BSC News

JPMorgan (@jpmorgan) ha presentato una domanda alla SEC il 12 maggio per lanciare JLTXX, il suo secondo fondo di mercato monetario tokenizzato sulla blockchain di Ethereum. Il prodotto è il passo più diretto della banca per collegarsi al mercato delle riserve di stablecoin aperto dal GENIUS Act, ed è arrivato meno di cinque mesi dopo il lancio del primo fondo di mercato monetario on-chain della banca sulla stessa rete.

La richiesta nomina il fondo JPMorgan OnChain Liquidity-Token Money Market Fund. Terrà titoli di Stato USA a breve termine, note e obbligazioni, oltre a contratti di riacquisto overnight completamente garantiti da Treasuries o liquidità. La struttura mira a mantenere un valore netto degli attivi stabile a un dollaro, e il prospetto afferma che è progettata per soddisfare i requisiti di riserva che gli emittenti di stablecoin devono rispettare ai sensi del GENIUS Act.

Fidelity International Enters On-Chain Fund Market

Fidelity International has officially launched the Fidelity USD Digital Liquidity Fund (FILQ), marking the asset manager's first foray into tokenized funds and opening the door to round-the-clock institutional access. The fund is designed to enable 24/7 subscriptions for institutional investors, removing the constraints of traditional market hours and settlement windows.

According to CoinGecko, FILQ is issued and administered on-chain using Sygnum's Desygnate tokenization platform, and is designed to provide continuous access to yield-bearing U.S. dollar liquidity for digital-native markets. The fund has received an AAA-mf assessment from Moody's.

The launch builds on a partnership between Fidelity International and @Sygnumofficial that dates back to 2024, when the two firms first collaborated with @chainlink to bring Net Asset Value (NAV) data on-chain. That earlier project covered Fidelity International's $6.9 billion Institutional Liquidity Fund and was described at the time as a landmark production use case for tokenized assets.

Chainlink and J.P. Morgan Provide the Data Infrastructure

For FILQ, @chainlink is responsible for delivering secure on-chain NAV and distribution data, giving investors real-time transparency into the fund's value. @Jpmorgan serves as the provider for approved daily NAV data, adding a layer of institutional credibility to the on-chain data pipeline.

Stablecoin settlement underpins the fund's operational model, enabling frictionless on-chain workflows across global time zones. The structure reflects a broader push by traditional financial institutions to meet the demands of blockchain-native investors without sacrificing regulatory standards.

The move is significant given Fidelity International's scale as a global asset manager. It also reinforces @chainlink's growing role as infrastructure for the tokenized asset economy, with its technology already deployed across major institutions including BNY Mellon, Citi, and BNP Paribas.

Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, has previously described fund tokenization as "likely the largest digital asset trend happening today," adding that global asset managers entering this market is a strong signal of where the industry is heading.

Sources:
Sygnum Bank: Sygnum and Fidelity International Partner With Chainlink To Provide Fund NAV Data Onchain
CoinGecko: Fidelity USD Digital Liquidity Fund (FILQ) Overview
The Defiant: Chainlink Powers NAV Data For Sygnum's On-Chain Fidelity Fund

Il token nativo di @JANCTION_Global, $JCT, ha registrato un guadagno del 33,06% in 24 ore, toccando $0,00417, mentre i trader si sono lanciati su uno dei nomi più guidati dalla momentum nella rotazione attuale delle altcoin.

Binance Futures guida la carica

Il movimento è stato principalmente guidato dai derivati. $JCT si è classificato tra i migliori guadagni su @Binance Futures, dove il contratto perpetuo JCTUSDT ha attirato un forte interesse speculativo. I mercati spot hanno seguito l'esempio, con un volume aumentato dell'86,93% a $12,48 milioni nello stesso periodo. Attività di derivati di questo tipo può approfondire la liquidità e attrarre una partecipazione più ampia, anche se i contratti perpetui introducono una volatilità guidata dalla leva, con fino a 40x disponibili su Binance.

Istanbul Blockchain Week, organized by Web3 marketing agency EAK Digital is set to return for its fifth edition on June 2nd-3rd, 2026, at the Hilton Bomonti Hotel. Following last year’s success, this year’s event is gearing up to host prominent leaders and organizations in the industry, with more opportunities to learn at the heart of Eurasia’s key crypto hub.

 

According to a recent report by Chainalysis, Türkiye leads the Middle East and North Africa’s largest cryptocurrency market, recording nearly $200 billion in annual on-chain transactions, almost four times that of the UAE. Challenging economic circumstances have driven substantial adoption of crypto in Türkiye, serving as an economic necessity and  a form of investment to navigate financial uncertainties.

 

Against this backdrop of rapid growth, Istanbul Blockchain Week will highlight the city’s thriving ecosystem, its evolving regulatory landscape, and innovative projects that are shaping the Web3 revolution locally and globally.

 

Erhan Korhaliller, CEO of EAK Digital and founder of Istanbul Blockchain Week, said: “We are thrilled to return with the fifth edition of Istanbul Blockchain Week, aiming to make it even bigger, bolder and more impactful than ever. We look forward to building on last year’s success and creating an unforgettable experience where people connect, learn, and shape the future of blockchain together.”

Bringing the global Web3 community in Istanbul

From blockchain and AI experts and thought leaders to influencers and enthusiasts, IBW 2026 is poised to draw thousands of attendees from around the world, leveraging Istanbul’s strategic position between the major financial centres of Dubai and London to explore the latest in emerging technologies.

 

The two-day event will host unique fireside chats, thought-provoking panels, insightful discussions, roundtables, and workshops showcasing the hottest topics in Web3, including real world asset tokenization, AI, regulations, privacy and stablecoins.

 

Building on the success of last year’s edition, which featured speakers such as Justin Sun Founder of TRON, Ali İhsan Güngör, Executive Vice Chairman of Capital Markets Board of Türkiye, Mehmet Çamır, Chairman of OKX TR, Kostas Chalkias, Co-Founder and Chief Cryptographer of Mysten Labs, John Linden, CEO of Mythical Games, and Aaron Teng, CEO of Igloo Asia (Pudgy Penguins), IBW 2026 is the ideal platform for fostering meaningful connections, partnerships and growth within the crypto and blockchain industry.

 

As the countdown begins, IBW 2026 is set to unveil groundbreaking innovations and hands-on Web3 experiences. Early sponsorship opportunities are now available to gain premium visibility and engagement with a global Web3 audience. 

 

For more information, visit https://istanbulblockchainweek.com/.

About Istanbul Blockchain Week (IBW)

Istanbul Blockchain Week (IBW) is Türkiye’s flagship Web3 conference and expo, bringing together founders, developers, investors, enterprises, creators, and policymakers in the heart of Istanbul. Produced by EAK Digital, IBW showcases the technologies and people shaping crypto, DeFi, AI agents, gaming, and real-world assets. Across recent editions, IBW has welcomed 20,000+ attendees and 500+ speakers from leading protocols, exchanges, and institutions. The program features a main-stage conference, large-scale expo, a KOL Summit, investor roundtables, workshops, and curated networking designed for real deal-flow.

To learn more and get IBW tickets, visit https://istanbulblockchainweek.com/tickets/.

The US Senate Banking Committee is preparing to review more than 100 proposed amendments to the CLARITY Act at its May 14 markup session, with most of the changes coming from Democratic lawmakers. 

More than 40 of those amendments were submitted by Senator Elizabeth Warren alone, according to reports from POLITICO and industry journalists. The sheer volume of proposed changes signals that passing this landmark crypto regulation bill will not be straightforward, even as industry executives warn that failure to act could cost the US its competitive position in digital finance.

What Is the CLARITY Act and Why Does It Matter?

The CLARITY Act is a broad crypto market structure bill that would bring the US digital asset industry under federal regulation for the first time. It draws clear lines between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, resolving a long-running dispute over which agency oversees which assets.

Committee Chairman Tim Scott described the bill as a product of "serious, good-faith work across the committee," saying it "puts consumers first, combats illicit finance, cracks down on criminals and foreign adversaries, and keeps the future of finance here in the United States."

The Senate Banking Committee published the full 309-page draft just after midnight on Tuesday, ahead of Thursday's markup vote. The revised text expanded from the 278-page version released in January and revived negotiations that had slowed after Coinbase withdrew from earlier talks. Industry insiders had already reviewed the bill privately in recent weeks, so the text was not expected to include major surprises.

What Changed on Stablecoin Yield?

Stablecoin yield remains one of the most contested areas of the bill. The question at the center of the debate is whether stablecoin issuers should be allowed to pay holders a return simply for holding the token, which would make them function more like interest-bearing bank accounts.

How the New Language Reads

The updated draft restricts the payment of interest or yield "solely in connection with the holding of payment stablecoins" or on a stablecoin balance "in a manner that is economically or functionally equivalent to the payment of interest or yield on an interest-bearing bank deposit." This language was negotiated by Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Thom Tillis.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, who had pulled the company's support for the January draft over this exact issue, said at a live event on Monday that "not everyone got everything they wanted, but they got the must-haves."

Not everyone agrees. American Bankers Association CEO Rob Nichols argued in a letter to bank executives that the current text would "unnecessarily incentivize the flight of bank deposits into payment stablecoins, putting both economic growth and financial stability at risk." The ABA has sent more than 8,000 letters to Senate offices since last Friday targeting the stablecoin yield compromise.

How Does the Bill Handle DeFi Developers?

The draft includes the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, known as the BRCA. It protects software developers who do not control user funds from being classified as money transmitters, a legal designation that carries significant compliance and licensing obligations. For open-source developers building DeFi tools, this distinction matters directly.

Law enforcement groups raised concerns that the BRCA language creates gaps in financial crime enforcement. Senators Chuck Grassley and Cynthia Lummis reached a deal earlier on Monday allowing prosecutors to pursue crypto-related money laundering while keeping developer protections in place. The DeFi Education Fund confirmed the BRCA is present in the bill text and said it is encouraged by the direction of negotiations.

What Are the Key Sticking Points in the Amendment Battle?

Beyond stablecoin yield and DeFi protections, several Democratic amendments target specific structural concerns:

Senator Warren proposed an amendment that would block the Federal Reserve from granting master accounts to crypto companies

Senator Jack Reed proposed an amendment that "prohibits crypto from being used as legal tender, for example, to pay taxes"

Senators Reed and Tina Smith proposed amendments aimed at tightening standards for stablecoin products that offer users returns similar to interest payments

Committee members filed 137 amendments before the planned markup in January. The current tally of 100-plus new amendments signals continued resistance as the bill nears a committee vote.

What Is Still Missing From the Draft?

The most significant absence from the current text is an ethics provision covering conflicts of interest tied to President Donald Trump's crypto holdings. Bloomberg estimated in January that Trump has made at least $1.4 billion from crypto ventures, including memecoins tied to him and his wife, as well as his family's stake in the DeFi project World Liberty Financial.

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Adam Schiff have all said they will not support the bill without a conflict-of-interest provision. Chairman Scott has said the issue falls outside the Banking Committee's jurisdiction and will need to be addressed separately before a full Senate vote.

The bill still needs to be merged with a similar version passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee, and it will require 60 votes in the full Senate to advance, meaning a significant number of Democrats must eventually back the final text. White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt has said the administration is targeting a July 4 passage date, while Senator Gillibrand has predicted the first week of August as more realistic.

Conclusion

The CLARITY Act covers stablecoin yield rules, DeFi developer protections, and the division of oversight between the SEC and CFTC. With more than 100 amendments filed ahead of the May 14 markup, the bill faces a complex path forward. Stablecoin yield language, Federal Reserve master accounts, and the absence of a Trump ethics provision remain the primary fault lines. The bill still needs a full Senate vote requiring 60 votes to advance, and the timeline for passage remains contested between the White House and key Senate members.

Resources

Politico: The junk food lobby is winning on Capitol Hill

CoinDesk: Clarity Act, in the Flesh, Unveiled by U.S. Senate Banking Committee Before Hearing

The Block: Updated Senate Banking Committee Bill Tackles Stablecoin Rewards, DeFi but Sidesteps Trump's Crypto Conflicts of Interest

BeInCrypto: Senators Pile 100+ Amendments on CLARITY Act Bill

CoinDesk: Crypto Bill Won't Move Without a Ban on Officials' Industry Ties, Says U.S. Senator Gillibrand

Invezz: What's New in the Senate Banking Committee's Updated CLARITY Act?

BlackRock sposta $172M in Bitcoin ed Ether su Coinbase Prime

@BlackRock ha trasferito 861 $BTC (circa $69.59M) e 44,691 $ETH (circa $103.15M) a Coinbase Prime, portando il valore totale della transazione a $172.74M. Il movimento è stato segnalato dalla piattaforma di monitoraggio on-chain Arkham Intel ed è collegato all'attività di ribilanciamento nei portafogli ETF spot dell'asset manager, in particolare il suo iShares Bitcoin Trust ($IBIT) e iShares Ethereum Trust ($ETHA).

Coinbase Prime funge da custode per i prodotti ETF spot in Bitcoin ed Ethereum di BlackRock. La registrazione annuale di IBIT conferma che il trust dipende da Coinbase Custody e Coinbase Inc. come Prime Execution Agent per l'acquisto, la vendita, la regolazione e la creazione e il riscatto di contante in bitcoin, il che significa che trasferimenti di questo tipo sono una parte routinaria del funzionamento dei fondi piuttosto che un segnale di vendita diretta.

The number of XRP Ledger wallets holding at least 10,000 $XRP has reached 332,230, a new all-time high, according to on-chain data from Santiment. The milestone points to a deepening base of mid-tier and large holders building positions on the network.

Accumulation Has Been Steady Since Mid-2024

The move extends a consistent growth trend that has been building since June 2024, with the 10,000-plus wallet count climbing from roughly 317,000 in November 2025 to 332,230 by May 2026. The advance was not uninterrupted. A sharp drop of more than 4,500 wallets occurred between February 6 and 8, with no single XRP-specific event identified as the cause. The timing strongly suggests a link to the broad crypto market crash and liquidations on February 5. Since then, the recovery in wallet count has been complete, with the current reading of 332,230 sitting above the pre-crash level of around 327,000.

The continued rise in large wallets is seen as an important long-term signal. It shows that larger holders kept accumulating even during periods of volatility, a pattern that historically reflects increasing conviction from investors focused on long-term positioning rather than short-term price swings.

Broader Network Growth Adds Context

The 10,000-plus wallet record comes alongside broader network expansion. The XRP Ledger hit an all-time high in total addresses as of April 2, 2026, with a 3.39% rise in net addresses during Q1 2026, taking the count from 7,921,350 to 8,189,798 according to CryptoQuant data. Ecosystem growth has been linked to rising cross-border payment volumes and the network's built-in decentralised exchange, with AMM pools also expanding over the same period.

Daily active addresses on the ledger recently spiked to nearly 32,000, suggesting real ongoing usage rather than speculative noise, with institutional tokenisation of real-world assets cited as a key driver of that sustained activity.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

Sources:
CaptainAltcoin: XRP Large Holders Set a Record
KuCoin: XRP Ledger Addresses Reach All-Time High in Q1 2026

BNB Reclaims Fourth Spot as Market Cap Tops $90 Billion

$BNB has broken past the $90 billion market cap mark, pushing past $XRP to become the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market value. The token is up roughly 3% over the past 24 hours and has posted gains of more than 5% over the past week, moving in tandem with $SOL.

The move marks another twist in one of crypto's most closely watched ranking battles. The two assets have traded the fourth position back and forth for much of the past year. XRP had previously flipped BNB in early January 2026, when its market cap climbed to approximately $123 billion following an 8% price surge, according to CoinPedia. XRP again overtook BNB in mid-March 2026, reaching a market cap of around $93.4 billion at the time, before the gap between the two narrowed once more.

BNB's Ecosystem Supports the Recovery

BNB's renewed momentum is underpinned by the broader utility of the BNB Chain ecosystem. CoinGecko data shows the token's circulating supply sitting at around 130 million BNB, with a market cap of approximately $89.5 billion at the time of publication. The token powers transactions across BNB Smart Chain, the opBNB Layer 2, and BNB Greenfield, and also functions as a governance token within the network.

Adding to the supply-side dynamics, BNB employs a quarterly auto-burn mechanism. The 35th burn in Q1 2026 removed 1.57 million BNB worth roughly $1.02 billion from circulation, according to CoinMarketCap. The program is designed to reduce total supply from an initial 200 million to 100 million BNB over time, creating a structural deflationary effect.

The ranking shift between BNB and XRP reflects the fluid nature of the mid-cap crypto landscape, where market cap positions can change quickly on the back of short-term price moves. Both assets remain firmly in the top five and continue to compete for the attention of institutional and retail investors alike.

Sources:
CoinPedia: XRP Overtakes BNB to Become the 4th-Largest Crypto
CoinGecko: BNB Live Price and Market Cap
CoinMarketCap: BNB Price and Market Data

In the past 30 days the Avalanche blockchain has seen several targeted ecosystem developments. These include new sovereign L1 launches, institutional settlement upgrades, regulated futures trading, research funding, a builder competition, and a scheduled token unlock. 

The changes focus on performance, real-world finance use, and network economics.

What New Project Launched As An Avalanche L1?

Kite launched its mainnet on April 28 as a sovereign Avalanche L1. This dedicated blockchain serves as an execution and settlement layer for agent-driven commerce. It supports autonomous AI agents that handle payments and tasks on their own.

 

Kite includes Kite Passport, a feature that gives agents verifiable identity and controlled permissions. The platform uses instant stablecoin settlement and programmable delegation. Before mainnet, Kite processed 1.9 billion agent interactions on testnet. Daily peaks reached 30 million calls. 

 

Avalanche L1s let teams build custom blockchains that stay connected to the main Avalanche network through shared security and fast cross-chain messaging.

How Has Institutional Settlement Improved On Avalanche?

On April 29 Tassat upgraded its Lynq platform to run on a dedicated Avalanche L1. Lynq provides real-time settlement and collateral services for regulated institutions. It lets banks and trading firms move tokenized dollar assets instantly while earning yield.

 

More than 30 institutions now use the network, including B2C2, Crypto.com, FalconX, Fireblocks, Galaxy, and Wintermute. The system has handled over 2.5 trillion dollars in historical transaction volume. A yield-in-transit fund on Lynq reached about $90 million and paid more than 235,000 dollars in interest. Transactions finalize in seconds on the permissioned L1 while staying interoperable with Avalanche’s main chain.

What Research Funding Did The Avalanche Foundation Offer?

Also on April 29 the Avalanche Foundation opened applications for up to $50,000 in research grants. The money supports original academic work on Avalanche network economics. Topics include tokenomics, validator incentives, and on-chain value accrual. 

 

Applications remain open with a deadline near June 1.

What Institutional Trading Tool Started For AVAX?

CME Group completed the first trades of AVAX futures contracts on May 6. Block trades occurred between FalconX and the G-20 Group. 

 

The contracts come in standard size (5,000 AVAX) and micro size (500 AVAX). This regulated derivatives market gives institutions a new way to manage AVAX price exposure. Broader 24/7 crypto futures trading begins May 29.

Did Avalanche Release Any Tokens Recently?

On May 12 the foundation received 1.67 million AVAX under its vesting schedule. The unlock equals roughly 0.31% of circulating supply and carried a market value above 17 million dollars at the time.

Avalanche Launches Builder Competition

On May 11 Avalanche announced a $1 million builder competition focused on games. It aims to attract new developers to the ecosystem.

Faster block production supports snappier applications

Custom L1s reduce costs for specialized use cases

Institutional tools connect traditional finance to on-chain settlement

Conclusion

The past 30 days on Avalanche have been defined by concrete execution rather than announcements. Kite's mainnet brought AI agent infrastructure into production. Tassat's Lynq upgrade added a regulated settlement layer already processing institutional volume. 

CME's AVAX futures opened a regulated derivatives market for the first time. Research grants and a builder competition signal continued investment in the network's long-term foundations. 

Resources

Avax.network: 1.9 Billion Interactions Later, It Goes Live — Kite Launches Mainnet on Avalanche

Business Wire: Tassat Upgrades Lynq to Avalanche to Scale Institutional Settlement Network

Avax.network: The Avalanche Foundation Opens Up to $50,000 in Research Grants on Avalanche Network Economics

CME Group: CME Group Announces First Trades of New Avalanche and Sui Cryptocurrency Futures between G-20 Group and FalconX

Avax.network: Avalanche Launches $1,000,000 Builder Competition, Build Games

$KRWQ, the Korean won-pegged stablecoin, is extending its multichain footprint to @Solana, targeting more than $100 billion in daily fiat volume that currently flows through traditional foreign exchange markets.

Bringing the Won On-Chain

KRWQ was developed by IQ in partnership with Frax as the world's first fiat-backed, multichain Korean won stablecoin. Each KRWQ token is fully backed 1:1 by won reserves held with regulated partners and, through LayerZero's OFT standard, operates as a unified asset across every connected blockchain. The move to @Solana builds on that multichain model, adding one of the fastest settlement layers in crypto to an infrastructure already live on Base, Ethereum, and other networks.

The scale of the market opportunity is substantial. KRWQ is positioned as a blockchain-based alternative to the $100 billion-plus NDF and offshore KRW markets, with more than $60 billion in daily volume in the Korean won NDF market and over $40 billion in daily Korean won spot trading. Deployment on @Solana is designed to give that volume access to near-instant settlement and deeper crypto-native liquidity pools.

Institutional Demand and a Changing Regulatory Backdrop

The expansion comes as institutional interest in $KRWQ grows. EDXM International, the crypto exchange backed by Citadel Securities, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Charles Schwab, launched a perpetual futures contract on the KRWQ/USDC trading pair, marking the first time a non-USD stablecoin appeared across a fully integrated spot and derivatives trading stack.

KRWQ is being developed alongside Korea's upcoming stablecoin legislation to stay aligned with future regulatory standards, with only verified institutions such as exchanges and market makers permitted to mint or redeem the token. South Korea's push for local currency stablecoins accelerated following the election of pro-crypto President Lee Jae Myung, with the government aiming to strengthen monetary sovereignty in the digital finance era.

Roughly 18 million Koreans hold crypto, representing more than one-third of the adult population, underscoring the domestic appetite for won-denominated digital assets. The @Solana integration is aimed squarely at serving both that retail base and the institutional market makers who need efficient, around-the-clock KRW settlement.

Sources
LayerZero: KRWQ Launches as the First Multi-Chain Korean Won Stablecoin
FF News: KRWQ Makes History as First Non-USD Stablecoin on EDX
Seoulz: The Korea Won Stablecoin 2026 Race

Il volume delle transazioni sul XRP Ledger è aumentato del 65% negli ultimi dodici mesi, passando da 43 milioni a 71 milioni di transazioni mensili, secondo i dati pubblicati da Evernorth, un'azienda di tesoreria di asset digitali quotata al Nasdaq focalizzata sull'accumulo di $XRP.

Evernorth è un veicolo d'investimento istituzionale focalizzato sull'accumulo di XRP. Mentre Strategy e BitMine guidano rispettivamente l'accumulo di Bitcoin ed Ethereum, Evernorth detiene XRP ed è stata quotata al Nasdaq nell'ottobre 2025 con una valutazione di 1 miliardo di dollari per accumulare XRP come riserva di tesoreria.

Bank Doubles Down on Ether ETFs Despite Price Weakness

Wells Fargo significantly increased its Ethereum $ETH exchange-traded fund holdings in the first quarter of 2026, according to a Form 13F filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The disclosure points to a deliberate expansion of the bank's regulated digital asset exposure, even as Ethereum's spot price came under pressure.

The filing reveals that the bank increased its positions in BlackRock's iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA) and the Bitwise Ethereum ETF (ETHW), with gains of 63.5% and 37% respectively compared to the previous quarter. In share terms, ETHA holdings rose from approximately 672,600 shares in Q4 2025 to nearly 1.1 million in Q1 2026, while ETHW grew from around 186,800 to more than 257,000 units.

At the close of the quarter, Wells Fargo held approximately $21.5 million in these instruments, with ETHA as the primary position, valued at around $17.6 million. The move is notable given the backdrop: CoinGlass data show Ether fell about 28% in the fourth quarter of last year and about 29% in the first quarter of this year, marking a second straight quarterly decline. Over the same period, spot Ether ETFs recorded about $769 million in net outflows.

Broader Crypto Portfolio: Bitcoin Dominates, Equity Positions Reshuffled

Ethereum was not the only area of activity. For Bitcoin ETFs, the pattern was more mixed. Holdings in the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) recorded a slight decline, while the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Trust (BITB) and the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF grew by 24% and 41% respectively. IBIT remains the dominant position in the bank's crypto portfolio, with an approximate valuation of $250 million.

On the equities side, the moves were more striking. The most notable shift was a near-total exit from Galaxy Digital, the firm led by Michael Novogratz. The bank reduced its stake from around 2.5 million shares in Q4 2025 to just 78,600 in Q1 2026, a 97% drop equivalent to an estimated reduction of $54.7 million in exposure. At the same time, Wells Fargo boosted its Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) holdings by 125% to roughly 726,000 shares.

A 13F is a snapshot of long equity and options positions held at the end of a calendar quarter and does not reflect real-time holdings, meaning positions may have been opened or closed between the reporting date and the filing's public availability. Still, the data adds to a growing body of evidence that large financial institutions are building structured exposure to digital assets through regulated vehicles, even during periods of market weakness.

Sources:
CoinTelegraph: Wells Fargo Lifts Ether ETF Holdings in Q1 as Bitcoin Positions Shift
Crypto Economy: Wells Fargo Boosts Ether ETF Exposure and Reshuffles Bitcoin Holdings in Latest Filing

XRP Leads 24-Hour Volume on Upbit

$XRP has overtaken $BTC and $ETH to become the most traded cryptocurrency on South Korea's major exchanges. On May 13, the XRP/KRW pair topped Upbit's 24-hour volume rankings, with CoinGecko data showing the pair generated roughly $110.9 million in trading activity. That placed XRP ahead of Bitcoin's $88.6 million and Ether's $67 million over the same period.

On Bithumb, XRP/KRW also recorded $41 million in 24-hour volume, ranking above both BTC/KRW and ETH/KRW. Despite the strong trading numbers, XRP's price remained relatively flat, hovering between $1.44 and $1.45.

A Familiar Pattern in the Korean Market

The move is consistent with a longer-running trend. XRP has become a default trading instrument in South Korea, bypassing Bitcoin and Ethereum to dominate the country's high-velocity retail market. While institutional capital worldwide typically gravitates toward Bitcoin as a store of value, South Korean trading patterns tell a different story, with domestic traders consistently prioritizing XRP for its liquidity and speed when the market heats up.

Analysts say Korean retail traders are once again driving speculative interest around XRP, a dynamic the market has seen repeatedly during periods of elevated activity. XRP's deep order books, tight spreads, and low execution friction make it the preferred rotation vehicle on KRW-denominated spot exchanges, which do not offer derivatives trading.

XRP has historically maintained strong popularity within the South Korean market, with many Korean investors following the token closely due to its role in cross-border payment technology and its long-standing presence in the crypto industry.

Sources:
CoinDesk: XRP Tops Bitcoin, Ether Volumes on Major South Korean Exchanges
KuCoin News: XRP Surpasses Bitcoin and Ether in Trading Volume on South Korean Exchanges
CryptoSlate: Why South Koreans Prefer XRP Over Bitcoin and Ethereum

Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic has closed a $120 million Series D funding round, pulling in some of the biggest names in traditional finance as institutional demand for crypto compliance tools continues to grow.

The round was led by One Peak Partners, with participation from Nasdaq Ventures, Deutsche Bank, and the British Business Bank, valuing the company at $670 million. Existing investors AlbionVC, Evolution Equity Partners, and J.P. Morgan also participated.

What Elliptic Does

Elliptic is a London-based blockchain analytics company that provides compliance and risk management tools to banks, crypto exchanges, fintech firms, and government agencies. Founded in 2013, the company has spent over a decade building a proprietary dataset spanning more than 65 blockchains. Its core product suite covers anti-money laundering (AML), sanctions screening, and transaction monitoring across crypto markets.

Elliptic screens over 1 billion transactions a week for more than 700 customers across 30 countries. The firm was first to bring AI-native compliance to enterprise scale in 2025, positioning it as a fundamentally different way to run compliance operations.

Why the Raise Matters

The investor lineup signals how seriously mainstream financial institutions are taking on-chain compliance infrastructure. The backers are among the most consequential institutions in global finance, collectively responsible for trillions in daily market activity, and their participation is seen as a signal of where the financial system is heading.

In 2025, stablecoins processed $33 trillion in transactions. That scale makes automated, real-time compliance no longer optional for institutions operating in digital asset markets. The new capital will be used to accelerate Elliptic's mission to deliver enterprise-grade on-chain analytics to the world's largest banks, fintechs, government agencies, and crypto and payments companies.

Specifically, the funding will support growth of Elliptic's AI-native compliance tools and the development of the company's agentic product roadmap. The goal is a compliance operation that resolves alerts in minutes rather than hours, with human judgment reserved for where it genuinely matters.

Sources:
Elliptic official press release: $120 million Series D announcement
Bloomberg: Deutsche Bank, Nasdaq Back Crypto Firm Elliptic in $120 Million Round
PYMNTS: Elliptic Raises $120 Million to Bring Blockchain Analytics to Big Banks

Schwab Crypto è Attivo per i Clienti Retail

Charles Schwab ha iniziato a lanciare il trading spot diretto per $BTC e $ETH a selezionati clienti retail attraverso una nuova offerta chiamata Schwab Crypto. Questo prodotto sarà gradualmente distribuito ai clienti retail nelle prossime settimane. I clienti potranno visualizzare e tradare criptovalute e investimenti tradizionali fianco a fianco su Schwab(.)com, Schwab Mobile e thinkorswim, la piattaforma di trading di Schwab.

Il servizio segna un allontanamento strutturale dal precedente modello crypto di Schwab, nel quale i clienti potevano accedere a Bitcoin ed Ethereum solo attraverso ETF, contratti futures e l'ETF del Crypto Thematic Index di Schwab. Schwab Crypto permetterà ai clienti di detenere criptovalute reali attraverso l'infrastruttura bancaria di Schwab, eliminando la necessità di aprire un conto separato presso un exchange crypto-nativo.

Clear Signing is a security standard on Ethereum that shows users plain, human-readable details about a transaction before they approve it. Instead of raw hex data that only developers can decode, users see exactly what a transaction will do to their assets. 

The Ethereum Foundation launched it through its Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, calling blind signing a "structural flaw" that has contributed to billions of dollars in losses, including the $1.4 billion Bybit hack.

What Is Blind Signing and Why Is It a Problem?

Blind signing is what happens when a user approves a transaction without being able to read what it actually does. Most wallets today display transaction data in low-level, machine-readable formats. These formats are technically accurate but nearly impossible for a regular user to interpret.

The Ethereum Foundation stated: 

"Approving a transaction is meant to be the last line of defense when exercising control over what happens to your assets on the blockchain. When it is done blindly, that defense does not hold."

A Pattern Across Major Exploits

Across large-scale crypto breaches, the final step is rarely a flaw in the code itself. It is a user approving something they cannot meaningfully read. Even when phishing or an infrastructure compromise starts the attack, the confirmation screen is where it ends.

Trezor's chief technology officer, Tomáš Sušánka, said attackers have exploited this gap "relentlessly" because no widely accessible tool could reliably tell a malicious smart contract apart from a legitimate one. Users have been "unknowingly signing them, and lose everything."

How Does Clear Signing Work?

The standard is built around a principle called "What You See Is What You Sign," or WYSIWYS. It brings together three technical components that work in sequence.

The Core Technical Components

ERC-7730: An open token standard that defines a shared format for human-readable transaction descriptions. Ledger initiated this standard.

A descriptor registry: A neutral, mirrorable registry that stores and distributes transaction descriptions. The Ethereum Foundation acts as a steward.

An attestation framework: Independent auditors verify the accuracy of each descriptor before wallets display it to users.

Anyone can contribute descriptors to the registry. Wallets then decide which sources they trust. The descriptions sit alongside the transaction rather than embedded inside it, which means the system works for both existing and new applications on Ethereum.

Which Wallets Are Adopting Clear Signing?

Several major self-custody wallets and security platforms are already integrating the standard. Contributors to the Clear Signing feature include:

Ledger

Trezor

MetaMask

Keycard

WalletConnect

Fireblocks

Argot, Sourcify, Zama, and ZKnox

Trezor's Sušánka said the company plans to implement the standard before June 30, 2026. Tooling, including Rust and TypeScript libraries funded through the Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, is available at clearsigning.org.

Why Is This Relevant Right Now?

The launch comes as crypto attacks grow more targeted and technically sophisticated. North Korean state-backed groups have stolen over $7 billion in crypto assets since 2009. The Bybit breach worked by compromising a third-party service provider and manipulating transaction signatures. The final step was a user confirming a transaction they could not understand.

Clear Signing targets that exact moment.

Conclusion

Clear Signing gives Ethereum users a verifiable way to know what they are approving before it happens. It replaces unreadable hex data with plain descriptions, backed by an open standard in ERC-7730, a verified descriptor registry, and an independent attestation layer. With Ledger, Trezor, and MetaMask among the early adopters, the standard is positioned to become a baseline security layer across the Ethereum ecosystem.

Resources

Ethereum Foundation Blog: Clear Signing: Making Transaction Approvals Safer on Ethereum

The Block: Ethereum Foundation Rolls Out Support for Clear Signing Crypto Security Solution

The Defiant: Ethereum Foundation Launches Clear Signing Standard

CoinDesk: The Ethereum Foundation Unveils New 'Clear Signing' Standard to Stop Users From Approving Malicious Crypto Transactions

Hyperliquid's native token has taken another step toward mainstream finance. 21Shares' Hyperliquid ETF (THYP) launched Tuesday on Nasdaq, debuting with promising trading volumes, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart. THYP finished its first day with $1.8 million in trading, which Seyffart described as "very, very solid" and "better than your average ETF launch."

What THYP Offers Investors

21Shares launched THYP as a spot ETF providing direct exposure to HYPE and integrating staking rewards, alongside a separate 2x leveraged product under the ticker TXXH. The fund gives US investors direct exposure to the HYPE token through regular brokerage accounts, without requiring them to hold the cryptocurrency directly.

THYP is structured as a grantor trust, not a 1940 Act fund. That setup lets the sponsor stake held HYPE for yield while keeping passive price exposure. The ETF tracks the FTSE Hyperliquid Index. 21Shares charges a 0.30% annual sponsor fee, paid in HYPE. Custody sits with Anchorage Digital Bank and BitGo Bank and Trust, both using cold storage backed by up to $350 million in joint theft and fraud insurance.

The Protocol Behind the Product

Hyperliquid has rapidly established itself as a category leader, commanding over 50% of DEX perpetual open interest and processing roughly $8 billion in daily volume. The protocol has processed over $4 trillion in cumulative volume since its inception. Hyperliquid generates over $56 million per month in trading fees, with over 95% used for HYPE buybacks.

Competition in the HYPE ETF market is also increasing, with Bitwise and Grayscale having already filed competing spot Hyperliquid ETF applications under the proposed tickers BHYP and GHYP. For now, 21Shares holds the first-mover advantage in what could become a crowded segment of the crypto ETF market.

Sources:
The Block: First-ever Hyperliquid ETF launches, posts 'very solid' first day of trading
GlobeNewswire: 21Shares Launches THYP and TXXH, the First U.S. ETFs Tracking Hyperliquid
BeInCrypto: 21Shares To Launch Spot Hyperliquid ETF

The Ethereum Foundation has formally launched Clear Signing, an open standard designed to end one of the most persistent security failures in crypto: users approving transactions they cannot read or understand.

What Clear Signing Actually Does

The Ethereum Foundation formally launched Clear Signing to replace the unreadable hex strings that most wallet users still approve when signing on-chain transactions. In practice, this means that instead of seeing a wall of cryptographic data, a user approving a swap would see something like "Swap 100 USDC for 0.05 ETH on Uniswap" instead of opaque hexadecimal data.

The initiative bundles three components: ERC-7730, a JSON descriptor format that lets contracts describe their functions in plain language; a neutral, mirrorable registry of those descriptors; and ERC-8176, an attestation framework that lets auditors cryptographically vouch for the accuracy of those descriptors.

Ledger originated clear signing as an internal security project in 2021, formalized it as ERC-7730 in 2024, and earlier this year transferred governance to the Foundation to make the standard credibly neutral. The Foundation's Trillion Dollar Security Initiative is committed to hosting this infrastructure and supporting its development, with adoption encouraged through clearsigning.org.

Why Blind Signing Has Been So Costly

Blind signing is a process where users approve opaque hexadecimal data without verifying its full details, like the recipient or exact amount. The process is responsible for billions of dollars in losses because of phishing attacks, malicious dApps, and approval exploits. The Lazarus Group hackers notably stole $1.4 billion from Bybit last year by tricking the exchange into blind signing a malicious transaction.

Trezor CTO Tomáš Sušánka noted that attackers have been exploiting this relentlessly due to there not being a widely accessible security feature capable of distinguishing malicious smart contracts from legitimate transactions, leading users to "unknowingly sign them, and lose everything." He added that the Clear Signing feature "directly addresses this by making transactions human-readable before approval." Sušánka said Trezor seeks to implement the security feature before June 30.

The contributor list is broad. Contributors span hardware (Ledger, Trezor, ZKnox), software wallets (MetaMask, WalletConnect), security (Cyfrin), infrastructure (Fireblocks, Zama), and tooling (Sourcify, Argot). The work also ties into the Foundation's Trillion Dollar Security initiative, a broader push to harden Ethereum infrastructure as on-chain institutional value climbs.

The Ethereum Foundation confirmed the work is ongoing and not a one-time release. Contributors will continue expanding coverage, refining tooling, and pushing for wider adoption. As more wallets and protocols integrate the standard, blind signing risks are expected to decrease steadily across the network.

Sources:
Ethereum Foundation Blog: Clear Signing Announcement
The Defiant: Ethereum Foundation Launches Clear Signing Standard
CoinDesk: Ethereum Foundation Unveils New Clear Signing Standard

Il numero di wallet delle balene raggiunge un massimo storico

Il numero di wallet XRP Ledger che detengono almeno 10.000 $XRP è salito a un record di 332.230, secondo la società di analisi on-chain Santiment. Questo traguardo segna il livello più alto mai registrato per questo gruppo di possessori di medie e grandi dimensioni e indica una tendenza di accumulo sostenuta che si è sviluppata da giugno 2024.

I dati di Santiment mostrano che la crescita è stata costante da giugno 2024, con l'aumento continuo dei wallet che detengono almeno 10.000 XRP descritto come un segnale importante a lungo termine, riflettendo che i grandi possessori hanno continuato ad accumulare anche durante i periodi di volatilità e incertezza.

Coinbase Adds Solana Collateral for Loans Up to $100,000

Coinbase has officially added Solana to its crypto-backed lending program, giving eligible U.S. users a new way to access liquidity without selling their holdings. Users can now use their Solana holdings as collateral to borrow up to $100,000 in USDC through Coinbase's onchain lending system, powered by Morpho on the Base network.

The offering allows borrowers to access funds instantly in USDC, pay interest rates as low as 5%, and repay at any time with no monthly payments or deadlines. These crypto-backed loans are available in the United States, except New York.

The service is non-custodial, meaning users retain control of their collateral within the Morpho smart contract. Coinbase facilitates the interface but does not hold the assets directly. By integrating Solana, Coinbase is broadening access for holders who want liquidity without triggering a taxable event or exiting their position.

Bitcoin Still Dominates, but Lending Volume Grows

Coinbase's crypto-backed loan originations have now surpassed $2.3 billion. Bitcoin remains the dominant collateral asset, accounting for about $2.17 billion in originations, while ETH-backed loans total around $110 million. XRP-backed loans have reached roughly $31.6 million.

The addition of Solana marks the first major Layer 1 blockchain outside Bitcoin and Ethereum to be added to Coinbase's lending stack. Solana trades with deep liquidity, large retail ownership, and active institutional interest, giving Coinbase a stronger candidate for collateralized borrowing than many long-tail tokens.

Coinbase also launched the crypto-backed lending product in the United Kingdom last month as part of its broader push into onchain financial services. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong remained optimistic, saying that eventually "all of finance" will move onchain. The expansion comes as Coinbase reported a first-quarter net loss of $394.1 million and laid off around 14% of its workforce.

Sources:
PYMNTS: Coinbase and Morpho Unveil Solana-Backed Loans
The Block: Coinbase Adds Solana-Backed Loans Through Morpho