Crypto
Digital assets, exchanges, regulation, and blockchain market developments.
Spain blocks Polymarket and Kalshi over gambling-licence rules
Spain’s gambling regulator has opened sanctioning proceedings against Polymarket and Kalshi and ordered their websites blocked, saying they were operating without the required licence.
Strategy completes $1.5 billion debt repurchase
Strategy said it completed a repurchase of about $1.5 billion of its 0% convertible senior notes due 2029 for about $1.38 billion in cash, reducing its outstanding convertible debt to $6.7 billion.
Strive acquires 1,109 bitcoin, raising total holdings to 16,500 coins
Strive disclosed in an SEC filing that it bought 1,109 bitcoin between May 19 and May 22 at an average price of about $76,989 per coin, lifting its total holdings to 16,500 BTC. The company also said it is evaluating a near-term refresh of its at-the-market programs.
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MiCA-Compliant Euro Stablecoin Depegs to $0.85 After Alleged Multisig Exploit
StablR’s euro stablecoin EURR fell to about $0.85 on May 24 after reports of an alleged 1-of-3 multisig exploit. Coverage said the incident also hit USDR, with some reports estimating about $2.8 million extracted and market data showing a sharp same-day depeg.
SEC Approves Nasdaq Bitcoin Index Options In New Institutional Milestone
The SEC has granted accelerated approval for Nasdaq PHLX to list and trade Nasdaq Bitcoin Index Options, marking a new step for regulated Bitcoin derivatives on a major U.S. exchange.
Bitcoin sinks to $74,300 as spot ETFs bleed $2.26 billion in two weeks
Bitcoin fell to about $74,300 on May 23 as U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs logged more than $2.26 billion in outflows over two weeks, adding pressure to a broader crypto selloff.
ICE and OKX announce perpetual Brent and WTI oil futures
ICE and OKX said they will launch perpetual futures on OKX tied to ICE Brent and WTI crude benchmarks, extending the exchange’s commodity-perpetual product line into traditional energy markets.
ICE Brent and ICE WTI Perpetual Futures to Launch on OKX
ICE and OKX announced plans to launch perpetual futures tied to ICE Brent Crude and ICE WTI Crude benchmarks on OKX, expanding the exchange’s commodity offerings.
Bitcoin slips late Friday as Warsh takes over at the Fed
Bitcoin fell late Friday after trading near $77,000 earlier in the day, as Kevin Warsh was sworn in as Federal Reserve chair and markets reassessed the outlook for interest rates and inflation.
SEC Commissioner Peirce says tokenized-stock exemption likely will not cover synthetic tokens
SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce is pushing back on interpretations that the SEC’s expected tokenized-stock exemption would allow synthetic securities, narrowing expectations for the agency’s next move on tokenization.
Polymarket Targets Japan Market Entry, Appoints Representative in Push for 2030 Approval
Polymarket is preparing a longer-term push into Japan, according to Reuters-reported coverage that says the prediction market platform has appointed a local representative and is seeking approval by 2030. The company’s own help pages still list Japan as restricted.
How is Ethereum’s privacy push going? Vitalik answers
Vitalik Buterin’s latest comments on Ethereum privacy line up with Ethereum Foundation roadmap updates that put native account abstraction, censorship resistance, and Kohaku-related wallet work near the center of 2026 planning. The items are still roadmap targets, not live protocol changes.
CFTC names DJ Hennes director of the Market Participants Division
The CFTC announced on May 18 that DJ Hennes will lead its Market Participants Division. The agency said he brings experience in governance, risk, compliance, enforcement, crypto assets and prediction markets from roles at KPMG and Promontory Financial Group.
AFX launches sovereign Layer 1 for on-chain perp DEX execution
AFX says its Layer 1 mainnet is live, positioning the network as a sovereign execution layer for on-chain perpetual futures DEXs. The launch follows an April testnet announcement.
zerohash receives EMI license from Dutch Central Bank
zerohash said its Dutch subsidiary has received an Electronic Money Institution license from De Nederlandsche Bank, expanding its regulated stablecoin and payment services in the EEA.
Bitcoin Depot files for voluntary Chapter 11 to wind down and sell assets
Bitcoin Depot said it has entered voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings to wind down operations and sell its assets, citing a significantly tougher regulatory environment for bitcoin ATM operators. Reuters-syndicated and other reports said the company’s ATM network has been taken offline.
Bitcoin Depot initiates voluntary Chapter 11 process to wind down and sell assets
Bitcoin Depot said it has entered voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in Texas to wind down operations and sell its assets, with its BTMs taken offline and non-U.S. entities also set for restructuring or wind-down.
21Shares launches first U.S. Hyperliquid ETF THYP, draws $1.8 million in first-day volume
21Shares launched THYP, a U.S.-listed Hyperliquid ETF, and reports said the fund generated about $1.8 million in first-day trading volume.
JPMorgan files for second tokenized money market fund on Ethereum
JPMorgan Asset Management has filed for a tokenized money market fund tied to Ethereum, extending its onchain products into a second vehicle.
Bitcoin may avoid historic bear-market losses as ETF flows grow, says analyst
ETF inflows and corporate accumulation are cushioning Bitcoin’s drawdowns, according to recent market data and analyst commentary, though the evidence stops short of proving a permanent shift.
MARA shares sink on first-quarter revenue miss, $1.3B loss
MARA Holdings reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $174.6 million, below expectations, and a net loss of about $1.3 billion, sending shares lower.
Crypto Market Today: Utya, Dogs, LAB Top Gainers as Bitcoin Reclaims $81K
Bitcoin reclaimed $81,000 and smaller tokens including Utya, Dogs and LAB led the day’s crypto gainers.
Crypto Market Update - 4 May 2026: Bears Cleared as Sentiment Retreats From $80K
Bitcoin touched roughly $80,617 before reversing on May 4 as traders reacted to Strait of Hormuz tensions and a wave of short liquidations. The move came the same day Kraken parent Payward completed its Bitnomial acquisition, giving the exchange a fully CFTC-licensed U.S. derivatives stack.
62% of U.S. Voters Distrust Trump on Crypto Regulation, Survey Finds
A CoinDesk-commissioned survey found 62% of registered U.S. voters do not trust the Trump administration to oversee crypto regulation, with 73% opposing senior officials having business ties to the industry.