Giorgi Apkhazava

📣 SEC appoints ex-Blockchain Com exec Jamie Selway as Director of Trading and Markets.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins praised Jeffrey Selway’s appointment, stating that his extensive experience across various asset classes would strengthen the markets.

📣 $335M liquidated in crypto market within 60 minutes following Israel strikes on Iran.

Israel confirmed that its strikes targeted Iranian military infrastructure near Tehran and Tabriz, calling them a “preemptive response” to escalating threats.

📣 Binance opens crypto trading to Syrian nationals after US sanctions lifted.

The decision of the launch comes after the decision of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 23 to remove sanctions on the country. The decision was taken after the EU lifted all economic restrictions on the nation.

📣 Bank of America CEO says the bank is developing its own crypto stablecoin.

The stablecoin will likely be pegged to the US dollar, potentially enhancing transaction speed and liquidity. This move is in line with the growing trend of traditional financial institutions entering the crypto space.

📣 Binance founder CZ becomes the richest Chinese individual with a net worth of $65B.

Zhao entered crypto in 2013 after a poker game with Bobby Lee and Ron Cao, who advised him to invest in Bitcoin. He sold his entire real estate portfolio to go all-in at $600 per BTC - an early bet that launched his crypto career.

📣 Kenya imposes 1,5% tax on crypto transactions, alarming African fintech.

The new regulations include all foreign crypto exchanges that earn interest from facilitating buying and selling transactions of digital assets in Kenya.

📣 Worldcoin to launch in London on June 12 and expand across the UK.

World ID devices will launch in major UK cities like Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow, using iris-based zero-knowledge proofs to verify users as human without revealing personal data or enabling online tracking.

📣 JPMorgan to accept Bitcoin ETFs as loan collateral, expanding crypto lending access.

The bank is reportedly starting with crypto ETFs, focusing on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which now holds over $70B in assets.

📣 Pump Fun plans $1B token sale at $4B valuation, set to launch token in two weeks.

By raising such a large amount, Pump Fun could become a crypto unicorn, which would be a significant success for a platform that started operating just over a year ago. Token sale will be open to both institutional and retail investors.

🚀 Stablecoin market cap surpasses $250B for the first time.

"The stablecoin sector is primed for rapid expansion, with the market potentially reaching double by 2026," said Kronos Research CEO Huang.

📣 Trump Media signs $2,32B deal to purchase Bitcoin for treasury.

The $2.32B raise from 50 institutional investors included 55.8M shares at $25.72 and $1B in convertible notes. Proceeds will fund a bitcoin treasury and other corporate needs.

📣 Pakistan allocates 2,000 MW for Bitcoin mining and AI.

The finance ministry’s strategy aims to address surplus power caused by high tariffs and rapid solar growth, while also attracting foreign investment and creating high-tech jobs.

📣 Sui exploited for $220M, $160M frozen and to be restored to Cetus pools.

In a statement issued shortly after the incident, the Cetus team said it had paused its smart contract as a precautionary measure following the detection of an anomaly in the protocol.

📣 Binance moves to dismiss FTX’s $1,76B lawsuit, citing lack of US jurisdiction.

The lawsuit was filed by the FTX Recovery Trust to claw back funds FTX paid Binance during a 2021 equity buyback—just months before FTX's collapse. Binance argues the deal was lawful and shielded under securities rules.

📣 Study finds 1,1% of US dollar supply is tokenized as stablecoins.

Stablecoins are projected to reach a $400B supply by year-end, growing much faster than M2 money, which rose 39% since the pandemic.

📣 Blum co-founder and ex-Binance exec Vladimir Smerkis arrested in Moscow on fraud charges.

Russian news outlet Mash says the fraud case against Smerkis is linked to his 2017 crypto projects, The Token Fund and Tokenbox, where investors reportedly lost around $15 million.

📣 FTX Recovery Trust to distribute over $5B to creditors in second payout on May 30, 2025.

It will reach eligible claimants through designated Distribution Service Providers, BitGo and Kraken, within one to three business days of the release date.

📣 Coinbase discloses data breach, expects to pay $180M–$400M in customer compensation.

After the breach, attackers tried to extort $20M from Coinbase, but the company refused and instead offered a $20M reward for information leading to their arrest and conviction.

📣 Senator Cynthia Lummis urges US Treasury to eliminate taxes on digital asset companies.

Lawmakers warned that the recent convergence of tax law and updated accounting rules “undermines fairness, distorts markets, and penalizes US companies for adopting innovative financial strategies.”

📣 UK’s FCA proposes ban on crypto purchases using credit or loans.

Initiative comes from concerns over rising consumer debt tied to digital asset speculation. A YouGov survey found that by August 2024, 14% of UK crypto investors had used credit to buy digital assets—up 133% from two years earlier.