News linked to both this project and an event.
According to The Block, Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest purchased a total of 122,020 shares of Bullish (BLSH) stock through its ARKK, ARKW, and ARKF ETFs on Monday and Tuesday this week, with a total value of approximately $4.4 million. Prior to this, Bullish’s stock price had fallen 15.4% over the past five trading days; it rebounded slightly by 1.88% on Tuesday to close at $36.23, but remained down 16.7% over the past month.
According to The Block, three Wall Street firms—Benchmark, TD Cowen, and Mizuho—maintained “Buy” ratings on four crypto-related companies—Bitdeer, DeFi Technologies, Strive, and Gemini—on Monday, noting that the market continues to value these platforms, which have pivoted toward AI infrastructure, capital markets tools, and structured financial products, using trading-business valuation multiples. Benchmark analysts reiterated their “Buy” rating on Bitdeer and $27 price target, highlighting its global power asset portfolio of approximately 3.0 GW and the growth of its AI cloud business’s annual recurring revenue—from roughly $10 million at the end of January to approximately $69 million by the end of April. TD Cowen raised its price target for Strive to $30, forecasting a 26.1% Bitcoin yield for the company in 2026. Mizuho maintained its “Outperform” rating on Gemini but lowered its price target from $12 to $10, noting that although Q1 trading volume declined by over 50%, trading revenue remained largely flat—reflecting higher fee rates and an optimized revenue mix.
Bitcoin has fallen below the $77,000 mark, hitting a low of approximately $76,720. Analysts attribute the market decline primarily to multiple macroeconomic pressures, including the renewed escalation of tensions between the US and Iran, rising inflation concerns, and increased risk aversion across risk assets. Former US President Donald Trump issued a strong warning to Iran on social media, intensifying geopolitical uncertainty.Meanwhile, rising oil prices have further elevated inflation expectations, with Brent crude climbing to around $111 and WTI rising above $107. This has sparked concerns that the Federal Reserve may maintain higher interest rates for a longer period.The current selling pressure is also compounded by factors such as rising US Treasury yields, a strengthening US dollar, and ETF outflows. Data shows that Bitcoin ETFs saw net outflows of approximately $1 billion in the week ending May 17, ending six consecutive weeks of net inflows.In terms of market sentiment, the Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index has fallen back to 27, re-entering the "fear zone." Analysts believe that short-term trends will remain highly dependent on macroeconomic data and policy expectations. However, some institutions view the current correction as a "healthy digestion" period, suggesting the long-term structure remains unchanged. (The Block)
several sovereign wealth funds, universities, and traditional financial institutions have recently disclosed their 13F holdings for the first quarter of 2026.Among them, Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, increased its holdings in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) from 12.7023 million shares to 14.7219 million shares. The newly added holdings are valued at over $90 million, bringing the total value of its position to nearly $660 million. Meanwhile, its subsidiary, the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), maintained its IBIT position unchanged at 8.2187 million shares, worth approximately $315.8 million.Regarding university funds, Harvard University's endowment fund held 3.0446 million shares of IBIT, valued at around $117 million, a reduction of about 43% compared to the end of 2025. Additionally, Harvard completely liquidated its position in the BlackRock Ethereum spot ETF, which was established last quarter and valued at approximately $86.8 million.Furthermore, Dartmouth College maintained its IBIT holdings unchanged and disclosed for the first time holding approximately 304,800 shares of the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF, valued at around $3.67 million, making it one of the first university endowment funds to publicly allocate to a Solana-related ETF.On the traditional financial institution side, institutions such as the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Barclays continued to increase or adjust their IBIT-related spot and options positions, while Hong Kong-based Laurore reduced its IBIT holdings from 8.7863 million shares to 6.8463 million shares. (The Block)
According to The Block, several sovereign wealth funds, university endowments, and traditional banks disclosed their 13F holdings for Q1 2026: • Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, increased its position in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) from 12.7 million shares to 14.72 million shares—adding over $90 million—bringing its total holding value to approximately $566 million (a 16% increase quarter-on-quarter). Its subsidiary, the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), maintained its IBIT position unchanged at 8.21 million shares, valued at approximately $316 million. • University endowments’ crypto ETF holdings remained largely stable. • Traditional financial institutions actively rebalanced their positions: Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) increased its spot IBIT holdings while hedging with put/call options; Scotiabank sold off Trump-related Bitcoin stocks and added 214,000 IBIT shares; Barclays held approximately 4.46 million shares of spot IBIT and deployed a large options position; Hong Kong–based Laurore reduced its IBIT holdings from 8.78 million shares to 6.85 million shares.
VanEck filed the fifth amendment to its BNB ETF registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 15. Grayscale also submitted the second amendment to the Grayscale BNB ETF prospectus on the same day.Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart stated that the simultaneous submission of amended documents by both institutions indicates they are responding to SEC feedback and may be planning to advance product launches in the near term.James Seyffart also noted that BNB could become the next crypto asset to pass SEC review and potentially be listed in the United States. (The Block)
the U.S. Senate Banking Committee has advanced the crypto market structure bill, the Clarity Act, by a vote of 15 to 9. The bill aims to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the crypto industry at the federal level for the first time, garnering support from Democratic Senators Ruben Gallego and Angela Alsobrooks.While the industry generally views the committee's passage as positive progress, analysts believe the bill still faces significant obstacles before becoming law. TD Cowen has raised the bill's passage probability from approximately one-third to 40%, noting that some Democratic lawmakers are showing willingness to find a path to support it, though substantive disagreements have not been fully resolved.Previously, the bill had long been affected by issues such as stablecoin yield arrangements, conflicts of interest, and ethical provisions. Additionally, to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, the bill will need to secure more Democratic support than it currently has. Benchmark analysts also pointed out that the current number of supporting votes is insufficient to ensure its eventual passage. (The Block)
JPMorgan analysts indicate that despite the overall recovery of the crypto market following the Iran conflict, Ethereum and other altcoins continue to underperform Bitcoin. This trend, which has persisted since 2023, may be difficult to reverse in the short term unless there is a significant improvement in network activity, DeFi, and real-world applications.The report points out that, based on spot ETF flows and institutional futures positions, Bitcoin has shown stronger recovery momentum than Ethereum. Spot Bitcoin ETFs have recovered approximately two-thirds of their previous outflows, while spot Ethereum ETFs have only recovered about one-third.Meanwhile, CME futures data shows that institutional investors have been more active in rebuilding their Bitcoin exposure, with Bitcoin futures positions nearly fully recovered. In contrast, Ethereum futures positions remain below previous levels. JPMorgan believes that without stronger on-chain fundamentals and real-world application support, ETH and altcoins are likely to continue underperforming relative to Bitcoin.
According to The Block, Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, noted that three enterprise-grade blockchains—Arc (by Circle), Canton Network, and Tempo (by Stripe)—have collectively raised over $1 billion in funding recently. All three funding rounds occurred after the signing of the GENIUS Act in July 2025. Hougan believes this legislation broke a prior regulatory stalemate that had discouraged institutional capital from entering the space. Hougan identified three key signals: First, all three blockchains prioritize native privacy-preserving transactions as a core design feature, addressing institutions’ need for transaction confidentiality. Second, the implementation of the GENIUS Act has significantly reduced regulatory uncertainty; the next critical variable is the pending Clarity Act, from which stablecoins and tokenization infrastructure stand to benefit. Third, these blockchains are backed by top-tier institutions—including Goldman Sachs, Citadel, BlackRock, Stripe, and Visa—marking a stark contrast to Ethereum and Solana, which emerged from grassroots origins. Hougan stated that his firm’s capital remains primarily allocated to native crypto projects, and he believes these emerging enterprise chains will raise the overall competitive bar and attract additional capital inflows.
According to The Block, 21Shares’ Hyperliquid ETF—THYP—began trading on Tuesday, becoming the first listed Hyperliquid ETF. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart noted that THYP recorded $1.8 million in first-day trading volume, outperforming the average ETF’s debut. The product provides investors with exposure to HYPE without requiring direct ownership of the token. Seyffart also indicated that Bitwise’s Hyperliquid ETF may be the next to launch. Earlier, Bitwise had filed an amendment to its U.S. HYPE ETF application, while Grayscale is also seeking to launch a HYPE fund.
Odaily Investment bank TD Cowen reiterated its "Buy" rating on Sharplink following its Q1 earnings report, maintaining a $16 price target, implying approximately 106% upside from the current share price of $7.76.Sharplink's Q1 revenue exceeded $12 million. The company also announced the establishment of an approximately $125 million income fund in partnership with Galaxy Digital, with Sharplink contributing roughly $100 million. The fund will focus on DeFi and liquidity yield opportunities, targeting returns higher than base staking yields.The analyst team believes the current share price is in a "favorable entry window," driven primarily by a persistent NAV discount and expanding Ethereum demand. Sharplink currently holds approximately 873,000 ETH (about $2 billion), translating to a net asset value (NAV) of roughly $9.68 per share, while the stock still trades at about a 20% discount to NAV. TD Cowen noted that the Galaxy partnership strengthens Sharplink's yield strategy, allowing it to maintain ETH exposure while improving capital efficiency through institutional-grade DeFi opportunities. (The Block)
According to The Block, research and brokerage firm Bernstein has maintained its “Outperform” rating on Circle Internet Group (CRCL), with a target price of $190—representing approximately 44% upside from Monday’s closing price of $131.76. Analysts led by Gautam Chhugani noted that Circle’s $222 million ARC token presale—completed at a fully diluted valuation of $3 billion—provides the company with near-term cushioning against a 11% sequential decline in reserve income driven by weakening interest rates.
According to The Block, Julio Moreno, Research Director at on-chain analytics platform CryptoQuant, released a report on May 8 stating that Bitcoin has surged over 20% since early April, reaching a three-month high. However, the firm characterizes this rally as a “bear market bounce” and warns that profit-taking pressure may intensify further. On the data front, Bitcoin holders’ daily realized profit reached 14,600 BTC on May 4—the highest level since December 10, 2025. Meanwhile, the Short-Term Holder Spent Output Profit Ratio (STH-SOPR) has remained consistently above 1.00 since mid-April, indicating the market has entered a sustained profit-taking phase. On a 30-day rolling basis, holders’ net realized profit turned positive at +20,000 BTC—the first time since December 22, 2025—after net losses plunged as deep as -398,000 BTC between February and March. Nonetheless, Moreno notes that the current net profit level of +20,000 BTC remains far below the historical 130,000–200,000 BTC threshold typically required to confirm a bull market transition, reinforcing the view that this is a “bear market bounce” rather than a structural trend reversal. Additionally, the current unrealized profit ratio stands at approximately 18%; historical experience shows that when this indicator rises to elevated levels, holders tend to sell to lock in gains, increasing correction risk.
Bitcoin has fallen below the $80,000 mark, ending a five-day streak of net inflows into spot ETFs, with the market's rebound momentum from the February low showing signs of cooling.The US added 115,000 non-farm payroll jobs in April, surpassing the expected 62,000, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%. Although the data was relatively strong, it did not significantly alleviate market concerns about macroeconomic uncertainty. Instead, it reinforced the expectation that "energy-driven inflation limits the scope for rate cuts."In terms of capital flows, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw net outflows of $277 million on Thursday, ending a cumulative inflow streak of $1.69 billion. Ethereum ETFs also recorded net outflows of $104 million on the same day, indicating a short-term cooling in institutional risk appetite.On the geopolitical front, tensions between Iran and the US have reignited, prompting the market to reprice the risk associated with the Strait of Hormuz. Crude oil prices have rebounded, partially offsetting the previous support that risk assets had gained from falling oil prices.The derivatives market, meanwhile, reflects a more prolonged hawkish outlook. Interest rate futures pricing suggests over a 50% probability of rate hikes persisting beyond 2027, pushing the potential easing cycle back to 2028.On-chain data shows that the recent Bitcoin rally was primarily driven by institutional spot buying and short covering, with retail participation remaining low. Funding rates have stayed moderate, indicating a relatively weak market momentum structure. Analysts suggest that if retail capital does not return, BTC may still face the risk of retesting the $75,000–$78,000 support range. (The Block)
According to The Block, South Korea’s National Assembly has passed an amendment to the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act, requiring enterprises engaged in cross-border inflows and outflows of crypto assets to register with the Minister of Economy and Finance to strengthen systematic oversight of cross-border crypto asset flows. The amendment introduces a new definition of “virtual asset transfer business,” covering activities involving the transfer of crypto assets between South Korea and overseas jurisdictions through buying, selling, or exchanging—such as those conducted by cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset custodians. Separately, it is reported that South Korea’s Financial Services Commission plans to extend the Travel Rule to all crypto transactions; South Korea also intends to impose a 22% tax on crypto asset gains exceeding 2.5 million KRW starting January 2027.
According to The Block, the Arbitrum DAO voted to release 30,765.6 ETH (approximately $70 million), previously frozen, to support the DeFi United initiative—aimed at offsetting Kelp DAO’s $292 million exploit loss last month. The vote passed with 90.96% support (182.2 million votes). The attack was allegedly carried out by the North Korean Lazarus hacking group, which exploited a vulnerability in LayerZero’s OFT cross-chain bridge—a single-validator configuration—which allowed attackers to steal 116,500 rsETH and pledge most of the stolen assets as collateral on Aave, resulting in roughly $190 million in bad debt. DeFi United has secured contributions from multiple parties, including 30,000 ETH from Consensys and Joseph Lubin, a 30,000-ETH loan from Mantle, and 5,000 ETH from LayerZero.
Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), led by Michael Saylor, has been accelerating its Bitcoin acquisitions this year. JPMorgan analysts stated that if the current pace continues, the company's total Bitcoin purchases for the year could reach approximately $30 billion. So far this year, Strategy has added 145,834 Bitcoin to its holdings, valued at around $11 billion. Analysis indicates that a significant portion of the company's purchases occurred when Bitcoin was below its average cost of roughly $75,000, reflecting a more "opportunistic" allocation strategy.At the current rate, Strategy's total Bitcoin purchases in 2026 could significantly exceed the approximately $22 billion levels seen in 2024 and 2025. Analysts noted that the company has re-accelerated its buying since April, suggesting its strategy is becoming more dependent on market conditions and financing availability. Meanwhile, Strategy's stock continues to trade at a premium of approximately 26% to its net asset value (NAV), providing favorable conditions for the company to continue purchasing Bitcoin through equity and debt financing. The company currently holds approximately 818,334 BTC, with a total value exceeding $65 billion. (The Block)
According to The Block, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has partnered with Coinbase and Stripe to launch Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments, enabling AI agents to conduct transactions using stablecoins. Coinbase stated that developers can build “agent-based payment” solutions using the x402 protocol, allowing AI agents to make micro-payments in USDC. This feature enables AI agents to instantly pay for web content, APIs, MCP servers, and other agents. AWS noted that developers can choose between Coinbase and Stripe wallets and fund those wallets using either stablecoins or fiat currency.
investment bank TD Cowen on Thursday raised its price target for Strategy (MSTR) to $395 from $385, believing the market underestimates the capital efficiency of the company’s bitcoin accumulation strategy following its increased issuance of STRC perpetual preferred stock. Analysts Lance Vitanza and Jonnathan Navarrete indicated that the new target still implies over 110% upside from Strategy’s Wednesday closing price of $186.82.The analysis notes that Strategy is gradually reducing common equity financing and increasingly relying on STRC perpetual preferred stock, which yields 11.5%, to fund bitcoin purchases. STRC is also a core component of Michael Saylor’s “42/42 plan,” which aims to raise $42 billion each through equity and fixed-income instruments over three years.TD Cowen believes the market underestimates the effect of the STRC structure on boosting “BTC Yield,” a metric measuring the company’s growth in bitcoin holdings per fully diluted share. The report raised its BTC Yield forecast for Strategy’s fiscal 2026 to 18.2% from 16.7%, and for 2027 to 9.6% from 5.4%. Additionally, analysts argue that concerns about Strategy being a “perpetual dilution machine” are exaggerated. The company’s annual preferred stock dividend payments, currently around $1.5 billion, represent only about 2.2% of the value of its 818,334 BTC reserve.In TD Cowen’s base case scenario, bitcoin is expected to reach $140,000 by the end of 2026. In a bull case, bitcoin could rise to $175,000, with Strategy potentially purchasing over $5 billion in bitcoin per quarter. (The Block)
According to The Block, CoinShares data shows that global crypto investment products managed by asset management firms—including BlackRock, Bitwise, Fidelity, Grayscale, ProShares, and 21Shares—recorded $117.8 million in net inflows last week, marking the fifth consecutive week of net inflows. Cumulative net inflows over the five-week period exceeded $4 billion, though this week’s inflows were the lowest in the streak. As of Friday, total assets under management stood at $155 billion, essentially flat from the prior period.