News

Privacy tokens Zcash (ZEC) and Monero (XMR) led crypto declines, dropping 5.2% and 4% respectively, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East impacted markets, according to CoinDesk. The pullback is seen as profit-taking after recent rallies driven by institutional interest and a renewed focus on privacy tokens. Meanwhile, Hyperliquid's HYPE token briefly surpassed Dogecoin's market cap before retreating. Broader crypto markets remained rangebound, with Bitcoin trading near $76,500 and Ethereum at $2,087, as US strikes on Iran lifted oil prices and the dollar.

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated on March 20, 2026, that the GENIUS Act restricts stablecoin issuers from directly paying interest to users. According to NS3.AI, Allaire highlighted the ongoing debate regarding whether distributors are allowed to offer rewards.

According to the announcement from Binance, the Binance Wallet has launched a new feature called Event Rush, allowing users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events. This innovative feature, powered by the 42.space protocol on the BNB Chain, transforms real-world outcomes into tradable tokens. Users can engage in a dynamic trading experience where timing and accuracy are crucial. Each event, such as a sports match, offers a set of possible results, each represented by an Event Token. Traders can purchase these tokens using USDT on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC).
Event Rush offers two main strategies for token holders. Traders can sell their Event Tokens before the event concludes, with token prices fluctuating based on demand. Alternatively, they can hold their tokens until settlement. If the chosen outcome is correct, traders receive a share of the entire prize pool, proportional to their holdings of the winning Event Tokens. The feature boasts an uncapped upside, with winners splitting the full prize pool. The larger the losing side, the greater the potential win. Token prices are determined by a Bonding Curve based on trading activity, ensuring continuous trading without liquidity gaps.
Event Rush covers a wide range of events, including sports results, crypto price targets, and news outcomes, with new events added regularly. To participate, users must open the Binance Wallet, navigate to the new Events tab, select an event, and purchase the desired Event Token using their USDT balance on BSC. A service fee applies to every transaction, and a dynamic exit fee, known as the Redeem Tax, is charged when selling close to the event's end date. Event Rush is available to all verified Binance Wallet users, though access may be restricted in certain regions due to legal and regulatory requirements.

Robinhood has received approval from Canadian investment regulators to acquire crypto services company WonderFi. According to Foresight News, WonderFi offers products related to crypto trading, staking, and custody. The acquisition was initially scheduled for completion in the latter half of last year, but the parties extended the closing date to June 1 this year to allow Robinhood more time to deploy its proprietary technology in Canada and secure regulatory approval.

Pendle has launched a new apxUSD pool on the BNB Chain, offering a fixed yield currently exceeding 13%. According to NS3.AI, this synthetic dollar is supported by preferred shares in Strive and Strategy, with a maturity date set for November 2026.

US consumer sentiment dropped to 44.8 in May, as reported by the University of Michigan. According to NS3.AI, this marks the third consecutive monthly decline, approaching the record low observed in June 2022. The survey also indicated an increase in both one-year and long-term inflation expectations.

Binance Blog published a new article, announcing a strategic partnership with BlockShoals Technologies Inc. under the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Strategic Sandbox, or StratBox, framework. This collaboration aims to foster a compliant and responsible digital-asset ecosystem in the Philippines by leveraging Binance's global expertise and BlockShoals' local regulatory approval. The initiative is designed to create a controlled environment for financial innovation, allowing new models to be tested responsibly within a structured regulatory framework.
BlockShoals, a Philippine-registered company, has been approved under the SEC’s Crypto Asset Intermediary framework within the sandbox structure, making it the designated local intermediary. Binance supports this effort by providing its global infrastructure, security systems, and compliance experience from various regulated markets. This partnership underscores Binance's commitment to user protection, regulatory engagement, and building a secure digital-asset ecosystem in the Philippines. The SEC’s leadership in creating pathways for responsible innovation is appreciated, as frameworks like StratBox enable regulators and industry participants to collaborate constructively while maintaining a focus on investor protection and market integrity.
The collaboration between Binance and BlockShoals combines the latter's approved local role with Binance's global infrastructure and operational experience. This synergy is intended to support the testing of a tailored Binance platform experience for users in the Philippines within the sandbox environment. Initially, BlockShoals will proceed under its approved testing plan before expanding to a broader rollout with product configurations tailored for the Philippine market. Nicholas Te, CEO of BlockShoals, emphasized the partnership's potential to demonstrate how global digital-asset platforms and local regulatory frameworks can work together constructively, focusing on building a secure and locally accountable platform for Filipino users.
The Philippines has consistently ranked among leading markets in global crypto adoption studies, reflecting strong grassroots engagement with digital assets and related technologies. This creates significant opportunities but also highlights the importance of building with care. Sustainable ecosystem growth depends on trust, compliance, security, and a constructive working relationship with regulators and local stakeholders. The sandbox phase is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 and continue for a minimum of two years, aligning with the SEC’s framework. This timeline reflects a measured, supervised approach focused on responsible testing, providing room to meet regulatory milestones and support a more durable foundation for users in the Philippines.
Through this partnership, Binance and BlockShoals aim to bring together local regulatory participation and global operational experience to support long-term ecosystem development. The focus remains on transparency and alignment with the country’s evolving regulatory framework, ensuring a secure and trusted user experience within the Philippine market.

Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital has announced the blocking of the prediction market platform Polymarket, labeling it as an online gambling platform. According to Foresight News, the ministry stated that Polymarket's activities involve betting and speculation on uncertain events, which contravenes Indonesian law. The platform recently launched a betting market on when Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto would 'leave office,' drawing significant attention on Indonesian social media. Communication Ministry official Alexander Sabar noted that the government is scrutinizing all social media accounts associated with Polymarket.

JPYC has announced the launch of Japan's inaugural service allowing credit card points to be converted into stablecoins. According to NS3.AI, this service will be available starting June 1 and will cater to Diners Club and TRUST CLUB cardholders.

According to the announcement from Binance, the platform is set to expand its trading options by introducing five new perpetual contracts on Binance Futures. These contracts are scheduled to launch on May 26, 2026, at various times throughout the day. The new contracts include NBISUSDT, WDCUSDT, ARMUSDT, BEUSDT, and COHRUSDT, each tracking the performance of specific underlying equities or indices.
The NBISUSDT Perpetual Contract will track the price of Nebius Group N.V. Class A Ordinary Shares listed on Nasdaq under the ticker NBIS. Similarly, the WDCUSDT contract will follow Western Digital Corporation Common Stock, also on Nasdaq. The ARMUSDT contract is linked to Arm Holdings plc American Depositary Shares, while the BEUSDT and COHRUSDT contracts will track Bloom Energy Corporation Class A Common Stock and Coherent Corp. Common Stock, respectively, both listed on the NYSE.
Each of these contracts will be settled in USDT, with a tick size of 0.01 and a minimum trade amount of 0.01 units of the underlying asset. The minimum notional value for trading is set at 5 USDT. The contracts will feature a capped funding rate of +2.00% / -2.00%, with funding fees settled every eight hours. The interest rate of the funding rate is set at 0%, and the maximum leverage available for these contracts is 20x. Trading will be available 24/7, and the Multi-Assets Mode will be supported.
These additions aim to enhance the trading experience by providing more diverse options for users on the Binance Futures platform. The launch of these contracts reflects Binance's ongoing efforts to expand its offerings and cater to the evolving needs of its users.

Strategy has repurchased approximately $1.5 billion of its own convertible bonds below face value, opting not to invest in Bitcoin this week. According to NS3.AI, the company paid about $1.38 billion in cash for the repurchase, resulting in savings of around $120 million. Michael Saylor, the company's executive chairman, described this decision as a temporary measure.

South Korea has amended its Foreign Exchange Transactions Act to mandate businesses to register before engaging in cross-border virtual asset transfers. According to NS3.AI, the bill was passed by the National Assembly on May 7 and received approval in a cabinet meeting on May 26. The law is set to be promulgated on June 2 and will come into effect six months thereafter.

According to the announcement from Binance, starting on 2026-06-01 at 08:00 (UTC), the platform will suspend deposits and withdrawals of tokens on the SEI network. This suspension is to facilitate the network's migration to the SEIEVM network. After this time, Binance will no longer support deposits and withdrawals for tokens on the SEI network.
The trading of tokens on the SEI network will remain unaffected during this transition. Binance has assured users that it will manage all technical requirements necessary for the migration. Once the migration is complete, deposits and withdrawals of the Sei (SEI) token will only be supported via the SEIEVM network. Binance has stated that no further announcements will be made regarding this migration process.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced that the Ethereum Foundation (EF) will prioritize 'longevity over breadth,' reduce ETH sales, and concentrate on CROPS: censorship resistance, openness, privacy, and security. According to CoinDesk, Buterin's influence within the EF will diminish as the board expands, aligning with his vision of the EF as 'one node, with a defined purpose.' He emphasized that maximizing throughput could lead to mediocrity, advocating instead for Ethereum to excel in the CROPS dimension. The announcement follows the departure of several senior EF contributors in 2026.

Squid, a cross-chain routing protocol, has clarified its involvement in a recent attack reported by Blockaid. According to Foresight News, Squid stated that the SquidRouterModule implicated in the attack was not developed, deployed, or operated by them. Instead, it was a third-party Gnosis Safe module that chose to integrate with protocols like Squid, with no prior connection between the parties.
Squid explained that the third-party module contained a vulnerability, accepting a fixed string provided by the caller for message security verification. Attackers exploited this by using the publicly visible string in the contract's verified code to execute arbitrary call data and steal funds. Squid emphasized that its own routing contract (0xce16F) is architecturally different from the affected module and remains unaffected, ensuring the safety of user funds, authorizations, and integrations.

AI economic engine B.AI has announced a collaboration with BNB Chain to launch an AI Token subsidy event, with an additional $8,000 prize pool. The event will run until June 8. According to ChainCatcher, the initiative includes several incentives: new users receive a reward of 500,000 Credits upon first login, and users who recharge $10 using BNB Chain can enjoy a 1:1 credit return, with a maximum of $100 equivalent Credits per person and a daily total limit of $10,000. Additionally, a $5 BNB official subsidy is available on a first-come, first-served basis. During the event, a 'Credit Consumption Competition' with a total prize of $3,000 will be held in two phases. The 'Milestone Leaderboard' will start when 500 participants recharge, offering rewards for users who consume 20 million, 60 million, and 200 million Credits, with prize pools of $1,000, $500, and $500 respectively. The 'Ultimate Leaderboard' will begin when 30 high-level participants are reached, with the top ten consumers sharing a $1,000 prize pool. All rewards from the consumption competition will be distributed as equivalent Credits, valid for 30 days.

Facet co-founder has proposed the inclusion of EIP-8182 in the upcoming Ethereum Hegota upgrade. According to PANews, this proposal aims to introduce native privacy transfer features for ETH and ERC-20 tokens. The upgrade would utilize a UTXO architecture combined with zero-knowledge proofs to enhance anonymity through a unified privacy pool.

As of May 19, global public companies collectively hold approximately 1.242 million BTC, valued at around $95.6 billion, marking a 67% increase from the previous year's 742,900 BTC. According to ChainCatcher, the number of public companies holding BTC has risen to 196. Additionally, these companies hold about 6.03 million ETH, with BitMine accounting for approximately 4.32 million ETH. In contrast, the South Korean corporate crypto investment market remains largely closed, with related pilot measures progressing slowly.

Tether has announced a collaboration with the Georgian government to introduce the GEL₮ stablecoin. According to Foresight News, GEL₮ is designed to serve as a digital representation of the Georgian Lari. The initiative aims to reduce transaction costs, enable near-instant settlements, support programmable payments, and enhance the efficiency of value flow within the digital financial system.

Cryptocurrency has become part of the investment portfolios for 16% of Brazilian investors, according to Foresight News. A report by Livecoins indicates that 56% of respondents who have never invested in crypto assets are interested in entering the market in the future. Additionally, 61% of Brazilians view Bitcoin's price drops as buying opportunities, with this sentiment rising to 79% among those already holding crypto assets.
However, the report highlights challenges in the crypto market, as 62% of respondents find cryptocurrency terminology difficult to understand, and 76% believe the market is overly complex. Furthermore, 55% of respondents consider whether a platform is regulated as the most important factor when choosing a crypto investment platform.

xAI has announced the release of the beta version of Grok Build, available to SuperGrok and X Premium+ subscribers. According to Foresight News, users can utilize Plan Mode to create images and videos with Imagine, and employ CLI for building automation or orchestrators.

Aave has announced the completion of the final transfer of rsETH to the LayerZero lockbox as part of its recovery plan. According to NS3.AI, Aave confirmed that both rsETH and all Aave markets are functioning normally.

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, following his visit to India, addressed the media today, May 26, regarding the U.S. military's recent 'defensive strikes' in southern Iran. According to Odaily, Rubio stressed the necessity of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, stating, 'The strait must remain open, and it will be open in some way.' He also mentioned that negotiations on the wording of an agreement with Iran might take a few more days.

Bitcoin has entered a sideways trend, according to Glassnode, after fluctuating between $79,000 and $74,000 before rebounding to $77,000. According to NS3.AI, the firm's profitability metrics indicate a bearish sentiment, as the Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) has declined and more transactions are being realized at a loss.

BitRing, a project selected for the tenth season of the BNB Chain MVB Accelerator, has announced the upcoming launch of its genesis airdrop test. According to ChainCatcher, the top 10,000 users in this test will share a reward of 1,000,000 BRT tokens.
BitRing allows users to engage in 'fitness mining' using smart wearable devices like Apple Watch and WHOOP to earn BRT tokens. The protocol's development is 90% complete, and the BRT Protocol is set to enter its internal testing phase, with participants able to claim 100 tBRT test tokens.
Additionally, BitRing plans to introduce a live-streaming fitness coach recommendation system, open ambassador program recruitment, and explore the development of personalized medical AI models based on real health data.

A new type of fileless remote access trojan (RAT) named RemotePE has been identified by cybersecurity analysts, according to ChainCatcher. The malware is reportedly being used by the North Korean-linked cybercrime group Lazarus Group to attack banks and cryptocurrency companies. RemotePE operates entirely in memory, making it difficult for traditional antivirus and forensic tools to detect. Attackers impersonate trading company employees on Telegram, using fake Calendly and Picktime links for social engineering attacks. The malware is deployed in three stages—DPAPILoader, RemotePELoader, and RemotePE—without touching the file system, employing process hollowing, anti-analysis checks, and encrypted C2 communications to evade detection.
The malware was first discovered in September 2025. In the first four months of 2026, the Lazarus Group has stolen approximately $577 million in crypto assets, accounting for 76% of the global total of crypto thefts. Since 2017, the group has accumulated a total of $6 billion in stolen funds.

Base recently shared a promotional video on X, showcasing a blue mascot. According to NS3.AI, this has led community users to speculate about the possibility of a BASE airdrop snapshot or a teaser for a new payment-related product.

According to PANews, there is a growing call within the industry to halt misleading 'decentralization' marketing practices. The emphasis is on being transparent about the trade-offs between decentralization and centralization. Additionally, labeling operational security and trust assumptions is being highlighted as a key competitive advantage for the future.

Enflux reports that while there is interest in the market, no significant increase in size is being observed. According to CoinDesk, Glassnode data indicates a reduction in selling pressure, although market activity remains subdued. This suggests a cautious approach among market participants despite the presence of potential buyers.

Goldman Sachs has maintained its 'buy' rating for Hesai Technology, with a target price of HKD 273 for its Hong Kong shares and USD 35 for its U.S. shares. According to Jin10, following the release of first-quarter results for 2026, the company provided order guidance indicating that revenue from its SGI business is expected to slow to RMB 1 billion by 2027-2030 due to uncertain market conditions. The bank has raised its net profit forecast for 2026-2030 by up to 14%, thus maintaining its target price and rating. The company's first-quarter revenue and gross profit met expectations, while EBIT exceeded Goldman Sachs' expectations by 47% and market expectations by 63%, primarily due to reduced operating expenses. Hesai Technology also launched its SGI segment, which is expected to generate approximately RMB 100 million in revenue by 2026 and aim for RMB 500 million by 2027. The SGI segment is anticipated to achieve higher recurring revenue and profit margins through software and platform usage. Looking ahead, the bank expects gradual improvements in sales volume, profit margins, and earnings levels. For the full year 2026, revenue is projected to grow by 50%, with a gross margin of 40%. Due to ongoing operational leverage, EBIT is expected to increase by 139% year-on-year, with the EBIT margin rising from 9% in 2025 to 15%.

Stable, a blockchain focused on stablecoin payments, has introduced StableEarn, marking its entry into the asset management sector. According to Foresight News, the first vault has been launched on Morpho. Stable stated that the product targets neobanks, fintech companies, payment processors, and individual users.
The initial vault is designed and managed by crypto risk management firm Gauntlet, which allocates deposited assets to the Morpho lending market while overseeing fund limits and redistribution. The vault is supported by Theo, an institutional-grade real-world asset yield platform. The strategy includes offering tokenized exposure to U.S. Treasury bills through thBILL, interest-bearing gold tokens backed by loans to jewelers via thGOLD, and interest-bearing stablecoins based on gold derivatives through thUSD.

Bitcoin maintained its position around $76,500 during mid-day trading in Hong Kong, as market activity remained subdued following the long weekend in the U.S. According to NS3.AI, Enflux noted that while there are still bids in the market, traders are refraining from increasing their positions.

Bitcoin's implied volatility has dropped to 36%, marking its lowest level in nearly eight months, indicating market expectations of continued short-term fluctuations for BTC. According to ChainCatcher, while a decrease in volatility does not inherently signal market direction, current derivatives market data suggests a potential over-concentration of short positions. If BTC surpasses $82,000, it could trigger a significant short squeeze.
CoinGlass's liquidation heatmap reveals a concentration of BTC short positions in the $78,000–$83,000 range. Meanwhile, BTC has struggled to reclaim the $90,000 mark for nearly four months, leading some shorts to adopt a more bearish outlook. Additionally, Glassnode data shows that the 30-day options Delta Skew for BTC remains at 14%, indicating a notable premium on put options compared to call options, reflecting professional traders' concerns over BTC's downside risk.
The market has partially priced in expectations for BTC to retest $72,000. However, a breakout above $82,000 could potentially trigger a more intense wave of leveraged short covering.

KOSDAQ-listed Parataxis Ethereum has expanded its Ethereum holdings by acquiring an additional 310 ETH on May 22. According to NS3.AI, this purchase increased its total holdings from 8,691 ETH to 9,001 ETH, establishing Parataxis Ethereum as Asia's largest publicly traded holder of Ethereum.

Gold prices are expected to face short-term pressure due to declining market expectations for U.S. interest rate cuts, according to Michael Widmer, Managing Director and Head of Metals Research at Bank of America. Despite this, the bank maintains a bullish outlook on gold, reiterating its forecast for gold prices to rise to $6,000 per ounce within the next 12 months.
According to ChainCatcher, the current pressure on gold is linked to market repricing of inflation risks and the U.S. interest rate path, especially in the context of rising energy prices due to the Middle East conflict. However, gold is anticipated to continue its upward trend, supported by ongoing central bank purchases, a resurgence in investor demand, and weakening economic growth indicators.

Goldman Sachs has raised its target price for NetEase-S (09999.HK) on the Hong Kong stock market by 3.8%, increasing it from HKD 250 to HKD 260. The target price for its U.S. shares has also been raised to USD 166, with a reiterated 'buy' rating. According to Jin10, the bank noted that NetEase's first-quarter performance in 2026 was strong, although the company's stock price remains weak. Goldman Sachs believes the stock's adjustment is excessive, especially after a 6% increase in earnings per share following the earnings announcement. A highlight of the company's quarterly performance was a record-high profit margin, with a 500 basis point increase in gross margin quarter-on-quarter, primarily due to changes in payment channels. Despite AI being in its early stages, it continues to penetrate the company's game development, with cost benefits already emerging. Looking ahead, the bank anticipates several catalysts for the company in the second half of 2026: 1) the launch of new games, expected to generate RMB 5.9 billion in revenue over 12 months; 2) strong profit growth, with operating profit projected to grow by 15-20% for the remainder of the year; 3) a shift to primary listing in Hong Kong, which, if included in the Southbound Stock Connect, could enhance the diversification of investor capital flows.

On May 26, A-Shares experienced fluctuating movements in the morning session. According to Jin10, by midday, the Shanghai Composite Index fell by 0.84%, the Shenzhen Component Index decreased by 0.87%, and the ChiNext Index dropped by 0.51%. The combined trading volume of the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets reached 2.16 trillion yuan, an increase of 81.9 billion yuan compared to the previous trading day. Over 4,500 stocks across the market declined. The retail sector led the gains, with Bubugao, Zhongbai Holdings, and Xiangjiang Holdings hitting the daily limit. The cultivated diamond sector also saw significant gains, with Huanghe Whirlwind and Henglin Co. reaching the daily limit, and Power Diamond rising by 9%. The minor metals concept was active, with Yongjin Co., Hongxing Development, Zhaojin Mining, New Jinlu, and Jinmo Co. hitting the daily limit. Conversely, the memory chip sector saw a pullback, with Yuanlin Co. and Chengbang Co. hitting the daily limit, and Guangli Technology, Dapu Micro, Focuslight Technologies, Microguide Nano, and Netac Technology all dropping by over 10%. The National Big Fund holdings sector adjusted, with Shengke Communication, Shanghai Silicon Industry, and Guoxin Technology among several stocks falling by over 7%. The optical fiber concept, lithography machines, satellite navigation, and computing power sectors were among the top decliners.

Babylon Labs has submitted a temperature check proposal to the Aave community, suggesting the integration of native Bitcoin as collateral through the Babylon Trustless Bitcoin Vaults protocol on Aave V4. According to ChainCatcher, the proposal aims to allow users to lock Bitcoin in Taproot UTXO without the need for wrapping, cross-chain bridges, or custodians. Redemption is controlled by on-chain rules, such as loan repayment, and directly settles to Bitcoin UTXO.
The proposal includes deploying two Aave V4 Spokes: Babylon Core Lending Spoke for lending and BTC Vault Swap Spoke for post-liquidation settlement. Collateral will be in the form of vaultBTC, a transfer-restricted ERC-20 token that can only be transferred between fixed whitelisted addresses. During liquidation, liquidators can immediately settle with WBTC, while arbitrageurs will handle Bitcoin redemption later.

Unitree Robotics is seeking to become the first humanoid robot company to list on China's STAR Market, aiming to raise $620 million through its IPO. According to PANews, the company currently leads the global market in humanoid robot shipments. Unitree Robotics projects a significant revenue increase of 335% by 2025, with expectations to achieve profitability.

U.S. Central Command has confirmed that U.S. and Israeli fighter jets conducted strikes on several Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. According to NS3.AI, this military action occurred shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced advancements in talks for a provisional agreement. President Trump is under pressure from hardliners opposing Iran, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.