News linked to both this project and an event.
According to Livecoins, a joint survey by Mercado Bitcoin and Opinion Box found that cryptocurrencies are now included in the investment portfolios of 16% of Brazilian investors, while another 56% of respondents—who have never invested in crypto assets—indicated they intend to enter this market in the future. The survey states that digital assets are viewed more as a tool for portfolio diversification rather than a replacement for traditional investments. Meanwhile, 61% of Brazilian respondents consider Bitcoin’s price declines as buying opportunities; this figure rises to 79% among investors who already hold crypto assets. However, market adoption still faces obstacles: 62% of respondents say they struggle to understand technical terminology in the crypto space, 76% find the market overly complex, and 55% cite platform regulation as the top factor when selecting a crypto investment platform.
that, according to the latest report from crypto lending platform Ledn, the global market for Bitcoin-backed consumer lending could grow nearly 300 times over the next decade, reaching $1 trillion, while a significant amount of potential demand remains untapped.The report cites a survey conducted by consumer research firm Protocol Theory among 1,244 cryptocurrency holders in the United States and Australia. It shows that approximately 88% of respondents are willing to consider using crypto-backed loans or credit products, but only 14% have actually used such services, creating a so-called "6:1 interest-to-adoption gap."Ledn estimates that the current global market size for Bitcoin-backed consumer lending is around $3 billion. In comparison, Galaxy Research previously estimated the entire crypto lending market peaked at $73.6 billion in the third quarter of 2025. Ledn co-founder Mauricio Di Bartolomeo stated: "The demand-side problem has been solved. What the industry is truly missing right now is the trust infrastructure that allows borrowers to build confidence."The survey indicates that the core factors hindering user adoption of crypto-backed lending are not a lack of awareness, but concerns over price volatility, forced liquidation risks, and regulatory uncertainty. When choosing a lending platform, users prioritize platform reputation, custody security, transparency, and risk management over simple interest rates. The report argues that crypto-backed lending is essentially similar to "stock-backed financing" or "home equity loans" in traditional finance, allowing users to obtain liquidity without selling their long-term holdings. (CoinDesk)
U.S. Republican lawmakers are accelerating efforts to push forward a new version of the ARMA Act, aiming to have the bill signed into law while the party still controls both chambers of Congress. The bill proposes establishing a national Bitcoin reserve for the United States, with plans to hold approximately 5% of the global circulating supply of Bitcoin on a long-term basis. According to reports, Republicans are internally working to elevate the strategic Bitcoin reserve to the level of national financial and geopolitical competition, arguing that the U.S. should take a leading role in the global digital asset system. If the bill is ultimately passed, the U.S. government could become one of the largest holders of Bitcoin in the world, further reinforcing the narrative of BTC as "digital gold" and a sovereign reserve asset. (Bitcoin News)
the Cangshan District People's Procuratorate of Fuzhou City disclosed that a man was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison and fined 300,000 yuan for stealing 4 Bitcoins from another person and illegally profiting approximately 900,000 yuan. The verdict was upheld in the second instance.According to the case details, at the end of 2020, a person surnamed Wang commissioned a person surnamed Lin to assist in liquidating his Bitcoin holdings. While accessing Wang's Bitcoin wallet hard drive and computer, Lin stole the wallet's "private key" and related data, transferred 4 Bitcoins to his own account, and subsequently sold them off for profit. In 2024, Wang discovered the asset anomaly and reported it to the police, leading to Lin's arrest.The procuratorate stated that although current Chinese regulations clarify that virtual currencies do not hold legal tender status, Bitcoin possesses value, manageability, and transferability, which aligns with the general characteristics of "property" under criminal law. Therefore, it constitutes an object of property crimes, and related infringing actions will also be subject to criminal liability.
JPMorgan announced its blockchain platform Kinexys has exceeded $1.5 trillion in cumulative transaction volume since its launch in 2020, processing over $2 billion in daily transaction volume.Additionally, in May 2026, JPMorgan applied to launch a tokenized Treasury fund, built using the Kinexys blockchain infrastructure, designed to meet the reserve asset requirements for stablecoin issuers under the GENIUS Act. Its Q3 2025 13F filing shows JPMorgan increased its holdings of iShares Bitcoin Trust shares by 64% to 5.28 million shares, valued at approximately $343 million.Meanwhile, Kinexys and Digital Asset plan to bring JPM Coin to the Canton Network in 2026 to enable institutional deposit token settlements on public infrastructure. (financefeeds)
the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced a new bipartisan bill, the "American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026" (ARMA), which aims to include Bitcoin held by the U.S. government in a strategic reserve and requires a minimum 20-year lock-up period.Unlike the previously proposed BITCOIN Act, the new bill no longer requires the U.S. government to purchase 1 million BTC. Instead, it primarily incorporates Bitcoin already held or acquired in the future through means such as criminal and civil forfeitures into the reserve. Additionally, the bill will establish a separate Digital Asset Stockpile to manage non-Bitcoin crypto assets held by the federal government.According to the draft, Bitcoin entered into the strategic reserve shall not be sold, exchanged, auctioned, hypothecated, or otherwise disposed of for 20 years. After the lock-up period ends, the Secretary of the Treasury may recommend selling up to 10% of the reserve assets within any two-year period.The bill also requires the government to publish quarterly reserve proofs and conduct third-party audits of its Bitcoin holdings. Supporters argue that the U.S. should not sell strategic digital assets but should hold them long-term as part of a modernized national reserve system.
Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, posted on X announcing that cirBTC is即将 launched. Circle Wrapped Bitcoin (cirBTC) is a tokenized Bitcoin backed 1:1 by native Bitcoin, issued by Circle on the Ethereum mainnet and the Arc network. Each cirBTC is backed 1:1 by native Bitcoin held in custody by regulated entities within the Circle group.
Odaily news – U.S. Representative Nick Begich has introduced the "American Reserve Modernization Act," which has garnered support from 16 original co-sponsors.The bill proposes establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve, consolidating digital assets held by the federal government, and locking Bitcoin as a long-term reserve asset for at least 20 years. It also calls for studying budget-neutral Bitcoin purchase strategies and preventing future administrations or Congress from liquidating the reserves in question.Reports indicate that Trump had previously established a strategic Bitcoin reserve through an executive order, and this bill aims to formalize those arrangements into law. (Bitcoin News)
According to Decrypt, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit against Bitcoin ATM operator CoinFlip, accusing it of “knowingly facilitating fraudulent transactions” and seeking a $1.83 million fine as well as a ban on its operations in the state. CoinFlip responded that the lawsuit is “baseless” and urged authorities to instead investigate the actual criminals. Against this backdrop, U.S. states are intensifying regulatory crackdowns on Bitcoin ATMs—particularly targeting scams targeting elderly individuals. FBI data shows that related losses reached $389 million in 2025.
According to K33’s official announcement, K33 AB (publ) released its Q1 2026 interim report on May 21, 2026. Revenue for the quarter reached 739,822 kSEK, representing a 64% year-on-year increase and a 73% sequential increase, despite an approximately 15% decline in overall spot market trading volume during the period. K33 Markets’ rolling 12-month trading volume amounted to approximately SEK 2.7 billion. Impacted by the decline in Bitcoin’s price, the quarter’s net loss widened to -35,815 kSEK (compared to -4,033 kSEK in the same period last year), with EBITDA at -6,103 kSEK. Operationally, K33 launched a crypto-asset collateralized lending service this quarter, completed a major platform upgrade with full bank integration, and expanded its Bitcoin strategic exposure through the acquisition of a 46% equity stake in Sixty Six Capital. The company stated it is prepared for MiCA compliance approval, which is expected in late Q2. Following the end of the quarter, Bitcoin’s price rebounded significantly, positively impacting the valuation of the Group’s Bitcoin exposure.
According to Cointelegraph, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit against GPD Holdings—the parent company of cryptocurrency ATM operator CoinFlip—accusing it of “intentionally facilitating fraudulent transactions and profiting from them,” with victims including elderly residents and veterans in the state. The lawsuit stems from a targeted investigation launched by Missouri in December 2025 into multiple crypto ATM companies, which alleged “deceptive fee structures” and fraudulent conduct. The Attorney General’s Office is asking the court to rule that CoinFlip violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, prohibit it from continuing operations in the state, impose a $1,000 fine for each violation over the past five years (capped at $1.826 million), and provide restitution to affected consumers. CoinFlip currently operates 136 crypto ATMs in Missouri and 4,229 nationwide. Notably, Bitcoin Depot—another major crypto ATM operator—filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, and regulatory pressure is intensifying across the entire industry.
Bitcoin treasury company Nakamoto plans to implement a 1:40 reverse stock split to push its share price back above $1, thereby meeting Nasdaq listing compliance requirements.According to the plan, the company's outstanding shares will be reduced from approximately 696.1 million to about 17.4 million after the split, which is expected to take effect on May 22.Previously, Nakamoto reported its Q1 2026 financial results, with a net loss of $238.8 million. Of this amount, approximately $107.7 million came from write-downs related to the acquisition of pre-paid options, while another approximately $102.5 million in losses resulted from the book loss on its holdings of 5,058 BTC during a 23% decline in Bitcoin prices that quarter. (Decrypt)
According to Caixin, the global tax “satellite surveillance system,” CRS 2.0, is accelerating its rollout worldwide. Cryptographic assets, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and certain electronic money products have now been included within the scope of financial asset reporting. Hong Kong plans to implement CRS 2.0 by 2028 and simultaneously advance the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF). In the future, cryptocurrency exchanges, brokers, and operators of crypto ATMs will be required to report cryptocurrency–fiat currency conversions, cross-cryptocurrency swaps, and domestic and cross-border transfers of cryptographic assets. Reports must precisely specify the full names of assets—for example, Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT)—and aggregate data by transaction dimension, including total market value, total holdings, and number of transactions. For retail payment transactions, individual transactions exceeding USD 50,000 must be reported separately. Although mainland China has not yet officially announced a timeline for implementing CRS 2.0, since 2025, tax authorities in multiple regions have begun notifying taxpayers—via phone calls and text messages—to self-report overseas income earned between 2022 and 2024 and fulfill their tax obligations accordingly. It is understood that CRS 2.0 will not only fully expose overseas-held cryptographic assets to tax oversight but may also trigger coordinated scrutiny by other regulatory bodies.
South Carolina Governor has signed Bill S.163. This bill prohibits any government entity from accepting or requiring payment in, or participating in testing of, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs); permits individuals or businesses to transact using digital currencies; stipulates that digital assets must not be treated differently; specifies that digital currency transactions may be taxed only if the tax rate applied is identical to that applied to transactions conducted using U.S. legal tender; restricts certain digital currency operations within areas zoned for industrial use; mandates that digital asset mining operations must not impose any additional strain on the electrical grid to which they connect; requires digital mining enterprises to provide certain information upon request by the Public Service Commission; exempts persons engaged in digital mining operations from obtaining certain licenses; clarifies that persons providing certain services related to digital mining or staking do not constitute securities transactions; authorizes the Attorney General to bring legal action against individuals or entities that fraudulently claim to offer digital asset mining or staking services; and defines necessary terms.
According to Cointelegraph, Yorkville America—the asset management firm behind Trump’s Truth Social—has announced the withdrawal of its three previously filed cryptocurrency ETF applications with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The withdrawn applications were for the Truth Social Bitcoin ETF, the Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, and the Crypto Blue-Chip ETF. The company stated it will shift from the regulatory framework of the Securities Act of 1933 to that of the Investment Company Act of 1940 to offer more innovative products while providing stronger investor protections and tax advantages. However, it did not clarify whether it plans to pursue cryptocurrency ETFs under the new framework.
The Zcash Foundation released its Q1 2026 report, disclosing total liquid assets of approximately $36.7 million, including roughly $12.11 million in cash, 506,556 USDC, 85,412 ZEC (valued at ~$21.2 million), 41.8 BTC (valued at ~$2.85 million), and 12.02 ETH (valued at ~$25,000). The Zcash Foundation added that, although the first quarter of this year saw personnel changes within the Electric Coin Company’s development team and governance-related disputes, network operations remained unaffected, with transactions and block production continuing normally. On the regulatory front, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded its investigation without taking any enforcement action, thereby resolving long-standing regulatory uncertainty.
According to chart analysis released by independent analyst Markus Thielen on May 19, the current market capitalization of USDT has reached $189.8 billion, while that of USDC stands at $76.9 billion—both exhibiting long-term upward trends. However, since Bitcoin entered a correction phase in October last year, the total market capitalization of stablecoins has remained largely flat, indicating relatively limited inflows of new capital into the crypto market. Thielen noted that although there is a widespread belief that stablecoins will fully replace traditional payment networks, their primary use cases remain concentrated on crypto trading and portfolio management—still far from achieving mainstream payment adoption. While U.S. policy broadly supports stablecoin development—partly because their reserve assets are often reallocated into U.S. Treasury securities—the gap between current usage and true mainstream payment application remains substantial.
: Bitcoin financial services company Swan Bitcoin (along with its operating entity Electric Solidus Inc. named as defendants) is facing a lawsuit filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, with claims approaching $1 billion.The lawsuit was filed by PCT Litigation Trust, aiming to recover crypto assets related to the 2023 collapse of Prime Trust. The plaintiff accuses Swan of using "material non-public information" to transfer funds out of Prime Trust before its failure, thereby avoiding significant losses.According to the court filing, Swan had transferred assets including approximately 11,992 Bitcoin (currently valued at around $917 million) out of Prime Trust before it filed for bankruptcy, along with roughly $22.4 million in fiat currency, $5 million in stablecoins, and 91,444 XRP tokens.The plaintiff also alleges that Swan had ties to a senior executive at Prime Trust, who also served as an external consultant for Swan. This individual is suspected of providing Swan with information prior to regulatory meetings, thereby helping the company withdraw its assets early.Swan Bitcoin responded, stating that the relevant assets belong to client trust property and should not be used for bankruptcy liquidation, expressing confidence that the court will ultimately support its position. (Decrypt)
According to The Block, Bitcoin Depot (BTM), a Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin ATM operator, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on the 18th in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, announcing an orderly liquidation and asset sale. CEO Alex Holmes stated that increasingly stringent state-level compliance requirements, transaction limit restrictions, and operational bans in certain regions have rendered the company’s existing business model unsustainable. Previously, the company suffered a security breach in April 2026, resulting in a $3.7 million loss; its Q1 2026 revenue declined 49.2% year-on-year, with a net loss of $9.5 million. Currently, all over 9,000 Bitcoin ATMs operated globally by Bitcoin Depot have been taken offline, and its overseas entities—including those in Canada—will also be shut down.
Odaily News: Greg Cipolaro, Research Director at financial services firm NYDIG, stated that the most realistic legislative window for the U.S. Senate's crypto market structure bill is June to early August. If progress cannot be made during this period, the bill may face uncertainty extending beyond the midterm elections or even longer.Earlier, White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt had proposed July 4 as an ideal legislative timeline, but NYDIG considers this target overly optimistic. The bill still needs to clear multiple hurdles, including committee review, a full Senate vote, and House procedures.The bill aims to establish a clear regulatory framework for U.S. crypto assets and is regarded as one of the most critical pieces of legislation this year. However, it has faced repeated delays due to disagreements over stablecoin regulation, ethical clauses, and DeFi rules. The Senate Banking Committee has advanced the draft for a full Senate vote, but it still requires at least 60 votes to pass.Analysts point out that if the bill fails to pass before the election cycle, shifts in Republican and Democratic control of the Senate could further reduce legislative certainty, keeping the industry in a state of regulatory ambiguity.However, if the bill is ultimately passed and signed into law, it would bring regulatory clarity to the market. In particular, Bitcoin is expected to be clearly classified as a commodity, thereby reducing uncertainty for institutional entry. (Cointelegraph)