Markets

Financial markets coverage across assets, prices, and trading-driven developments.

Consumo abre expediente sancionador y ordena cautelarmente el bloqueo de Polymarket y Kalshi, dos plataformas de mercados de predicción

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 Executive Chairman Michael Saylor standing. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk))

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, Inc. Announces Financial Results

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.

StablR Euro (EURR) & USD (USDR) – Compliant Stablecoins

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.

Nasdaq and CF Benchmarks to Drive Development and Adoption of Digital Asset with New Index Options

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 ETF Flow (US$m)

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 Makes Investment in OKX, Establishing Strategic Relationship

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 Makes Investment in OKX, Establishing Strategic Relationship

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.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

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.

Securities and Exchange Commission's Hester Peirce

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 preparing to seek Japan market approval, Bloomberg News reports

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.

Dollar dips on hopes for Iran deal, yen near danger zone

Dollar dips, yen edges toward danger zone

The dollar eased after reports of renewed hopes for a U.S.-Iran deal, while the yen remained near 160 per dollar, a level traders view as a possible trigger for Japanese intervention.

Ethereum Foundation Blog

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’s Ex-Leaders Doubt It Can Juggle Crypto, Prediction Markets

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, Providing an Optimized Execution Environment for On-chain Perp DEXes

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.

[SMM Analysis] Lithium Ore and Recycling in Q4 2025: From Demand Resonance to Peak Sentiment, Returning to Rational Valuation Recovery in Q1 2026 - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)

SMM to Launch Weekly Lithium Ore and Concentrate Port Inventory Data on May 22

Shanghai Metals Market said it will launch weekly lithium ore and concentrate port inventory data on May 22, covering key Chinese transit ports and updating every Friday at 16:00.

TOYO Co., Ltd Announces Unaudited and Unreviewed First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Reaffirms Guidance

TOYO Co. stock rises 4% on strong Q1 beat, reaffirmed guidance

TOYO Co. shares rose about 4% after the company reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $142.8 million, a 177% increase year over year, and reaffirmed full-year guidance.

Agilysys to Report Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter Results May 18th and Host Conference Call and Webcast

Agilysys surges after earnings beat and FY2027 outlook

Agilysys rose after reporting fiscal fourth-quarter results that beat expectations and issuing fiscal 2027 revenue guidance above consensus. The company said fourth-quarter revenue reached $82.9 million and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.63.

Brady Corporation Reports Record Adjusted EPS in its Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter and Raises its Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Guidance

Brady shares rise after earnings beat and guidance raise

Brady Corporation reported fiscal third-quarter results above estimates and raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance, sending shares higher in premarket trading.

Equipment, high-tech manufacturing leads China's industrial output growth in first four months

Copper hits one-week low on China demand concerns, oil surge

Copper fell to a one-week low as traders weighed weaker China demand signals and higher oil prices, with official Chinese data reinforcing the slowdown narrative.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to the media after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the prime minister's office Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)

US extends Russian oil sanctions waiver for 30 days

The U.S. has extended by 30 days a sanctions waiver covering Russian seaborne oil cargoes already loaded on vessels, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on May 18, according to AP and Reuters. The move follows pressure in energy markets tied to the Iran war and keeps stranded cargoes eligible for delivery and sale under the exemption.

San Juan Basin Royalty Trust says it will skip its May distribution

San Juan Basin Royalty Trust said it will not declare a May 2026 cash distribution, citing excess production costs and continued weak natural gas prices. The trust said cumulative excess production costs totaled about $8.48 million gross.

zerohash Receives EMI License from Dutch Central Bank, Strengthening Stablecoin Payment Capabilities Across the European Economic Area

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.

Abaxx to Launch Silver Singapore Futures on May 22, 2026

Abaxx to Launch Silver Singapore Futures on May 22, 2026

Abaxx Exchange said it will launch Silver Singapore futures on May 22, 2026, adding a physically oriented silver contract to its precious-metals suite in Singapore.