News linked to both this project and an event.
South Africa’s National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) stated that they are shifting their regulatory focus on crypto assets toward rules governing cross-border digital asset activities, rather than restricting ownership per se, and have extended the public comment period for the draft “Regulations on Capital Flows” to 30 June 2026. Both entities clarified that the proposed regulations do not intend to criminalize crypto asset ownership nor will they be applied retroactively. A draft handbook outlining the cross-border crypto asset framework will follow, specifying the definition of cross-border crypto transactions and the obligations of authorized crypto asset service providers.
: The U.S. Federal Reserve Board has released an updated streamlined master account proposal, detailing plans to provide payment system access to fintech and crypto companies. The proposal updates an information solicitation document first released in December 2025, envisioning that relevant companies would not need to be chartered as Office of the Comptroller of the Currency banks to access the payment system. The same week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders: one requiring federal regulatory agencies to review existing policies to better integrate digital assets into the payment system; the other requiring the U.S. Treasury Department and regulators to strengthen rules related to the Bank Secrecy Act. The executive orders also direct the Federal Reserve to review arrangements for non-depository institutions and their payment account access, and to have Federal Reserve member banks assess whether they can independently provide payment accounts to relevant entities. The U.S. Senate Banking Committee previously voted to advance the Clarity Act. The Senate then entered a Memorial Day recess without voting on a reconciliation bill that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security. (CoinDesk)
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.
On the 19th of this month, Trump signed an executive order requiring enhanced scrutiny of banking activities conducted by non-citizens in the United States and directing the U.S. Department of the Treasury to issue formal guidance to financial institutions for identifying and reporting suspicious activities—including evasion of payroll taxes, concealment of true account holders, and off-the-books wage payments. Citing the need to restore integrity in the financial system and guard against structural risks, the executive order requires the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and federal financial regulators to promulgate new rules within 60 to 180 days. These rules include strengthening customer due diligence for individuals without work authorization and their employers; incorporating potential deportation and income loss into assessments of loan repayment capacity; and intensifying investigations into illicit financial activities designed to circumvent the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)—such as misuse of Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), shell companies, and transaction structuring.
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 the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary and Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui, stated that gold can serve as a potential bridge between traditional finance and new finance. He emphasized that Hong Kong needs to provide more development opportunities for the digital asset market to support its sustainable growth. He also noted that, given the “convergence” trend between traditional and innovative finance, Hong Kong has opted not to establish a separate digital asset regulatory authority. Hui pointed out that both gold ETFs and blockchain-based tokenized gold products are already available in the market. Earlier, HSBC and Hang Seng Investment launched Hong Kong’s first tokenized, non-listed Hang Seng Gold ETF product on HashKey Exchange in April.
Bybit has officially launched its new “Hold USD1 to Earn Tokens” campaign. Users only need to complete Level 1 KYC verification and hold at least 1 USD1 in their Bybit account to share daily WLFI rewards—no subscription or lock-up required; rewards are earned simply by holding. The campaign begins on May 19, 2026, at 10:00 UTC. During the campaign period, users can earn up to a 20% annualized return and compete for a total reward pool of up to 45,000,000 WLFI—climbing the USD1 Holding Leaderboard. USD1 is a regulated stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial, fully backed 1:1 by short-term U.S. Treasury securities and cash equivalents, and strictly pegged to the U.S. dollar. WLFI is the governance token of the World Liberty Financial ecosystem, enabling holders to participate in protocol governance and influence the ecosystem’s strategic direction. In this campaign, WLFI rewards will be distributed daily to USD1 holders on the Bybit platform. During the campaign, the system will take a snapshot of each user’s eligible USD1 balance once every hour—24 snapshots per day. WLFI rewards are expected to be credited to users’ main account funding wallets by approximately 06:00 UTC the following day.
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 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)
Odaily Odaily, THORChain posted on platform X that its developers have released an incident update on Discord. Current evidence points to a node thor16uc...cn84q, which recently joined the network, as being associated with the attack. This node is operated by a single malicious actor. The primary hypothesis is that the attacker exploited a vulnerability in the GG20 TSS implementation, causing sensitive key material of vault participants to leak over time. This ultimately enabled the reconstruction of the vault's private key and the execution of unauthorized outgoing transactions.Regarding network status, the network has been paused after multiple node operators executed `make pause`. RUNE transfers and on-chain observation may resume within approximately 12 hours, but transactions, LP operations, signing, and other sensitive operations remain paused.Discussed recovery plans include slashing the affected node's bond, covering losses with protocol-owned liquidity (POL), or other community-driven solutions. THORSec and Outrider Analytics are continuing their investigation. The Treasury is gathering forensic data and coordinating with relevant law enforcement agencies. Full functional recovery is expected to take several days or longer.
Bitcoin slumped shortly after the US stock market opened, briefly breaking below the $79,000 mark, with a daily decline of approximately 3%, trading near its lowest level since May. Market consensus suggests this pullback is closely linked to the sell-off in risk assets triggered by a surge in US Treasury yields.Data shows that the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note rose above 4.55%, reaching its highest level in nearly a year, fueling concerns over tightening liquidity and a reassessment of risk assets. Analysts point out that this level previously triggered adjustments in US stocks and policy expectations last year, and is now once again serving as a key pressure signal.Trading firm The Kobeissi Letter stated that the "panic-driven rally" in the bond market is intensifying, with expectations for prolonged high interest rates growing. The market has begun pricing in the possibility of further rate hikes in the future, quickly cooling the previous "euphoria" in risk assets.From a technical perspective, analysts believe that after encountering multiple rejections from resistance above $82,000, Bitcoin's support structure is weakening. In the short term, it may retest the $75,000–$77,000 range, as the market enters a phase of range-bound trading and directional selection. (Cointelegraph)
According to Odaily, Bitcoin's price is hovering around $80,350, up a slight 0.8% in the short term, facing sustained pressure after multiple failed attempts to break through the $82,000 resistance level. This zone is considered a confluence of resistance from the ETF cost basis, the 200-day moving average, and the CME gap fill area.Although the US CLARITY Act has passed the Senate Banking Committee, bringing positive expectations for crypto regulation, institutional capital continues to withdraw. Data shows that the 7-day average net outflow from US spot Bitcoin ETFs has fallen to -$88 million per day, the largest outflow scale since mid-February. Analysts suggest this selling pressure is more driven by "profit-taking" than panic selling.On the macro front, rising US Treasury yields are a core source of pressure. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note has climbed to approximately 4.52%, a 10-month high. Meanwhile, the April CPI rose 3.8% year-over-year, the highest level in three years, further pushing back market expectations for a Fed rate cut. Analysts point out that geopolitical conflicts are driving up energy prices, exacerbating inflationary pressures, thereby weakening the appeal of risk assets.From an institutional perspective, some analysts believe the current ETF outflows represent portfolio rebalancing rather than a structural retreat. The options market indicates significant resistance for Bitcoin in the $82,000-$84,000 range, while $77,000 stands as a key support level. If the price breaks below this zone without a cooling of leverage, the market could enter a deleveraging phase, increasing the risk of a correction. (Decrypt)
The regulatory environment for the crypto industry continues to improve, but macro interest rate risks are dampening market sentiment. The US CLARITY Act has passed the Senate Banking Committee with a 15:9 vote, moving closer to a full Senate vote. The market expects that this bill could provide a clearer regulatory framework for tokenization, stablecoins, and smart contract platforms, potentially accelerating institutional capital inflow.Kavi Jain, Senior Research Associate at Bitwise, stated that the progress of the CLARITY Act is a significant milestone for US digital asset regulation. It is expected to particularly benefit smart contract platforms like Ethereum and Solana, and drive growth in institutional activities related to stablecoins, tokenized funds, and on-chain capital markets.However, the macro environment continues to exert pressure on the crypto market. US April inflation data came in higher than expected, driven primarily by rising energy prices. The market is now even beginning to price in the possibility of another rate hike by the Federal Reserve before April 2027. Meanwhile, the US 30-year Treasury yield has reached 5% for the first time since 2007, indicating growing market concern over long-term inflation risks. Analysts suggest that in a high-interest-rate environment, the appeal of high-risk assets, including Bitcoin, may be suppressed. (CoinDesk)
According to The Block, Myanmar’s military government has released a draft of the “Anti-Online Fraud Act,” which proposes imposing the death penalty on individuals who force others to engage in online fraud and life imprisonment for those operating fraud centers or committing cryptocurrency-related fraud. The draft also proposes establishing a dedicated committee to coordinate international efforts against fraud. Myanmar’s parliament is expected to review the bill in early June. Earlier, in September 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on multiple entities in Myanmar and Cambodia suspected of involvement in cryptocurrency investment fraud. FBI data shows that cryptocurrency-related fraud losses in 2025 reached $11.4 billion—more than half of all internet crime losses.
the deliberation of the "Cryptocurrency Market Structure Act" (i.e., the CLARITY Act) has commenced in the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. As of now:1. An amendment proposed by Senator Mike Rounds to create an AI regulatory sandbox was passed with 15 votes in favor and 9 against, indicating some bipartisan support, despite Senator Elizabeth Warren urging Democratic members to vote against it.2. An amendment proposed by Elizabeth Warren, aimed at "preventing high-risk assets from entering retirement accounts," was rejected with 11 votes in favor and 13 against.3. An amendment previously proposed by Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, which would have allowed certain retirement accounts to invest in pooled investment vehicles, was withdrawn before the vote.It is reported that one of the most contentious amendments comes from Elizabeth Warren, concerning the strengthening of sanctions authority over cryptocurrency mixers. In her remarks, she referenced the U.S.-sanctioned mixing protocol Tornado Cash, stating it has been used to launder over $7 billion for criminal organizations and North Korean hacker groups, including over $450 million in related funds. Warren argued that the current bill does not grant the U.S. Treasury Department sufficient legal authority to isolate or restrict mixer services, potentially creating loopholes in anti-money laundering oversight. In response, Cynthia Lummis countered that the illegal financial activities are already covered in Parts Two and Three of the bill.
Polish Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty announced the parliament has officially begun deliberations on four competing bills for crypto asset regulation, following President Karol Nawrocki's two vetoes of related legislation. The review involves legislative proposals from the government, the Presidential Office, the Poland 2050 party, and the Confederation party, with the second reading vote expected on Thursday. Key disagreements center on the scope of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority's (KNF) power to freeze accounts and the maximum penalties for violations. The president's draft sets a maximum fine of approximately 20 million zloty (about $5.5 million), while the Treasury's version raises it to 25 million zloty (about $6.9 million).Meanwhile, the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), after withdrawing support for an earlier regulatory proposal, submitted a separate bill on Monday advocating for a complete ban on crypto asset-related activities in Poland, further complicating the regulatory debate. Speaker Czarzasty stated that the PiS ban draft will enter the deliberation process only after the four main regulatory bills are completed, and questioned the links between crypto industry funds and political activities, specifically naming potential political funders including zondacrypto. (The Block)
Genius Group, a Nasdaq-listed bitcoin treasury company, has disclosed a strategic investment of $5 million in digital bank Jewel Bank, acquiring a 9.9% equity stake in the company. It is reported that Jewel Bank is developing a U.S. dollar stablecoin, JUSD, planned to be backed by a 1:1 reserve of cash and U.S. Treasury bonds, with a target launch in the second half of 2026. The bank will also launch a real-time settlement system and offer white-label banking and stablecoin infrastructure services for enterprises. Following this investment, Genius Group will enter the regulated digital banking and stablecoin issuance sector. (Globenewswire)
: Crypto analyst Axel Adler Jr stated that although Bitcoin rebounded after falling from around $125,000 to $60,000, the current trend remains a "repair after decline" and has not yet been confirmed as entering a new bull market cycle.He pointed out that from an on-chain data perspective, multiple key indicators have not yet entered the historical bear market bottom range. This includes the "Supply in Loss" and 90-day UTXO-related metrics, which have not yet shown a sufficient cyclical bottom structure. Meanwhile, the "LTH Realized Supply" has also not displayed the typical accumulation pattern seen at the end of a bear market, indicating that the market has not yet entered a deep reallocation phase.Additionally, spot selling pressure indicators have not shown obvious "capitulation selling", suggesting that a typical comprehensive market cleansing has not occurred during this decline. Axel Adler Jr believes that before improvements are seen simultaneously in on-chain structure, spot demand, and supply pressure, the current upward move is more likely a technical rebound rather than a trend reversal.On a macro level, he pointed out that the global risk environment remains tight. The conflict between the US and Iran has pushed Brent crude oil close to $100 per barrel, reigniting inflationary pressure. Consumer confidence and financial health indices are weakening, indicating pressure on the demand side. Meanwhile, US Treasury yields remain high, with real interest rates and inflation expectations rising concurrently, further suppressing risk asset valuations.He also mentioned that the leadership of the US Federal Reserve is about to enter a potential transition phase, but the interest rate market is no longer pricing in rapid rate cuts and has even begun to price in the probability of rate hikes. Market expectations have clearly shifted towards "higher for longer". In an environment of high oil prices, high interest rates, and uncertain monetary policy, overall financial conditions remain tight.Axel Adler Jr stated that the current market needs to wait for clearer on-chain bottom structures and signs of demand-side recovery. Until then, he maintains a cautious stance on the market outlook.
Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins), Head of Research at Galaxy Research, published a post revealing that Galaxy Research has released a new report refuting banking industry claims that the GENIUS Act would erode U.S. bank deposits—and providing quantitative estimates. Key findings from the report include: - Under the GENIUS Act framework, 60%–70% of new stablecoin issuance would originate overseas; inflows of foreign deposits would be approximately twice the volume of domestic deposit migration—indicating a net increase in total deposits rather than a zero-sum reallocation. - Each newly minted GENIUS stablecoin would generate approximately $0.32 in net credit for the U.S. economy. - In the base-case scenario, total credit expansion by 2030 would reach roughly $400 billion; under the optimistic scenario, it could reach $1.2 trillion. - Short-term U.S. Treasury yields (T-bills) would compress by 3–5 basis points, potentially saving taxpayers up to $3 billion annually in borrowing costs. - The report also notes that the interest pass-through mechanism does not pose an existential threat to U.S. banks—it merely represents a reallocation of profit margins and will not reduce overall credit capacity.