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U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and other countries requested a delay of two to three days for a military strike on Iran, believing a U.S.-Iran agreement is close. According to Odaily, Trump stated at a White House event that the U.S. was prepared for a 'very significant' attack on Iran on the 19th. However, he decided to postpone it, hoping the delay might be permanent, though it could be temporary. Trump mentioned that significant discussions with Iran are underway, and the outcome remains to be seen.
Trump noted some 'very positive developments' in the negotiations, with Gulf allies having the opportunity to facilitate an agreement. He also remarked that the current situation differs slightly from previous instances when the U.S. believed an agreement with Iran was imminent.

According to The Block, the SEC could issue a conditional innovation exemption for tokenized securities as early as this week, allowing traditional financial institutions to experiment with blockchain-based trading without full registration. The agency has already approved Nasdaq in March and the NYSE in April to develop tokenized share trading platforms, and authorized DTCC to tokenize certain liquid assets on pre-approved blockchains in December. Tokenized securities offer 24/7 trading, lower costs, and near-instant settlement. The SEC maintains such assets remain securities under federal law. Analysts project tokenized assets could reach $2 trillion to more than $10 trillion by 2030.

Echo Protocol, a Bitcoin-focused DeFi platform, has suffered a $77 million exploit after an attacker used a compromised admin key to mint approximately 1,000 unauthorized eBTC tokens on the Monad blockchain — the latest in a string of high-profile DeFi hacks that have drained hundreds of millions from decentralized protocols in recent weeks.
How the attack unfolded
The exploit was first flagged by blockchain security firm PeckShield on Tuesday. The attacker gained control of a compromised admin key and used it to mint roughly 1,000 eBTC tokens worth approximately $77 million without authorization. The attacker then used a portion of the minted tokens as collateral to borrow $3.45 million in wrapped Bitcoin against funds held in the money market and reward layer at Curvance. The borrowed funds were subsequently laundered through Tornado Cash, the crypto mixing protocol commonly used to obscure on-chain transaction trails.
Echo Protocol's response
Echo Protocol confirmed it had regained control of the compromised admin keys and burned the remaining 955 eBTC that the attacker still held at the time of recovery — limiting the realized loss relative to the full minted amount.
"We have paused cross-chain functionality for the Monad deployment and completed an upgrade of the relevant Monad contract to restrict affected operations and strengthen control over sensitive functions," the protocol said on X.
As a precautionary measure, Echo Protocol also fully paused its Aptos bridge operations pending a broader security review, despite confirming the Aptos bridge itself was not directly affected by the exploit. The platform's primary deployment remains on the Aptos network, with the Monad expansion having been a more recent addition.
What Echo Protocol does
Echo Protocol gives users liquidity and yield on Bitcoin holdings through synthetic representations of BTC — primarily eBTC — allowing holders to access DeFi yields without selling their underlying Bitcoin exposure. The platform launched on Aptos before expanding to additional chains including Monad, where the exploit occurred.
Part of a broader DeFi security crisis
The Echo Protocol hack is the latest in an escalating series of DeFi exploits that have targeted decentralized protocols in recent weeks. Drift Protocol was drained for more than $270 million earlier this year in an attack that exploited a Solana convenience feature. KelpDAO suffered the largest single crypto exploit of 2026 at $292 million, leaving wrapped Ether stranded across 20 chains. A separate crypto bridge hack claimed $11 million just this week.
Together, the string of attacks underscores the persistent vulnerability of admin key management and cross-chain bridge infrastructure in DeFi — two attack surfaces that have accounted for a disproportionate share of crypto's largest losses in 2026.

South Korean retail investors are withdrawing savings, fixed deposits, and life insurance funds to invest in SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, driven by AI chip demand. According to BeInCrypto, savings bank deposits fell below ₩100 trillion ($66.24 billion) for the first time in four years, while commercial bank time deposits dropped by roughly ₩12 trillion ($7.94 billion) since February. Investors over 50 now hold about 62% of all margin loans at South Korea’s top brokerages, with margin debt among those in their 60s doubling in a year. SK Hynix and Samsung account for roughly 42% of the KOSPI, with SK Hynix gaining 265% and Samsung climbing 162% since November.

Canaan, a prominent Bitcoin mining company, experienced a significant decline in its share value, falling more than 13% after reporting a net loss of $88.7 million for the first quarter. According to NS3.AI, the company's revenue saw a substantial decrease of 68% quarter over quarter, amounting to $62.7 million. CEO Nangeng Zhang attributed the cautious stance in the mining industry to factors such as the Middle East conflict, fluctuating energy prices, global liquidity issues, and policy uncertainty. In response, Canaan has reduced its operating expenses to $31.4 million and is expanding its focus on computing infrastructure.

US Republican lawmakers are pushing to make a CBDC ban permanent by embedding it in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which is expected to come up for a vote in the House this week, according to Cointelegraph. Congressman Mike Flood said the amended House bill reverses what he called a "backdoor green light for a CBDC" in the Senate version, which currently bans the Federal Reserve from issuing a CBDC until Dec. 31, 2030. Representative Warren Davidson also backed a permanent ban, warning that the 2030 sunset effectively serves as a "pre-launch development period." Separately, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer is advocating for his Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which passed the House in July but awaits Senate approval.

In 2025, approximately one-tenth of U.S. adults reported using or investing in cryptocurrencies, marking the highest level of engagement in three years, according to a Federal Reserve report on household economic well-being. According to Cointelegraph, the report, released on Wednesday, indicates that around 10% of adults engaged with crypto for various purposes, an increase from the figures in 2023 and 2024. However, this still falls short of the 12% adoption rate recorded in 2021.
The report provides a detailed breakdown of crypto usage, including investment and payments, among Americans from 2021 to 2025. Expanding the use of Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies into everyday payments has been a significant focus for American payment companies. Jack Dorsey's Block, for instance, has facilitated Bitcoin and stablecoin payments for over 800,000 U.S.-based merchants. Additionally, Lightspark, a Bitcoin Lightning Network startup founded by former PayPal President David Marcus, is working to bring Bitcoin payments into the mainstream.
The survey revealed that around 9% of respondents use crypto as an investment vehicle, while only 2% utilize it for payments, and 1% for sending money to family or friends. Crypto usage was notably higher among the unbanked population, with 6% using it for transactions compared to 2% of banked adults. In 2025, approximately 6% of Americans were unbanked. More than a quarter of those using crypto for payments reported that businesses preferred crypto payments due to advantages like speed, privacy, and lower costs. However, less than 10% of businesses expressed a preference for crypto payments, citing reasons such as perceived safety over banks or distrust in the traditional banking system.
The Federal Reserve has historically maintained a cautious stance on cryptocurrencies, particularly under Jerome Powell's leadership, which concluded on Friday. Kevin Warsh, who was voted in by the Senate on Wednesday, will succeed Powell as the new Federal Reserve chair. Warsh, a former Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, is known for his favorable view of Bitcoin, having previously suggested that it could "provide market discipline" and compared it to gold as an investment for those under 40. Warsh is recognized for his hawkish views on monetary policy, often advocating for fiscal restraint, lower inflation, and reduced reliance on quantitative easing.

Bitcoin's derivatives market is exhibiting diverging signals, indicating a weakening overall structure, according to ChainCatcher. Glassnode reports a significant shift in selling pressure, with the cumulative volume delta (CVD) for spot markets plummeting by 848.7%. Despite this, spot trading volume has increased by 4.2%, suggesting heightened trading activity driven more by interest than bullish sentiment. Open interest has slightly decreased by 2.9%, reflecting cautious leverage use in an uncertain environment. However, funding rates for long positions have surged by 136.6%, indicating a renewed demand for long positions and a rise in bullish sentiment among traders. Conversely, the perpetual contract CVD has sharply declined by 278.7%, highlighting substantial selling pressure and prevailing bearish sentiment.
The 25-Delta Skew for options has risen by 42.75%, as traders seek more downside protection, signaling a bearish market shift. Additionally, options open interest and volatility spread have increased by 1.7% and 124.52%, respectively, indicating heightened market participation and expectations of future price volatility. The MVRV of U.S. spot ETFs has decreased by 6.1%, with ETF net flows deteriorating sharply, suggesting weakened institutional confidence. However, ETF trading volume has risen by 7%. On-chain activity presents a mixed picture: while the number of active addresses has declined, entity-adjusted transfer volume has increased, indicating subdued network usage but continued movement of large-scale funds.
Overall, as momentum, spot demand, and speculative positions weaken, the structure of the Bitcoin market is beginning to soften. Options traders are increasingly hedging against downside risks, and liquidity and profitability metrics continue to cool. Despite this, stable liquidity and the strength of long-term holders provide some resilience to the market.

Crypto investors pulled nearly $1 billion from Bitcoin funds last week while simultaneously pouring fresh capital into XRP and Solana products — a divergence that points to selective altcoin rotation rather than a broad exit from digital assets, according to CoinShares weekly flow data.
XRP products attracted $67.6 million in net inflows and Solana drew $55.1 million in the week ended May 15. Bitcoin funds bled $982 million over the same period and Ethereum products lost $249 million — two of the largest weekly outflow figures recorded this year for the two largest crypto assets by market cap.
"Altcoins held up notably well," CoinShares Head of Research James Butterfill wrote in the report. Beyond XRP and Solana, inflows were also recorded for TON, Dogecoin, and Chainlink listed products. "Investors are looking past Bitcoin and Ethereum for selective exposure," Butterfill added.
Why XRP is attracting capital during the selloff
The rotation into XRP products is partly explained by the token's relative resilience during the recent market decline. XRP fell approximately 5.1% over the past week compared to Ethereum's 7.4% drop and Bitcoin's $5,000 slide from $82,000 — outperforming both major assets on a relative basis during a period when capital naturally gravitates toward whatever is holding up best.
The CLARITY Act's advancement through the Senate Banking Committee earlier in the week also provided XRP with a specific regulatory tailwind that Bitcoin and Ethereum — already operating under clearer legal frameworks — did not receive to the same degree. For institutional allocators seeking crypto exposure with a legislative catalyst attached, XRP offered a more compelling near-term story than the macro-pressured Bitcoin trade.
Bitcoin sentiment turns sharply bearish
The $982 million weekly outflow from Bitcoin funds is not happening in isolation — it is being reinforced by multiple concurrent signals of deteriorating sentiment. ETF outflows have now totaled more than $1.5 billion since May 7 according to SoSoValue data, with Monday alone seeing $648 million exit — the largest single-day redemption since January 29. Cumulative volume delta in both spot and futures markets has turned deeply negative, reflecting aggressive selling rather than passive distribution. Options delta skew has risen to 14.4% from 10.9% as traders pay up for downside protection.
Prediction markets are reflecting the same pessimism. On Polymarket, bettors now assign a 65% probability that Bitcoin falls to $75,000 this month — compared to just an 11% chance of a recovery to $85,000. The speed of that sentiment shift, from broadly constructive to heavily bearish in under two weeks, mirrors the pace at which the macro narrative flipped from rate cut expectations to rate hike odds following back-to-back hot CPI and PPI prints.
The rotation picture: selective, not structural
The key distinction in last week's flow data is that capital leaving Bitcoin and Ethereum is not leaving crypto entirely — it is rotating into specific assets with identifiable catalysts. XRP has the CLARITY Act. Solana has continued developer momentum, institutional staking activity, and real-world payments partnerships. TON, Dogecoin, and Chainlink each carry their own near-term narratives that attracted smaller but still positive flows.
That selective rotation is a more nuanced signal than a blanket risk-off move. It suggests institutional investors are not abandoning digital assets as an asset class but are actively repositioning within it — trimming exposure to the two assets most correlated with the macro environment and adding to assets with idiosyncratic drivers that can perform independently of Federal Reserve policy and oil prices.
Whether that rotation holds or reverses will depend heavily on Wednesday's FOMC minutes and whether Bitcoin finds support at the $76,000 level analysts have identified as the critical near-term floor.

The Japanese bond market is experiencing unprecedented strain, with the 30-year bond yield surpassing 4% for the first time since 1999, according to BeInCrypto. Analyst Catalina Castro warns of a potential global domino effect, as Japan, a major US creditor, could trigger massive sales of US Treasury bonds. Japanese investors sold $29.6 billion in US debt in Q1 2026, the largest since 2022. Ripple's XRP is highlighted as a tool to release trapped liquidity, using its On-Demand Liquidity solution to facilitate real-time cross-border settlements, potentially easing financial stress.

Today's reading sits at 40 (Fear), edging up slightly from yesterday's 39 but down sharply from last week's neutral reading of 49. The week-over-week drop reflects the negative sentiment triggered by Bitcoin's slide from $82,000 to $77,000, driven by ETF outflows, geopolitical tensions, and hawkish Fed expectations. At 40, the market is anxious but not yet panicked — sentiment could tip either way depending on this week's FOMC minutes and oil price developments.

South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), under the Financial Services Commission, held a closed-door meeting with virtual asset industry representatives on May 19 to gather feedback on proposed amendments to the enforcement decree of the Specific Financial Information Act, according to ZDNET Korea.
The roughly 90-minute consultation was not publicly announced, with the schedule and venue kept confidential. An FIU official said the agency had “fully collected opinions” from the crypto industry and plans to reflect relevant points in the enforcement decree set to take effect on August 20.
Industry participants reportedly raised concerns over proposed requirements, including mandatory FIU reporting for virtual asset transfers worth KRW 10 million or more, and a possible expansion of the Travel Rule to transactions below the current KRW 1 million threshold. They asked regulators to reconsider parts of the plan.

Kevin Warsh is set to be sworn in as the next chair of the US Federal Reserve Board of Governors on Friday, succeeding Jerome Powell in one of the most closely watched central bank leadership transitions in years — arriving at a moment when the odds of the interest rate cuts President Trump is demanding have collapsed to their lowest level since the current tightening cycle began.
The US Senate confirmed Warsh largely along party lines on Wednesday. He is expected to assume the role on Friday, with his first major policy test arriving at the June 16 Federal Open Market Committee meeting — the next scheduled opportunity at which interest rates could be changed.
Rate cut odds have collapsed
The scale of the shift in rate expectations surrounding Warsh's arrival is striking. Prediction market platform Kalshi currently prices a 38.2% chance that the Fed will cut rates before the end of 2026 — down from 96% as recently as February. CME FedWatch is even more definitive, showing a 98.8% probability that the Fed leaves its benchmark rate unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75% through the end of June, with more than 94% odds of the same through July.
The collapse in cut expectations reflects the broader macro environment Warsh is inheriting: back-to-back hot CPI and PPI prints, oil above $100 per barrel driven by ongoing US-Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruption, and bond markets pricing in the possibility of rate hikes rather than cuts before year-end — a scenario that was considered highly unlikely just three months ago.
Trump's expectations versus market reality
The tension at the center of Warsh's confirmation is the gap between what President Trump wants and what market data suggests is appropriate. Trump repeatedly pressured outgoing chair Jerome Powell to cut rates, said in April he would be disappointed if Warsh did not immediately move to lower rates upon confirmation, and has publicly framed rate cuts as a priority for his second term economic agenda.
Warsh, however, is widely regarded by markets as more hawkish on inflation than Powell — a reputation that has contributed to the collapse in rate cut expectations following his nomination. As Fed chair, Warsh will have significant influence over how policymakers approach the rate path, but the Fed's institutional independence means that presidential preferences do not translate directly into policy outcomes.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, who opposed the nomination, said at Warsh's Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing that confirming him could result in the Fed granting special accounts to the Trump family's crypto company or providing bailouts to connected Wall Street firms. Warsh disclosed more than $100 million in assets ahead of the April hearing, including investments in AI and crypto companies — disclosures that drew scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about potential conflicts of interest.
CFTC nominations still outstanding
Warsh's swearing-in comes as a separate regulatory gap is drawing attention from lawmakers. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has been led solely by Trump's pick Michael Selig since December, following the departure of acting chair Caroline Pham. The agency has taken an aggressive stance on asserting exclusive federal oversight of prediction market platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket amid state-level lawsuits against those companies over sports betting classifications.
On Friday, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Committee on Agriculture jointly called on Trump to nominate a full panel of CFTC commissioners, citing urgent regulatory issues. The lawmakers specifically flagged concerns about the CFTC's capacity to execute rulemaking if the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act becomes law — noting that a fully staffed commission would be essential to implementing the crypto market structure framework the CLARITY Act would establish.
What it means for crypto
For Bitcoin and crypto markets, Warsh's arrival as Fed chair represents both a near-term headwind and a longer-term variable. In the near term, his hawkish inflation reputation reinforces the higher-for-longer rate narrative that has driven $1.5 billion in Bitcoin ETF outflows since May 7 and pushed Polymarket bettors to assign a 65% probability that Bitcoin falls to $75,000 this month.
The longer-term picture is more complex. Warsh's disclosed investments in AI and crypto companies have led some analysts to speculate that his tenure could be more nuanced on digital asset policy than his inflation hawkishness implies for traditional rate markets. His first FOMC meeting on June 16 will be the first real signal of how he intends to navigate the competing pressures of Trump's rate cut demands, re-accelerating inflation, and an increasingly fragile risk asset environment.

UOB Global Economics and Market Research strategist Quek Ser Leang has indicated that the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield could continue to rise, according to Odaily. He noted that the yield increased by 23.1 basis points last week. Quek highlighted that in previous instances where the 10-year Treasury yield experienced such significant weekly increases, it tended to rise further. He also mentioned that last week's strong increase was accompanied by the yield breaking through a weekly downtrend line connecting the highs of 5.021% and 4.809%, which suggests a continued upward trend in yields.

According to the announcement from Binance, the exchange will delist eight spot trading pairs as part of its routine market quality review. The affected pairs include AVAX/ETH, CHZ/BTC, FET/BNB, IOTA/BTC, UNI/ETH, UNI/FDUSD, XLM/BTC, and XLM/FDUSD. This action is scheduled to take place on 2026-05-22 at 03:00 (UTC). The decision to remove these pairs is based on factors such as poor liquidity and trading volume, which are crucial for maintaining a high-quality trading environment.
The delisting of these spot trading pairs will not impact the availability of the individual tokens on Binance Spot. Users will still have the opportunity to trade the base and quote assets of these pairs through other available trading pairs on the platform. Additionally, Binance will terminate Spot Trading Bots services for the specified pairs at the same time. Users are advised to update or cancel their Spot Trading Bots to prevent any potential losses due to the cessation of these services. This measure is part of Binance's ongoing efforts to ensure a robust and efficient trading platform for its users.

PeckShieldAlert posted on X that Echo Protocol experienced a significant security breach on the Monad platform. The hacker managed to mint 1,000 eBTC, valued at $76.7 million. Following the breach, the hacker deposited 45 eBTC, worth $3.45 million, into Curvance.
Utilizing this deposit, the hacker borrowed approximately 11.29 WBTC, equivalent to $867,700, and subsequently bridged the WBTC to the Ethereum network. The stolen funds were then swapped for ETH, with 384 ETH, valued at around $821,700, being sent to Tornado Cash, a service known for its privacy features.

Echo Protocol is currently investigating a security incident affecting its cross-chain bridge on Monad. According to ChainCatcher, all cross-chain transactions remain suspended during the investigation.
Previously, market reports indicated that Echo Protocol was hacked on Monad. The attacker minted 1,000 eBTC and deposited 45 eBTC into Curvance. Using this as collateral, they borrowed approximately 11.29 WBTC, which was then bridged to Ethereum and exchanged for ETH. Ultimately, 384 ETH was transferred to Tornado Cash.
SlowMist founder Yu Jian suggested that the theft might have been caused by the compromise of an admin single-point private key.

IBM has announced the expansion of its artificial intelligence enterprise security program through a collaboration with Anthropic. According to Jin10, this partnership aims to enhance security measures within AI applications, leveraging Anthropic's expertise in AI safety and ethics. The initiative is part of IBM's broader strategy to integrate advanced AI technologies into its security framework, ensuring robust protection against emerging threats in the digital landscape.

Standard Chartered plans to cut more than 15% of its corporate function roles by 2030, eliminating over 7,000 positions from its workforce of 80,000 employees. The UK-headquartered bank aims to scale up the use of artificial intelligence and automation, according to BeInCrypto. CEO Bill Winters emphasized that the restructuring is not about cost-cutting but rather replacing lower-value human capital with financial and investment capital. The bank also raised its profitability targets, aiming for a return on tangible equity above 15% by 2028 and around 18% by 2030.

Binance Blog published a new article, introducing Binance's innovative payment facilitator, Binance x402, on the BNB Chain. This development aims to simplify the monetization of APIs, tools, and digital services by enabling HTTP-native payments. As digital services increasingly rely on automation, the absence of a straightforward, native payment method for APIs and AI agents has become a significant challenge. Traditional payment systems are not equipped for machine-to-machine transactions or usage-based billing, creating obstacles for developers and users alike. Binance x402 addresses this gap by offering a streamlined solution for automated, usage-based payments on the BNB Chain.
Binance x402 is designed to facilitate payments for developers and merchants, allowing them to monetize digital services such as APIs, data platforms, and automated workflows. By utilizing standard HTTP 402 payment flows, Binance x402 enables services to request and receive payments in a programmable manner. This eliminates the need for merchants to develop their own payment verification and settlement infrastructure, as Binance x402 handles these complexities. The system allows merchants to present payment requirements, accept signed authorizations, verify payment details off-chain, and settle payments on the BNB Chain. Additionally, Binance x402 supports direct token movement from buyers to merchants, enhancing the utility of stablecoins on the BNB Chain.
For users, Binance x402 integrates with Trust Wallet to provide a self-custody payment loop on the BNB Chain. Trust Wallet AgentKit supports Binance x402, ensuring that wallets remain self-custody and private keys stay secure on users' devices. This integration allows agent payments to be activated quickly without custom payment code, enabling users to access premium services while maintaining control over their keys. Binance x402 is also expanding its wallet support to include Binance Wallet’s Agentic Wallet, further broadening its reach and making it easier for users to access paid services through familiar wallet experiences.
The introduction of Binance x402 marks a significant step toward a more programmable payment layer on the BNB Chain. As AI agents and autonomous services become more prevalent, the need for seamless payment flows becomes critical. Binance x402 provides developers and merchants with new monetization opportunities, such as pay-per-use APIs and automated service payments. By simplifying the payment process, Binance x402 empowers the next generation of internet services, enabling agents and users to transact more efficiently and effectively. This advancement positions Binance Pay and BNB Chain as key players in the evolution of digital micro-economies and machine-to-machine transactions.

Weekly trading volume on Solana-based perpetual futures decentralized exchanges (DEXs) has surpassed $20 billion for the first time. According to NS3.AI, GMTrade was a significant contributor to this milestone, recording approximately $4.9 billion in trading volume over the past 24 hours.

According to the announcement from Binance, the platform is inviting community leaders, influencers, and crypto enthusiasts in Pakistan to participate in a referral competition. Participants can invite friends to start their crypto journey with a minimum deposit of $10, aiming to become the ultimate Referral Champion and share a prize pool of 30,000 USDT. The activity period is set from 2026-05-18 to 2026-06-05. Each new referral will receive a 5 USDT token voucher upon completing their first trade, available on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 1,000 eligible users.
The competition rewards the top 100 referrers based on the number of Qualified New Traders they bring in during the activity period. The reward structure is tiered, with the first place receiving 6,000 USDT, second place 4,000 USDT, and third place 2,500 USDT. Positions from fourth to tenth will earn 1,000 USDT each, while those ranked eleventh to fiftieth will receive 200 USDT. The remaining fifty-first to hundredth places will be awarded 50 USDT each. To qualify as a new trader, referrals must complete identity verification (KYC) in Pakistan, make a first-time deposit of at least $10, achieve a cumulative trading volume of $10 on eligible Spot and Convert pairs, and maintain a minimum account balance of $5 until the end of the activity period.
Token voucher rewards will be distributed to eligible winners by 2026-06-20, with vouchers expiring 14 days after distribution. Participants must claim their vouchers before expiration. Binance emphasizes that any accounts flagged for fraudulent activity or risk will be disqualified, and reserves the right to amend the promotion terms at its discretion. This activity is exclusively available to users verified in Pakistan and may be restricted in certain jurisdictions based on legal and regulatory requirements.

BNB Chain has announced the completion of its post-quantum cryptography migration testing for transaction signatures and consensus layers, according to ChainCatcher. The testing involved the adoption of the ML-DSA-44 (Dilithium) post-quantum signature algorithm and the pqSTARK aggregation scheme, both standardized by NIST.
The report reveals that BNB Chain has replaced its transaction signature method from ECDSA to ML-DSA-44 and switched its consensus vote aggregation from BLS12-381 to pqSTARK. This move aims to counter potential threats posed by quantum computing to the current elliptic curve cryptography systems. However, the post-quantum signatures have significantly increased the on-chain data size, with individual transaction sizes growing from approximately 110 bytes to about 2.5KB. In scenarios with 2000 TPS, block sizes have increased from around 130KB to about 2MB, and TPS in the test environment has decreased by approximately 40%-50%.
BNB Chain noted that the current network bottleneck is primarily due to the larger transaction data propagation rather than the consensus protocol itself. Meanwhile, the consensus layer aggregation remains efficient, with pqSTARK achieving a signature compression ratio of about 43:1, keeping the additional burden on validators within a manageable range. The report concludes that existing technology can achieve "quantum-resistant" blockchain deployment, but future challenges remain in addressing network bandwidth and data scalability issues.

The Russian government's legislative committee has approved a proposal to ban cryptocurrency mining in the border regions of Kursk Oblast, according to ChainCatcher. This ban affects eight districts and the city of Lgov. The governor stated that the decision was made at the request of resource supply organizations, as residents in nine border areas are exempt from paying public utility fees, including electricity. Establishing mining facilities would impose a financial burden on the federal budget. The ban aims to prevent exacerbated energy shortages due to attacks by Ukrainian armed forces and difficulties in infrastructure restoration. While the governor did not specify when the ban would be implemented, he mentioned that it might be lifted if conditions improve in the future. There have been previous reports suggesting that the mining ban could extend to the entire central region of Russia.

Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, has launched the 'Skills' feature on web, iOS, and Android platforms. According to Odaily, this new feature enhances the AI assistant Grok with persistent memory across conversations, marking its evolution from a traditional single-interaction chatbot to a configurable and programmable automated workspace.
The 'Skills' feature allows users to teach Grok specific task methods once, enabling it to permanently remember personal preferences, formatting rules, or specific workflow steps in all subsequent independent conversations. This development means users no longer need to repeatedly input tedious prompts or background settings when starting new conversations.

Solana has returned to its support zone of $84–$85 following an unsuccessful attempt to surpass the $100 mark earlier this month, experiencing an 11.7% decline over the week. According to NS3.AI, Bitcoin also saw a decrease, falling to $76,000 after reaching $82,000 during a broader cryptocurrency market correction.

Canaan has secured a contract to provide heat-recovery Bitcoin mining infrastructure to a district heating network in the Nordic region. According to NS3.AI, the project aims to reach a capacity of 8 MW. The initial phase includes 228 Avalon A1566HA units, currently operating with a 2 MW heating capacity, supplying hot water to local residents. A subsequent order for 692 additional units is planned for March 2026, which would extend the system's reach to approximately 2,800 homes upon full deployment.

OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy has joined Anthropic. According to Odaily, this move marks a significant addition to Anthropic's team. Further details about his role or responsibilities at Anthropic have not been disclosed.

NUVA has launched this week with nearly $19 billion in tokenized real-world assets from Figure Technologies, according to CoinDesk. The initiative aims to integrate regulated U.S. yield products into the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, marking a significant step in bridging traditional finance with blockchain technology. This development highlights the growing trend of tokenizing real-world assets to enhance liquidity and accessibility in the DeFi space.

21Shares has reported strong early flows into its newly launched Hyperliquid ETF, indicating a growing investor demand for 24/7 access to both crypto and traditional assets, according to CoinDesk. The ETF aims to provide investors with seamless exposure to a diverse range of asset classes, reflecting the increasing interest in flexible investment options that bridge the gap between digital and conventional markets.

On May 19, a wallet associated with Anchorage Digital withdrew 85,226 HYPE tokens from a centralized exchange (CEX), according to BlockBeats On-chain Detection. The tokens are valued at approximately $4.08 million.
Over the past month, the wallet has accumulated a total of 2.22 million HYPE tokens, with a total value of approximately $105.75 million.

Binance Wallet announced on X that $ZEST is now available for trading on Binance Wallet Perpetuals. Users can trade $ZEST perpetual contracts directly from their wallets, benefiting from a 0% maker fee. This new listing allows traders to engage in perpetual trading without incurring maker fees, potentially enhancing trading efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
In addition to the fee benefits, trading volume for $ZEST is eligible for participation in the Aster $ZEST Trading Competition. This competition provides an opportunity for traders to leverage their trading activity with $ZEST to compete for rewards. The integration of $ZEST into Binance Wallet Perpetuals marks a notable addition to the platform's offerings, enabling users to trade with ease and efficiency. The perpetual trading feature allows for continuous trading without expiration, offering flexibility to traders looking to manage their positions actively.

U.S. semiconductor stocks saw a notable drop during intraday trading, with AMD and Qualcomm experiencing declines of nearly 6%. According to NS3.AI, Intel and Seagate Technology also fell by more than 4%. Other companies such as ON Semiconductor, Western Digital, Micron Technology, SanDisk, and Broadcom faced downturns as well. The market volatility has impacted investor sentiment, leading to widespread declines across the sector.

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has approved a proposal urging the Financial Services Agency to develop a five-year roadmap focused on stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and blockchain settlement. According to NS3.AI, the plan emphasizes the importance of on-chain finance in safeguarding the sovereignty of the yen and cautions that Japan risks lagging behind international payment systems. The proposal also calls for clearer regulations concerning payroll, tax payments, corporate funding, and cross-border transfers.

Polymarket has announced a collaboration with Nasdaq to introduce a prediction market focused on private companies. According to Odaily, this new market will cover events such as private company valuations, IPO timelines, and secondary market activities. Nasdaq Private Market will serve as the settlement data provider for these prediction markets on Polymarket.

Binance Wallet announced on X a new promotion offering loss protection of up to 10 USDT for eligible participants. To qualify, users must successfully register during the specified Promotion Period and place their orders within this timeframe. The market is set to resolve by May 27 at 14:00 (UTC), and only orders that resolve at a loss will be eligible for the protection.
Participants should note that those who joined Phase 1, which included the first 10,000 registrants, are not eligible for Phase 2 of the promotion. Additionally, users are advised to refresh or re-enter the registration page if they encounter issues during the registration process. This initiative aims to provide users with a safety net in volatile market conditions, ensuring that they can engage in trading activities with reduced risk.

U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed reports suggesting that Chinese President Xi Jinping provided a pessimistic evaluation of Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting that the reports claimed Xi expressed concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine, suggesting it would lead to regret. Trump, however, has refuted these assertions, emphasizing the importance of maintaining diplomatic relations with China. The reports have sparked discussions about the geopolitical implications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the roles of major global powers in addressing the situation.

Intesa Sanpaolo, managing $1.1 trillion in assets, has announced plans to reallocate its crypto assets by the first quarter of 2026. According to PANews, the Italian banking group is strategizing its approach to digital currencies as part of its broader asset management strategy. This move reflects the bank's ongoing efforts to adapt to the evolving financial landscape and integrate digital assets into its portfolio.

Japan's Financial Services Agency has announced a revision to the Cabinet Order, according to Foresight News. The amendment will officially recognize foreign trust beneficiary rights, deemed equivalent to Japan's electronic settlement system, as electronic settlement means under the Payment Services Act. The revision will take effect on June 1.
The update establishes a legal basis for foreign trust-type stablecoins to offer services within Japan. It also stipulates that electronic settlement means and transaction operators must assess the suitability of foreign electronic settlement means based on their equivalence to Japanese systems. Additionally, related foreign trust beneficiary rights will be excluded from being classified as securities under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, and will be regulated solely as electronic settlement means.

Ondo Finance (ONDO) has surged approximately 16% in the past 24 hours, breaking out of a multi-month accumulation zone, according to BeInCrypto. This price movement coincides with a Bloomberg report that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is preparing an innovation exemption to allow tokenized securities trading on decentralized platforms. This regulatory shift could benefit Ondo Finance's real-world asset infrastructure, which includes 260 tokenized US stocks and ETFs across Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain. The token's breakout is supported by strong volume and bullish technical indicators.