereum mainnet. Financial analysts like Fundstrat's Tom Lee maintain that tokenization and the rise of decentralized, agentic AI applications will serve as the core structural drivers for Ethereum throughout the remainder of 2026.

Before executing a long-term strategy, investors should review their execution venue via an exchange comparison and ensure assets are secured using offline infrastructure, which you can verify in our comprehensive hardware wallets review.

Ethereum Price Prediction: What Lies Ahead?

The Bearish Case

If crude oil remains above $110 and institutional capital continues to flow out of spot ETH ETFs, the asset will likely lose the $2,088 Fibonacci support line. This will drag the price down to the psychological floor of $2,000, where a broader market panic could temporarily wick the price down to $1,850 to sweep liquidity.

The Bullish Case

If Ethereum successfully prints a daily close above the current $2,116 node and the broader markets stabilize from geopolitical shocks, a relief rally to $2,462 is expected via Elliott Wave analysis. In the longer term, assuming the green Gaussian Channel structure mirrors past cycles, the current $2,100 level could be remembered as a generational macro bottom before an eventual push toward five-digit valuations.

Verdict: Is Ethereum a Bad Investment?

Ethereum is not a bad investment, but it is currently a painful one.

The asset is caught in a macro-driven liquidity squeeze. However, given its structural deflationary mechanics, expanding institutional tokenization use cases, and a rising staking ratio that locks up supply, the token retains some of the strongest risk-adjusted upside potential in the digital asset sector. Investors looking to enter the market should avoid over-leveraged positions and focus on dollar-cost averaging (DCA) around key structural support zones.

Track real-time valuations and historic performance curves directly on our ETH-USD Ticker Page.

Crypto Market Reversal Begins After Heavy Market Pressure

The crypto market is showing early signs of recovery after a sharp risk-off move triggered by geopolitical tension, stock market volatility, and renewed uncertainty around global liquidity. Bitcoin is currently trading near $77,000, with only a slight daily gain, while several altcoins are already turning green.

This creates an important question for traders: is this a real crypto market reversal, or just a temporary relief bounce after the latest sell-off?

The shift comes after President Donald Trump signalled that a potential Iran deal may still be possible, easing some immediate market fears. Reuters reported that Gulf and European markets moved higher after Trump’s comments calmed investor nerves, while oil prices also eased from recent highs.

Why Bitcoin Is Staying Flat Around $77K

Bitcoin remains the key market indicator, but its movement is still limited. According to the latest market data, BTC is trading around $77,000, up only slightly over the past 24 hours. This shows that traders are not fully convinced that the correction is over.

There are a few reasons why Bitcoin is not moving aggressively yet.

First, BTC was hit by macro fear after the market reacted to the geopolitical situation. Second, institutional flows remain a concern after reports of major Bitcoin ETF outflows. Third, Bitcoin is still facing technical pressure, with traders watching whether it can reclaim stronger resistance zones above the current range.

In simple terms, Bitcoin is stabilising, but it has not yet confirmed a strong bullish breakout.

Why Altcoins Are Turning Green Faster Than Bitcoin

While Bitcoin is moving sideways, some altcoins are showing stronger momentum. In the latest market performance, coins like Hyperliquid ($HYPE), Zcash ($ZEC), Bitcoin Cash ($BCH), and Chainlink ($LINK) are outperforming the broader market.

This usually happens when traders start looking for higher-risk, higher-reward opportunities after a market correction. Once Bitcoin stops falling, liquidity can rotate into altcoins that already have strong narratives or technical momentum.

For example, $HYPE is gaining attention due to its role in decentralized derivatives trading. $ZEC is benefiting from renewed interest in privacy-related crypto assets. $BCH is showing strength as one of the older Bitcoin-related coins, while $LINK remains tied to the broader real-world asset and oracle narrative.

This does not mean the full altcoin season has started, but it does show that selective altcoins are reacting faster than Bitcoin.

Crypto Market Reversal or Relief Bounce?

The current crypto market reversal still needs confirmation. Bitcoin holding above the $77K zone is positive, but the market remains fragile. A stronger recovery would likely require BTC to move back above key resistance levels, ETF flows to stabilise, and macro fears to ease further.

For now, the market appears to be in a cautious recovery phase. Altcoins are bouncing, but Bitcoin is not yet leading the move with strong conviction.

This is important because a real crypto market reversal usually needs Bitcoin strength first. If BTC stays flat while altcoins pump too quickly, the move could become unstable. However, if Bitcoin holds its range and gradually moves higher, altcoins could continue to outperform in the short term.

What Traders Should Watch Next

The next major signals are Bitcoin’s ability to hold the $77K area, whether ETH can recover above stronger support levels, and whether high-momentum altcoins can keep their gains.

Traders should also watch macro headlines closely. The latest market reaction shows that crypto is still highly sensitive to geopolitical developments, oil prices, stock market moves, and institutional flows.

If tensions continue to ease, Bitcoin may stabilise further and give altcoins more room to recover. But if new risk-off headlines appear, the crypto market could quickly return to selling pressure.

Conclusion: Altcoins Are Recovering, But Bitcoin Must Confirm the Move

The crypto market is showing signs of recovery, but the move is not fully confirmed yet. Bitcoin remains flat near $77K, while selected altcoins are already turning green and attracting fresh attention.

This makes the current setup interesting but risky. The altcoin rebound suggests that traders are slowly returning to risk assets, but Bitcoin still needs to prove that the market has moved beyond a simple relief bounce.

For now, the crypto market reversal is developing, but confirmation depends on whether Bitcoin can break out of its current range and bring stronger momentum back to the market.

$BTC, $ETH, $HYPE, $ZEC, $BCH, $LINK, $SOL, $XRP

The global financial ecosystem has been hit by sudden and intense volatility, triggering a sharp crypto crash and a massive sell-off in traditional equities. High-stakes geopolitical friction has once again proven to be the primary catalyst for market panic, forcing investors to rapidly liquidate risk assets.

Why Are Cryptos Crashing Today?

The sudden market downturn was directly triggered by news that the United States administration has officially rejected Iran's latest 14-point peace proposal. This rejection comes right before a highly anticipated, high-level White House Situation Room meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

As a result, a massive wave of capitulation hit both digital assets and legacy markets simultaneously:

• All cryptos crash: The broader digital asset market experienced a sharp flash crash, erasing billions in market capitalization within minutes.
• $403,000,000,000 wiped out: Wall Street felt an immediate impact, with over $403 billion bleeding out of US stocks in a single hour following the geopolitical escalation.

USA Iran war: When will it end?

The fragile truce brokered over the past weeks is facing its toughest test. Tensions flared over the weekend when President Trump warned via social media that "the clock is ticking" for Tehran to agree to terms, hinting at potential strikes on infrastructure if negotiations completely stall.

While Iran conveyed an amended set of terms via Pakistani mediators to avoid further conflict, the US administration's swift rejection and subsequent hardening stance have signaled to investors that a diplomatic resolution is slipping out of reach. The upcoming Situation Room meeting on Tuesday is now viewed by macro analysts as a critical turning point that could either spark a renewed military confrontation or push inflation expectations higher via energy shocks in the Strait of Hormuz.

Crypto Crash & Equity Crash

When geopolitical threats spike, the correlation between cryptocurrencies and high-beta US equities typically tightens. The sudden deletion of $403 billion from US stock indices created a liquidity vacuum that spilled directly into crypto order books.

[US Rejects Peace Proposal] ➔ [Situation Room Meeting Fears] ➔ [Institutional Derisking] ➔ [$403B Stock Sell-off & Crypto Flash Crash]

Bitcoin, which recently eyed local highs on early peace deal rumors, fell sharply alongside major altcoins. Traders looking to track real-time spot price movements during this high-volatility window can monitor the live Bitcoin price tracker.

Recognized for its ultra-fast throughput and high-efficiency architecture, Solana (SOL) has weathered a volatile macroeconomic climate to secure its place as a cornerstone institutional asset.

As market participants realign their portfolios for the remainder of the year, a central question emerges: is Solana a good buy in 2026, or do competing layer-1 networks and legacy blue-chip cryptos offer a more compelling risk-to-reward ratio?

Is SOL a Strategic Buy above $80?

For investors seeking a direct answer: Yes, Solana presents a highly favorable structural setup at its current valuation of $84. Moving within a well-defined consolidation channel between $75 and $98 throughout the first half of the year, the asset is building significant technical momentum.

With a short-term target firmly set at $100, entering a position at the current $84 mark offers an immediate prospective upside of 19.05%. When weighed against the macro development of the Solana ecosystem—including massive institutional adoption and upcoming network overhauls—the current range serves as a historical accumulation zone before a potential macro trend reversal.

Why is Solana a Good Project

To evaluate if Solana is a sustainable long-term asset, one must look at what it fundamentally brings to the blockchain ecosystem. Solana is a high-performance, open-source Layer-1 blockchain utilizing a unique hybrid consensus mechanism.

Unlike older Proof-of-Work systems or standard Proof-of-Stake protocols, Solana optimizes transaction ordering to achieve unparalleled performance parameters.

• Throughput & Speed: Capable of processing tens of thousands of transactions per second (TPS).
• Cost Efficiency: Transaction fees remain fractions of a cent, making it the premier network for high-frequency trading, consumer decentralized applications (dApps), and global micropayments.
• Institutional Inflows: Spot Solana ETFs in the United States have officially surpassed $1 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM), signaling that major financial entities are actively treating SOL as a digital commodity.

Comparative ROI Analysis: Solana vs. BTC, ETH, and XRP

To truly contextualize whether Solana is the best allocation of capital right now, we must analyze its percentage returns against other major market caps based on their respective medium-term targets.

The table below illustrates the projected growth profiles across the industry's leading assets:

Solana ($84 -> $100)

A move from $84 to the key psychological resistance of $100 yields a neat 19.05% return. While this short-term percentage is technically lower than the macro projections of its peers, the target represents a foundational structural breakout. Securing a daily close above $100 opens the technical floodgates toward Fibonacci extensions at $117 and $262, meaning the $100 target is merely the starting line for exponential expansion. Take a look at the live asset pricing through the CryptoTicker Token Ticker to see how these macro pairs shift daily.

Bitcoin ($76k -> $100k)

With Bitcoin trading firmly at $76,000, a march to the elusive six-figure mark of $100,000 offers a 31.58% return. Bitcoin remains the safest asset in the Web3 ecosystem, but it demands significantly heavier capital inflows to move its multi-trillion-dollar market cap compared to Solana's leaner architecture.

Ethereum ($2.1k -> $3.0k)

Ethereum is currently priced at $2,100 with a medium-term target of $3,000, presenting a 42.86% potential upside. While ETH captures massive institutional liquidity, its scaling reliance on Layer-2 solutions fragments liquidity—an issue Solana bypasses entirely via its monolithic, single-state machine design.

Ripple ($1.38 -> $2.00)

XRP sits at $1.38 with eyes on a move to $2.00, yielding a 44.93% return. Though highly lucrative on paper, XRP is highly dependent on localized regulatory resolutions and cross-border bank integrations, carrying a different risk profile compared to Solana's vibrant on-chain ecosystem. If you are comparing platforms to build your positions, look through our updated Crypto Exchange Comparison guide.

Solana Price Analysis The Alpenglow Upgrade & ETF Inflows

Solana's performance in the latter half of 2026 is structurally underpinned by two massive fundamental catalysts that distinguish it from the rest of the altcoin market.

1. The Alpenglow Consensus Upgrade

Spearheaded by co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko, the Alpenglow upgrade stands as the most critical architectural overhaul in Solana’s history. Slated for full mainnet deployment, Alpenglow transitions the network's core structure to introduce components known as Votor and Rotor.

The primary goal? Slashing block finality from roughly 12.8 seconds down to a blistering 150 milliseconds. This sub-second finality fundamentally changes the landscape for high-frequency trading desks and institutional settlement engines. Furthermore, Alpenglow implements structural penalties for validators attempting to delay blocks for Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) extraction, guaranteeing a fairer and more predictable execution layer for everyday retail users.

2. Deep Institutional Liquidity

According to reports tracking capital flows, spot Solana ETFs have captured robust market share, boasting structural resilience even through the liquidations of early Q1. Major remittance firms, including Western Union via its USDPT stablecoin integration, have turned to Solana for real-world settlement layers. This structural transition from a purely speculative retail platform to a corporate utility ledger creates a sustainable floor for the token's valuation.

Is Solana Coin Risky?

No analytical framework is complete without inspecting the downward pressures. While the bull case for SOL is heavily supported, technical analysts warn of a split outlook if macroeconomic factors deteriorate.

If Solana fails to break through the persistent $98 to $100 wall, it risks a short-term breakdown back to its lower support channels. A definitive breach below the $81.30 support pivot could see SOL retest its primary accumulation floor between $50 and $70. Investors managing large-scale spot positions must balance this short-term downside risk against the overarching long-term fundamental upgrades. To secure your assets safely through these multi-month cycles, explore our comprehensive review on the safest storage devices in the Hardware Wallets Comparison.

Is Solana a Good Buy in 2026?

Is Solana a good buy in 2026? When looking past immediate price action, the combination of an $84 entry point, an impending structural breakout above $100, and the game-changing Alpenglow consensus upgrade positions SOL as one of the most asymmetric risk-to-reward opportunities in the current market.

While legacy assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum offer alternative growth paths, Solana delivers an optimal blend of institutional backing, real-world cross-border utility, and disruptive technical scaling that makes it a premier addition to any forward-thinking digital asset portfolio.

Key Takeaways

• Bitget is a legitimate cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2018, serving over 20 million users across 100 countries, and is recognized as one of the top exchanges for derivatives trading volume.
• Bitget is known for futures trading, bitget copy trading, low fees, a US$300 million protection fund, and monthly proof of reserves reports showing a 163% reserve ratio.
• Bitget offers spot trading, futures, margin trading, copy trading, trading bots, staking, savings, fiat deposits, P2P, and more than 800 cryptocurrencies.
• Bitget is strictly unavailable to residents of the United States, Canada, and Singapore due to regulatory restrictions, and some products are limited in certain regions.

Is Bitget Good For Crypto Trading In 2026?

Bitget is a strong trading platform for users who want more than a simple “buy Bitcoin” app. It is best for active traders, experienced traders, futures users, and anyone interested in social trading or the copy trading feature.

Pros

• Competitive trading fees: 0.1% spot, 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker futures base rates.
• Strong derivatives tools, including leverage up to 125x on major pairs.
• Monthly proof of reserves and a large protection fund.
• User friendly interface on both the web platform and bitget app.
• Large copy trading ecosystem with elite traders and public trade details.

Cons

• Not available in the US, Canada, Singapore, and some sanctioned regions.
• Futures and margin products are risky for first timers.
• Customer support is 24/7 and multilingual, though reports indicate some slower response times.

What Is Bitget? Background And Global Presence

Bitget exchange is a prominent centralized cryptocurrency exchange known as a “Universal Exchange” or UEX. It launched in 2018, is registered in Seychelles, and has built its track record around crypto trading, derivatives, and copy trading.

Key milestones include early derivatives growth, the launch of bitget copy trading around 2020–2021, the Protection Fund in August 2022, and ongoing Proof of Reserve updates from late 2022 onward. Bitget also became visible through sports and esports partnerships, including Lionel Messi, Juventus, and PGL.

Bitget operates across Europe, Latin America, parts of Asia, and Africa, but access is not universal. It has regional entities and registrations in markets such as Lithuania, Poland, and Italy, while adapting to MiCA, FCA, and other 2025–2026 rules. Still, users should check Bitget’s official terms before registering, because futures trading, margin trading, and promotions may be restricted by country.

In 2026, Bitget stands as a trading-first platform rather than a purely retail payments app.

Key Features Of Bitget Exchange

Bitget offers a wide range of trading options for different trading strategies and preferences. The platform supports trading in over 800 cryptocurrencies, providing ample opportunities for traders to diversify portfolios with digital assets.

Spot Trading

Spot trading means buying or selling coins on the spot market with immediate settlement. Bitget offers major pairs like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, SOL/USDT, and many altcoins, with TradingView charts, order books, recent trades, and an order panel in one view.

For spot trading, Bitget charges a standard trading fee of 0.1% for both makers and takers. A $1,000 BTC/USDT market buy costs about $1 before discounts. Using Bitget’s native token BGB can yield trading fee discounts of up to 80%, depending on VIP level and promotion rules.

Fiat-to-crypto buying may use instant purchase, P2P, card payments, bank transfers, or third-party partners rather than one fully integrated method everywhere.

Futures Trading

Futures trading is one of Bitget’s main features. Users can trade USDT‑margined, coin‑margined, USDC‑margined, perpetual, and selected dated contracts. Bitget’s futures trading allows for leverage options up to 125x, enabling traders to amplify their positions and potential returns, but also increasing risk.

Futures trading fees are 0.02% for makers and 0.06% for takers. Funding fees on perpetuals are paid between longs and shorts, usually every 8 hours. This matters: even if taker fees look small, funding can reduce profit on longer positions.

Beginners should use isolated margin, low leverage, and stop-loss orders. High leverage can liquidate an account quickly.

Copy Trading And Social Trading

Copy trading allows users to follow and replicate the trades of successful traders, providing a way for less experienced individuals to engage in trading without needing extensive knowledge.

Bitget’s copy trading feature is designed to be user-friendly, allowing followers to set parameters for their investments and manage their risk exposure effectively. Users can review ROI, PnL, max drawdown, win rate, number of followers, and trading style before copying.

The platform has become a leader in copy trading, boasting over 110,000 elite traders and more than 520,000 followers, indicating its popularity and effectiveness in the market. Newer 2026 estimates are even higher, but the core point is clear: bitget copy trading is one of the exchange’s strongest products.

There are several routes: spot copy trading, futures copy trading, and bot copy trading. Trading bots can help automate grid or trend strategies, but they do not remove market risk.

Bitget Wallet

Bitget Wallet, formerly BitKeep, is a separate affiliated non-custodial wallet for DeFi, NFTs, bridges, and swaps. The exchange account is custodial; Bitget Wallet gives users control of private keys.

Use the exchange for active trading on bitget. Use the wallet if you want self-custody, DeFi access, or to move funds away from a centralized platform.

BGB Token And VIP Program

BGB is Bitget’s utility token. It can help users pay fees, access Launchpad or Launchpool campaigns, qualify for VIP tiers, and reduce trading fees. Bitget began with a 2 billion token supply, later adjusted through large burns and updated tokenomics.

BGB is useful for active users, but it is not a guaranteed investment. Its price can move sharply, and holding it adds market risk.

Passive Income: Staking, Savings, Launchpad, And More

Bitget offers flexible savings, fixed savings, staking, Launchpad, Launchpool, and promotional Earn products. APYs vary by asset, region, and campaign.

Treat these as financial products, not risk-free money. Lockups, issuer risk, smart contract risk, token volatility, and regional restrictions can all affect outcomes.

Is Bitget Safe? Security, Proof Of Reserves, And Protection Fund

“Is bitget safe?” is one of the main questions in any bitget review. The answer depends on several layers: solvency, custody, account security, regulation, and user behavior.

Exchange-Level Security And Cold Storage

The platform utilizes cold storage for user funds, which involves storing digital assets offline in multi-signature wallets to enhance security. More than 95% of customer deposits are kept in multi-signature offline cold storage vaults.

Bitget also uses encryption, internal access controls, monitoring, and separation of duties. Bitget has implemented a Bug Bounty Program that incentivizes researchers to find vulnerabilities in its network, enhancing overall security measures.

No exchange can promise zero risk. Do not keep more money on any exchange than you need for planned trading.

Proof Of Reserves

Bitget reports a reserve ratio of 163%, verified monthly through Proof of Reserve reports, which serves as a transparency signal regarding its financial integrity. The platform maintains a reserve ratio of 163%, verified monthly through Proof of Reserve reports, demonstrating a commitment to transparency and financial integrity.

The system uses on-chain snapshots and Merkle tree data so users can verify their own account is included. You can review Bitget’s official Proof of Reserves reports and use the self-check tool from the account area.

A reserve ratio above 100% is positive, but proof of reserves is not the same as a full financial audit.

Bitget Protection Fund

Bitget maintains a Protection Fund valued at $300 million, which is designed to safeguard user investments in the event of security breaches or platform failures. Bitget has a US$300 million Protection Fund to safeguard user investments, which is one of the largest self-insured funds in the cryptocurrency industry.

Bitget maintains and publishes fund information, and the company has reported values above that baseline in several updates. The fund is not government deposit insurance and does not cover normal trading losses.

Account-Level Security Tools

Bitget employs a withdrawal whitelisting method, requiring users to add specific wallets to a whitelist, which significantly reduces the risk of fraud. In plain English, only pre approved addresses can receive withdrawals once the setting is active.

Users should enable two factor authentication, anti-phishing codes, device management, and withdrawal whitelist before they deposit funds. Complete Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks are mandatory on Bitget, so keep documents current to avoid delays.

Bitget Fees: Trading, Funding, And Hidden Costs

Bitget fees are generally competitive compared with most exchanges, but users should understand the full cost: trading fees, funding, spreads, and withdrawal fees.

Bitget does not charge any account fees, inactivity fees, or deposit fees, making it a cost-effective platform for traders. Crypto deposits are usually free from Bitget’s side, though blockchain network costs still apply.

Spot Trading Fees

Base spot trading fees are 0.1% maker and 0.1% taker fees. A $1,000 spot purchase costs about $1. Paying with BGB can reduce the fee, and VIP levels can lower it further.

Occasional zero fees campaigns may apply to selected pairs, but do not assume they are permanent.

Futures Trading Fees And Funding

Base futures fees are 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker. A $1,000 futures market entry and exit at taker rates could cost about $1.20 before funding.

Funding fees change with market conditions. Scalpers and leveraged traders should monitor both fees and funding before entering trades.

Deposits, Withdrawals, And Fiat Costs

Withdrawal fees on Bitget vary by asset and blockchain; for example, the fee for withdrawing Bitcoin (BTC) is 0.00008, while for USDT (TRC-20) it is 1.

Fiat deposits may include card purchases, bank account transfers, SEPA, local rails, P2P, or processors like Banxa. Bank transfers can be cheaper but slower. Always compare total cost, including spreads.

Where Bitget Operates, Regulation, And Who Can Use It

Bitget is global, but not universal. It serves many users in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa, but some products are blocked in certain regions.

Bitget is strictly unavailable to residents of the United States, Canada, and Singapore due to regulatory restrictions. It is also unavailable in some sanctioned jurisdictions. UK and some EU users may see limits on derivatives, copy trading, or financial promotions.

If a dispute arises, local rules determine whether complaints, arbitration, or legal action are available. Never use a VPN to bypass eligibility rules.

Getting Started With Bitget Using Our Referral Link Web Step‑By‑Step

This walkthrough shows how to start on the web platform using this link.

Step 1: Create Your Account With Our Bitget Referral Link

Open your browser and visit Bitget. 

Sign up with email or phone, create a strong password, enter the verification code, and complete captcha checks. Using the link may qualify users for rewards or discounts depending on the active campaign.

Before depositing, go to Account & Security and enable two factor authentication.

Step 2: Complete KYC Identity Verification

To complete identity verification, go to Profile → Identity Verification. Choose personal verification and submit your legal name, date of birth, country, address, government ID, and selfie or liveness check.

Enhanced identity verification may request proof of address or source of funds. Processing can take minutes or longer during busy periods.

Step 3: Fund Your Bitget Account Crypto And Fiat Deposits

To deposit funds with crypto, go to Assets → Deposit, choose USDT, BTC, or ETH, pick the exact network, copy the address, and send from another wallet or exchange. Network choice matters; ERC‑20 and TRC‑20 are not interchangeable.

For fiat deposits, use Buy Crypto or Deposit Fiat, choose currency and method, then follow card, bank, or partner instructions. P2P trading lets users buy from verified merchants using local payment methods.

Step 4: Place Your First Trade Spot Or Futures

For a first spot trade, go to Trade → Spot, choose BTC/USDT, select Market, enter how much USDT to spend, and click Buy BTC. Check Orders to confirm execution.

For futures, transfer funds from Spot to Futures, choose a USDT‑M pair, set low leverage such as 2–3x, enter size, and review liquidation price before placing the order. Add stop-loss and take-profit levels immediately.

Bitget Customer Support And User Experience

Bitget provides 24/7 multilingual customer support, though reports indicate some slower response times. Support is available through live chat, tickets, and a large Help Center.

The platform offers dense charts, order books, margin controls, and powerful tools. That is great for active traders, but first timers may need time to learn. Bitget Academy can help users understand order types, risk, and cryptocurrency trading basics.

Customer satisfaction is mixed: many users praise low fees and fast execution, while others mention locked account reviews or slow responses. Keep transaction IDs, screenshots, and chat records.

Overall Verdict: Should You Trade On Bitget In 2026?

Bitget makes sense if you want a full crypto exchange with spot, futures, social trading, bots, Earn products, and competitive trading fees. The platform offers more depth than beginner-only apps, and Bitget provides tokenized stock futures to trade synthetic versions of major U.S. equities.

Bitget offers strong tools, but it is not perfect. The main risks are regulation, leverage, copy trader losses, customer support delays, and custodial exchange risk.

If you want to trade crypto actively, start small, protect your account, and use this link to get started.

FAQ

Can I Use Bitget In My Country?

Bitget is available in many countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa, but not in the United States, Canada, Singapore, and certain sanctioned jurisdictions. Even where access exists, futures trading, copy trading, or fiat deposits may be limited.

How Are Taxes Handled When Trading On Bitget?

Bitget does not pay taxes for users. Export trade history, funding records, staking rewards, and transaction data, then share them with tax software or a local accountant.

What Happens If A Trader I Copy Starts Losing Money?

Your account can lose money if the trader you copy loses money. Set maximum allocation, stop-loss limits, and review drawdown rather than chasing the highest short-term ROI.

Can I Move Coins Between Bitget And My Own Wallet Safely?

Yes. You can withdraw to Bitget Wallet or another self-custody wallet, subject to withdrawal fees and checks. Always test with a small transaction and confirm the network and address.

How Does Profit Sharing Work For Bitget Copy Trading?

Followers usually keep most profits but pay a performance share to the lead trader. The exact percentage is shown in copy settings, and normal trading fees, taker fees, and funding still apply.

After weathering years of industry skepticism and navigating a shifting regulatory landscape, Prometheum executed its first crypto trades.

Minnesota's ban has made it a felony to create or operate a prediction market in the state. The CFTC and DOJ say it violates federal law.

Viral Japanese macaque monkey Punch received unwelcome visitors this week, as trespassers attempted to promote a Solana meme coin.

Bernstein remains bullish on Bitcoin mining firms like IREN, Riot, and CleanSpark, who are all riding the wave of AI compute demand.

Google's new multimodal AI model powers updates to Flow and Flow Music, including conversational video editing and AI-generated media tools.

Ether and the broader altcoin market are caught in a multi-year trend of underperformance against Bitcoin.

The surge of volatility on the market didn't lead to a proper recovery, but instead increasing pressure on some of the assets.

Ripple and the XRP Ledger Foundation have joined forces with cryptography firm Project Eleven to future-proof the XRP Ledger (XRPL) against looming quantum computing threats. Moving beyond theoretical research,.

Ripple, the company associated with the XRP cryptocurrency, has secured the 16th spot on the prestigious 2026 CNBC Disruptor 50.

Strive Asset Management has cemented its position as a top-ten public Bitcoin treasury holder after acquiring an additional 382 BTC for approximately $30.3 million.

Key Takeaways

• AI Financial Corp. recorded a staggering $271.5 million net loss during Q1 2026, primarily attributed to the dramatic decline in WLFI token valuation.
• The firm currently holds 7.28 billion WLFI tokens valued at $706.4 million, representing a significant drop from the original $1.46 billion acquisition cost.
• The company submitted a going concern notice, highlighting a $5.5 million working capital shortage with only $10.5 million available in cash reserves.
• The entire portfolio of 7.28 billion WLFI tokens remains immobilized due to contractual lock-up provisions, severely restricting liquidity options.
• AIFC shares declined nearly 6.3% during Tuesday’s trading session and have plummeted approximately 87.5% year-over-year.

AI Financial Corp., previously operating as ALT5 Sigma, has submitted a going concern notification to the SEC following a devastating one-third collapse in the value of its World Liberty Financial token portfolio throughout the first quarter of 2026.

The organization acquired 7.28 billion WLFI tokens during August 2025 for roughly $1.46 billion, paying $0.20 per token. By March 28, 2026, the same token holdings had plummeted to a valuation of merely $706.4 million.

This dramatic decline generated an unrealized loss totaling $348.3 million within Q1 exclusively. When combined with additional operational expenses, AI Financial disclosed a net loss of $271.5 million for the 13-week period ending March 28 — a stark contrast to the $2.4 million loss recorded during the comparable timeframe one year earlier.

The corporation’s operational revenue reached $4.7 million, derived exclusively from its fintech processing operations.

Liquidity Concerns Mount

Available cash reserves measured $10.5 million at quarter’s end. Approximately $3.5 million of these funds were already earmarked for an outstanding legal dispute. Total current liabilities totaling $39.1 million exceeded current assets of $32.2 million.

The organization recognized these financial indicators “raise substantial doubt” regarding its capacity to maintain operations as a going concern throughout the upcoming 12 months.

To address immediate financial obligations, AI Financial secured a $15 million loan from World Liberty Financial in January 2026, receiving $14.2 million following fee deductions. The financing arrangement carries a 4.5% annual interest rate and is secured by WLFI tokens as collateral.

Token Lock-Up Creates Challenges

Despite maintaining hundreds of millions in token assets nominally, AI Financial faces severe constraints in liquidating them. The complete portfolio of 7.28 billion WLFI tokens remains subject to contractual lock-up restrictions. A portion consisting of 3.53 billion tokens cannot be transferred for a 12-month duration. The balance of 3.75 billion tokens requires both shareholder authorization and completed resale registration documentation before any movement is permitted.

WLFI controls approximately 46% of AI Financial’s fully diluted equity position, establishing a dual role as both creditor and substantial shareholder.

AI Financial chairman Zachary Witkoff simultaneously serves as co-founder and CEO of WLFI. Board member Zachary Folkman also holds a WLFI co-founder position.

The corporation has subsequently acquired Block Street Corp. and executed a letter of intent to purchase Dectec, a decentralized technology enterprise.

AIFC shares traded near $0.91 on Tuesday after the filing’s release, declining roughly 9.6% during the trading session. The stock has experienced approximately an 87.5% decline throughout the preceding 12-month period.

The post AI Financial Corp Posts $271M Loss as World Liberty Financial (WLFI) Token Plunges 33% appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• XRP has declined 12% over five trading days, breaching critical support at the $1.40 threshold
• Technical analysis reveals a bear pennant formation on the three-day timeframe projecting a potential move to $0.65
• The Stoch RSI indicator on the weekly chart has triggered its third “death cross” signal since July 2025’s peak
• XRP spot ETF products have maintained positive net inflows for nine consecutive sessions, accumulating $95.5 million
• Weekly flow data shows XRP investment products outperformed both Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs through May 15

XRP faces mounting downward pressure following a 12% retreat over the past five sessions, with the digital asset slipping beneath the crucial $1.40 threshold. Chart patterns suggest additional downside risk may lie ahead, even as institutional participation through ETF vehicles maintains its upward trajectory.

The XRP/USD trading pair has been forming a bear pennant consolidation structure on the three-day timeframe dating back to early February. This technical formation received confirmation when the asset breached the pattern’s lower boundary at $1.40. Based on traditional technical analysis methodology, the measured move from this pattern projects a downside objective near $0.65, representing approximately a 52.5% decline from present trading levels.

Adding to the bearish technical outlook, the weekly Stochastic RSI indicator has generated a death cross configuration. Technical analyst ChartNerd highlighted on X platform that this marks the third occurrence of this particular signal following the all-time high recorded in July 2025.

ChartNerd observed that the two previous death cross formations each led to price corrections approximating 50%. The analyst emphasized that “a failure at the weekly 20 (just retested) or the weekly 50 ($1.80) will likely open the next leg down later in the year.”

The daily Relative Strength Index has deteriorated from 63 to 42 during the past week, indicating accelerating negative momentum.

Examining the hourly timeframe reveals a descending trend line has developed with resistance positioned at $1.3720. XRP currently trades beneath $1.3880 and has slipped below the 100-period Simple Moving Average on the hourly chart.

Critical overhead resistance zones include $1.3650, $1.3720, $1.3940, and $1.40. Bulls would need to achieve a decisive breakthrough above $1.4250 to reverse the near-term bearish bias.

Regarding support levels, the first line of defense appears at $1.3465, with secondary support at $1.3350. Should XRP close below $1.3350, the asset could gravitate toward $1.3220, with $1.3120 representing the next significant level below that.

Market observers have previously identified $1.27 as a pivotal threshold. A definitive break beneath this level could expose XRP to a move toward $1.11, with the psychological $1.00 level potentially coming into focus thereafter.

Institutional Demand Through ETFs Persists

Contrary to the price action, institutional appetite has demonstrated resilience. United States-based XRP spot ETF products registered net inflows of $750,000 on Monday’s trading session, marking the ninth consecutive day of positive flows. Cumulative inflows throughout this nine-day period totaled $95.5 million, elevating overall inflows to approximately $1.4 billion while pushing assets under management to $1.14 billion.

Cryptocurrency analytics account Whale Insider shared on X that “ETF clients buy $1.48 million worth of $XRP, bringing total ETF-held net assets to $1.12 billion.” The observation underscores that institutional accumulation through regulated investment vehicles has persisted throughout the spot market decline.

XRP Investment Products Lead Bitcoin and Ethereum in Weekly Flows

Globally tracked XRP investment products recorded weekly inflows totaling $67.6 million during the period concluding May 15. By contrast, Bitcoin and Ethereum investment vehicles experienced outflows of $981.5 million and $250 million respectively throughout the identical timeframe.

According to SoSoValue tracking data, aggregate XRP ETF assets under management currently stand at $1.14 billion.

The post XRP ETFs See Consistent Institutional Demand Despite 12% Price Drop appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Highlights

• Solana’s native token retreated 15% following rejection at the $98 resistance level on May 11, currently hovering around $85
• Perpetual futures funding rates turned negative at -3%, indicating growing bearish market sentiment
• Weekly DEX transaction volume on Solana declined 56% from January’s $25B to current $11B levels
• Emerging competitors including Hyperliquid and Base are steadily capturing Solana’s market share
• Technical analyst Ali Charts suggests channel breakdown could drive SOL toward the $78 zone

The cryptocurrency Solana has experienced a significant pullback following its unsuccessful attempt to surpass the $98 price point on May 11. Since that rejection, the asset has declined approximately 15%, settling around the $85 mark.

The cryptocurrency touched a low of $83.35 during the selloff before finding temporary support. Currently, SOL is positioned beneath its 100-hour simple moving average, while technical charts reveal a bearish trend line forming resistance at the $85 threshold.

Market analyst Ali Charts highlighted on X that Solana was unable to penetrate the upper boundary of its established trading channel at $98. According to the analyst’s assessment, this failure may lead to a downward retest toward the channel’s lower boundary around $78 — a critical price point now under close observation by market participants.

The most immediate resistance barrier is positioned at $85, followed by a secondary level at $85.80. A more substantial obstacle exists at $88.50, corresponding with the 50% Fibonacci retracement level from the recent downward movement. Should SOL breach the $82 threshold, the subsequent support area lies at $80, with $75 representing the next major floor.

Perpetual Funding Rates Turn Bearish

SOL’s perpetual futures funding rates experienced a dramatic shift to -3% on Tuesday, a sharp contrast from the +8% recorded on Saturday. Typically, this metric hovers around +9% during neutral market conditions. When funding rates enter negative territory, it indicates traders are paying premiums to maintain short positions, demonstrating excessive bearish positioning.

Appetite for long leveraged positions has essentially evaporated since SOL broke below the $90 level during the weekend session.

Network Activity and Revenue Show Weakness

Transaction volumes across Solana’s decentralized exchange ecosystem have contracted by 56% since the beginning of January. Current weekly DEX volumes register at $11 billion, representing less than half of the $25 billion recorded at the year’s start.

Revenue generated by decentralized applications on the Solana network has similarly deteriorated, falling from approximately $35 million weekly in January to roughly $20 million per week presently. The leading revenue-producing applications on the network — Pump, Axiom Pro, Phantom, and Jupiter — collectively control approximately 65% of the platform’s DApp market share.

Despite these declines, Solana has maintained its position as the second-largest blockchain by total value locked (TVL) with $5.9 billion, staying ahead of BNB Chain’s $5.5 billion and Base’s $4.5 billion.

Hyperliquid has positioned itself as a significant rival through its commanding presence in the perpetual contracts market. Meanwhile, the Ethereum layer-2 solution Base continues expanding its footprint thanks to deep integration with Coinbase’s infrastructure.

A detailed investigation shared by X user lukecannon727 raised concerns about potential volume manipulation on PreStocks, a synthetic asset platform operating on Solana. The research discovered that 1,600 wallet addresses were responsible for nearly 63% of platform volumes, exhibiting patterns that could indicate either arbitrage strategies or artificially inflated trading activity.

SOL is presently trading in the vicinity of $85, with market participants closely monitoring the $82–$83.50 range as critical near-term support territory.

The post Solana (SOL) Faces Sharp Decline After $98 Resistance — What’s Next for Traders? appeared first on Blockonomi.

Key Takeaways

• A top executive from Union Investment stated that Tether and USDC don’t meet the criteria for genuine stablecoins because of their exposure to gold and bitcoin.
• Circle’s USDC experienced a significant de-pegging event in 2023, falling to $0.87 during financial turbulence.
• Between them, Tether and Circle dominate approximately 90% of the worldwide stablecoin ecosystem.
• The Bank for International Settlements cautions that Treasury-heavy reserves might prove insufficient during large-scale redemption scenarios.
• American and European authorities are advancing toward implementing banking-level regulations for stablecoin providers.

The stablecoin landscape is dominated by two players: Tether and Circle’s USD Coin. Combined, these entities represent nearly 90% of the entire stablecoin circulation globally. However, an increasing chorus of financial professionals and regulatory bodies is questioning whether these digital assets are genuinely as secure as advertised.

During the Digital Money Summit 2026 held in London, Christoph Hock — who leads Tokenization and Digital Assets at Union Investment, a German asset management powerhouse overseeing approximately $620 billion — issued a provocative statement: neither Tether nor USDC qualifies as an authentic stablecoin.

Hock’s argument centers on the underlying collateral structure. Tether maintains substantial positions in precious metals and cryptocurrency in addition to government securities. By January 2026, Tether’s gold reserves reached approximately 148 tonnes, valued at around $23 billion, ranking it among the world’s top 30 institutional gold holders.

According to Hock, this asset allocation resembles a speculative investment vehicle rather than a reliable cash substitute. “When looking at the invested assets of Tether, they have massive holdings in gold, they have massive holdings in bitcoin,” he said.

De-Pegging Events Demonstrate Vulnerability

USDC has already demonstrated these vulnerabilities in practice. Following the failure of a cryptocurrency-focused banking institution in early 2023, USDC’s value plummeted to $0.87. Additional instability occurred in March 2024, when the token dropped to $0.74 on three distinct occasions amid broader market volatility.

Hock emphasized that such price swings are unacceptable for institutional market participants who depend on stablecoins for routine cash settlement operations. A double-digit percentage loss on what should function as a cash-equivalent position creates unacceptable risks for corporate treasury departments.

He further highlighted the potential for government intervention, citing historical precedents and warning that USDC’s structural design could expose taxpayers to significant liability during severe market stress.

Treasury Holdings Don’t Guarantee Liquidity

Additional concerns emerged from the Bank for International Settlements. The BIS highlighted that Tether ranked as the seventh-largest acquirer of United States Treasury securities in 2024, accumulating $33.1 billion in net purchases throughout the year.

Yet the institution cautioned that holding high-quality assets doesn’t address the fundamental challenge: conversion velocity. In the event of a mass exodus, even a reserve portfolio consisting primarily of Treasury bills might not convert to cash quickly enough to satisfy redemption demands.

Conventional money market funds incorporate safeguards specifically for such circumstances — including liquidity charges and withdrawal restrictions. Most stablecoin issuers currently operate without comparable regulatory requirements in the majority of jurisdictions.

Regulatory Frameworks Taking Shape

Both the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve have identified systemic vulnerabilities. The Fed has additionally observed that if consumers migrate savings from traditional bank deposits into stablecoins, financial institutions lose essential funding streams, introducing novel risks throughout the banking system.

Given that two corporations command nearly the entire stablecoin marketplace, American and European regulators are now advocating for banking-equivalent supervision of stablecoin issuers, encompassing reserve requirements, audit protocols, and potential redemption mechanisms.

The post Wall Street Questions Whether Tether and USDC Are Really ‘Stable’ at All appeared first on Blockonomi.

TLDR

• Trump Media & Technology Group has canceled its SEC filings for a spot Bitcoin ETF and a combined Bitcoin-Ethereum ETF.
• Yorkville America, the fund sponsor, characterizes this as a tactical decision — planning to refile under the Investment Company Act of 1940 structure.
• The cancellation coincides with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs experiencing $648.6 million in net withdrawals on May 18, 2025.
• BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF recorded the steepest single-day decline, bleeding $448.4 million in investor capital.
• Market observers, including a Bloomberg analyst, point to intensifying fee competition, particularly Morgan Stanley’s ultra-low 14 basis point fund, as a potential factor.

Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent entity operating the Truth Social platform, has rescinded its filings for two cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The organization submitted withdrawal notices for both its Truth Social Bitcoin ETF and its Truth Social Bitcoin & Ethereum ETF. These applications were initially submitted in June 2025 utilizing Form S-1 under the Securities Act of 1933.

According to the withdrawal documentation, the company explained it “has determined to withdraw the Registration Statement and not to pursue the public offering at this time.”

The SEC had not approved either fund for launch. No investor shares were distributed for either proposed product.

The Strategic Rationale Behind the Withdrawal

Yorkville America, serving as both sponsor and investment advisor for the planned funds, characterized the withdrawal as a deliberate strategic maneuver.

The organization intends to resubmit applications under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (commonly referenced as the ’40 Act) instead of the ’33 Act framework initially selected.

Steve Neamtz, who serves as president of Yorkville America, explained that the ’40 Act “allows us to bring more differentiated investment strategies to our investors that are not possible under the ’33 Act framework.”

The ’40 Act establishes regulations for investment company structure and operations, whereas the ’33 Act primarily addresses initial public securities offerings.

Yorkville maintains that the ’40 Act framework provides enhanced investor safeguards, superior tax advantages, and increased operational transparency.

Market Competition Emerges as Potential Factor

James Seyffart, a Bloomberg Research Analyst specializing in ETF markets, suggested an alternative explanation for the withdrawal.

He highlighted the escalating fee competition within the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF marketplace. Morgan Stanley introduced its Bitcoin ETF in recent weeks with an expense ratio of merely 14 basis points — establishing a new low among all U.S. Bitcoin ETF offerings.

This competitively priced fund has captured over $230 million in investor capital, surpassing both Hashdex and WisdomTree’s Bitcoin funds in total assets under management.

The SEC granted initial approval for spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024. Subsequently, these investment vehicles have collectively attracted more than $57.7 billion in total inflows.

Single Day Sees $648 Million Exodus From Bitcoin ETFs

The application withdrawal occurred during the same week that U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced a dramatic reversal in institutional investment flows.

On May 18, 2025, spot Bitcoin ETFs collectively registered $648.6 million in net capital outflows within a 24-hour period.

BlackRock’s Bitcoin fund experienced the most substantial outflow, with $448.4 million departing the investment vehicle. Fidelity’s offering shed $63.4 million. ARK Invest’s Bitcoin ETF witnessed $109.6 million in redemptions.

Bitwise, VanEck, Invesco, and Franklin Templeton similarly reported capital withdrawals on that date. WisdomTree and Valkyrie registered neither inflows nor outflows.

Every significant Bitcoin ETF product documented either capital outflows or neutral activity on May 18.

The post Trump Media Scraps Bitcoin ETF Plans — What’s Behind the Sudden Withdrawal? appeared first on Blockonomi.

CNBC has published its updated list for the top 50 disruptor companies for 2026, and there’s only one blockchain- or crypto-related firm in it – Ripple.

The entity behind XRP was described as ‘new money,’ and it’s positioned as the 16th most disruptive company.

Ripple Makes the List

It’s worth noting that this is far from the first time Ripple has been included in this list. Recall that one of the first examples was in 2021 when it took the 38th spot. Since then, though, the firm has climbed steadily, and the new ranking, updated yesterday, shows that it has risen to the 16th spot with a brief explanation of what it does: ‘new money.’

On its way up, Ripple has surpassed some other notable names such as Samsara Eco, Canva, Carbon Robotics, Applied Intuition, Lila Sciences, Waabi, Revolut, Perplexity, and WHOOP. Ripple is the only company or project from the cryptocurrency/blockchain niche.

AI Domination

Given the major growth in the AI sector, a large portion of the companies in this list are from that industry. In fact, the leader in 2026 is Anthropic, which was described as “AI’s new No 1.” OpenAI follows suit, and Databricks (the infrastructure of the AI enterprise) is in third.

“The domination of AI as a theme has not changed, but it has intensified and it is increasingly being reflected in the top-heavy nature of the Disruptor 50. Forty-three of the 50 companies in the 2026 list class say AI is essential to their disruptive business models. Total funding across the 2026 Disruptors rose to $337 billion, up from $127 billion in 2025 — an increase of more than 2.5x. Total implied valuation, skewed by the massive sums being raised by the top AI firms, climbed to $2.4 trillion from $798 billion, roughly tripling year over year.”

XRP Goes Viral

Shortly after CNBC’s updated rankings went viral, Santiment Intelligence published a post outlining why certain cryptocurrencies are trending now. For XRP, the reasoning was its “long-term role in cross-border payments versus replacement by stablecoins or alternative rails.”

The analytics firm stated that Reddit discussions have focused on Ripple’s strategic moves, such as stablecoin experiments like RLUSD, token issuance, acquisitions, and fundraising, against concerns about supply dynamics, institutional adoption or exits, and possible corporate selling.

The post ‘New Money’ Ripple (XRP) Ranked Ahead of Revolut, Perplexity in Prestigious CNBC List appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The latest highly anticipated protocol update for Pi Network has not gone live yet, even though the official deadline set by the team expired days ago.

In the meantime, the native digital asset tried to rebound yesterday, but it was halted in its tracks and is down below another key support level.

Pi Update Goes Live

After the successful deployment of version 22, announced on May 1, the team behind the project noted that the next major upgrade should be completed by May 15. That date came and went, but there was no official confirmation from them, only some contradicting comments on X, whether it was or it wasn’t implemented.

The team finally shed some more light on its progress a few hours ago, indicating that “most major Nodes” had upgraded to version 23. After it said “big kudos” to those Mainnet Node operators who had successfully upgraded to the new version, it admitted that not all have done so and the protocol is still “expected to move to v23 soon.”

The team described the new update as one of the “most challenging” to date, as it involves multiple “subsystem upgrades and optimizations that required internal data processing.”

Big kudos to Mainnet Node operators for upgrading to v23.

Most major Nodes have now been upgraded, and the protocol is expected to move to v23 soon.

This was one of the most challenging upgrades to date, as it involved multiple subsystem upgrades and optimizations that…

— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) May 20, 2026

Ahead of the expected version 23, the team successfully implemented version 22 in early May, as mentioned above; version 21 in April; version 20.2 in late March; and versions 19.9 and 19.6 in early March and late February, respectively.

PI Recovery Halted

The protocol’s native token has been in a free-fall state for weeks now. It was rejected at $0.20 at the end of February and lost a few key support levels on its way down to under $0.15. It plunged to $0.145 a couple of days ago before the bulls briefly stepped up yesterday as the asset bounced to $0.155.

That recovery attempt couldn’t last long, and even with the minor market uptick seen in the past hour or so, PI has fallen beneath $0.15 once again. Its weekly losses are at over 18%, and its market cap is well below $1.6 billion, making it the 54th-largest cryptocurrency by that metric.

The post Breaking Pi Network News: New Update Delayed as PI Price Recovery Stalls appeared first on CryptoPotato.

ETH trader sentiment just reached its most bearish level since the 2023 bear market, reported CryptoQuant analyst ‘Darkfost’ on Tuesday. The metric has been measured using the Binance taker buy/sell ratio, which has fallen back to levels not seen since September 2023, when ETH had fallen to $1,600.

“This highlights how much trader sentiment toward Ethereum has deteriorated over recent weeks.”

Bearish Calls Mounting Up

The weekly ratio has fallen to 0.91, which means sellers are dominating Binance futures order books. “In other words, aggressive sell orders are significantly outweighing buyers,” they said.

Ether has traded in a broad range for the past five years, but it remains weak at the lower bounds of this range despite solid fundamentals, which is not a healthy sign.

“Although these situations remain difficult to anticipate precisely, a market positioned too heavily in one direction can sometimes create the conditions for a sharp move against consensus.”

Analyst ‘Daan’ observed on Wednesday that ETH had returned to a major support/resistance level “after messy price action the past month.”

“This level, just like $2.8K, has proven very actionable and important for ETH over the past few years,” he said. Losing this level could send Ether back below $2,000 again.

$ETH After messy price action the past month, it is now back at the major $2.1K support/resistance level.

This level, just like $2.8K, has proven very actionable and important for ETH over the past few years.

Definitely an area to look at closely. A bounce & higher low here… pic.twitter.com/fRlAnmkT7V

— Daan Crypto Trades (@DaanCrypto) May 19, 2026

“Ethereum is retesting its rising trendline support while momentum indicators continue printing weakness,” said trader Kamaran Asghar.

“The structure is still holding for now, but sellers are gaining pressure. If ETH loses this level cleanly, a bigger move down could follow fast.”

Macro trader Rafaela Rigo remained ultra bearish, telling her 164,000 X followers, “I am still highly expecting ETH to reach $800 during this bear market,” calling for a major market reset.

ETH Price Outlook

The outlook is not pretty with Ether losing 8% over the past seven days, and falling to an intraday and six-week low just below $2,100 in late trading on Tuesday.

There has been no attempt at recovery despite positive news from the United States, as the Senate advanced a bill to potentially end the war in Iran.

$2,000 is the next support zone, and it is painfully obvious what happens if that level breaks. Its previous low on Feb. 6 was just above $1,800.

The post Ether Trader Sentiment Falls to Lowest Level in 3 Years as Bearish Calls Mount appeared first on CryptoPotato.

The leading US-based cryptocurrency exchange warned its users that they may experience certain disruptions this weekend.

The company has recently drawn significant attention after cutting staff and introducing a series of platform adjustments and other developments.

Attention This Saturday

Coinbase has scheduled a system upgrade for Saturday (May 23), which is estimated to last approximately half an hour. The team explained that during this time, trading will not be impacted, while order status updates across all markets may be delayed. The company promised to provide updates as the maintenance progresses.

These types of upgrades are fairly standard and typically not a cause for alarm. In October last year, for instance, Coinbase went temporarily offline due to a similar reason, and there were no reports of major complications.

Another disruption was witnessed earlier this month. Certain Coinbase users found themselves unable to complete transactions, while others experienced degraded service speeds due to an AWS overheating issue. The exchange swiftly diagnosed the problem and began working to “re-enable” trading across its markets.

Some users noted on social media that the outage happened shortly after Coinvase disclosed it was cutting its global workforce by 14%. CEO Brian Armstrong cited ongoing market volatility and the rapid pace of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the main reasons for the decision.

Further Developments

Apart from the aforementioned news, Coinbase made the headlines after becoming the official treasury deployer of USDC under Hyperliquid’s Aligned Quote Asset (AQA) framework.

Under this role, the exchange will handle USDC liquidity directly for the protocol, helping strengthen its on-chain financial operations. The collaboration also positions Coinbase as a key contributor to the growing decentralized derivatives ecosystem.

For its part, Hyperliquid revealed that both Coinbase and Circle have agreed to stake HYPE tokens to support the activation of AQAv2 (the next upgrade to the Aligned Quote Asset (AQA) on the decentralized exchange).

Coinbase has also carried out some delisting efforts. Last week, it scrapped six non-USD trading pairs, including ICP/USDT and ICP/GBP. This was followed by a 10% price decline for Internet Computer to just under $3. The asset failed to rebound and extended its losses over the next few days, currently hovering near $2.50.

The post Coinbase Warns of Possible Weekend Disruptions: What You Need to Know appeared first on CryptoPotato.

Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has responded to increasing concerns that AI-based bug hunting will overwhelm developers and create non-stop exploitation opportunities on blockchains.

According to him, in the near future, the use of this technology might actually make crypto systems more secure. He says that AI-assisted formal verification may become one of the strongest defenses against security failures in crypto and internet infrastructure.

AI Could Strengthen Security Instead of Breaking It

Formal verification is the practice of writing mathematical proofs about software that a computer can automatically verify instead of people reviewing them. This concept has been available for decades; however, it has never caught on because generating such proofs manually was rather tedious for software developers, so many of them never bothered.

Now, Buterin is saying that AI has changed this equation, and instead of developers writing the proofs themselves, they can ask an AI to write both the code and accompanying proofs. They then simply check that the final statement proved is actually the thing they wanted to prove.

The developer described a scenario where AI models become powerful enough to automate finding bugs in existing code and then asked what that would mean for systems where a single flaw can cost users everything.

His answer was that formal verification, done end-to-end, lets you mathematically prove that a piece of code behaves exactly as intended, so that a sufficiently powerful AI looking for flaws would be looking at code that has already been proven not to have them.

He also called out specific Ethereum infrastructure projects where this approach is already being attempted. One of them is Arklib, which is working toward a fully formally verified STARK implementation. Another is evm-asm, which is building an EVM written in low-level RISC-V assembly and verifying its correctness against a human-readable reference implementation.

On the question of which AI models are actually useful for this, Buterin said he found Claude and Deepseek 4 Pro both sufficient for writing Lean proofs.

He also flagged Leanstral, a smaller open-weights model fine-tuned specifically for Lean, as capable of running locally and outperforming much larger general-purpose models on formal verification benchmarks.

But There Are Limitations

Despite his enthusiasm for formal verification, Buterin also devoted a substantial part of his essay to explaining the ways it has failed in practice.

This includes bugs in verified compilers; libraries where only part of the code was proven, and the unproven parts turned out to be the problem; and specifications that were technically proven but simply did not capture what the developer actually wanted to guarantee.

However, his broader framing is that formal verification is not a replacement for all security practices but one powerful tool in a longer-running trend toward fewer bugs per line of code.

The background is relevant here, considering that on the day Buterin’s post appeared, the crypto sector was reeling from a third major exploit in just four days after a hacker made off with more than $76 million worth of crypto from the cross-chain bridge of the Echo Protocol.

Days earlier, reports emerged regarding a hack on THORChain, which cost the platform more than $10 million.

Another attack happened after that one, targeting the Verus-Ethereum Bridge, whereby a hacker took advantage of the lack of a validation check to steal $11.58 million. That is the kind of specific, localized flaw that a formal proof check may have caught.

The post Vitalik Buterin Says AI Could Strengthen Crypto Security appeared first on CryptoPotato.