Iran’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance has allegedly launched a bitcoin-powered maritime insurance platform called Hormuz Safe, ostensibly targeting cargo owners transiting the Strait of Hormuz and projecting over $10 billion in revenue for the Islamic Republic.

Online Blockchain CEO Clem Chambers believes U.S. markets have entered the early phase of a two-year Nasdaq bubble driven by artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure spending, deficit-funded money printing, and industrial reindustrialization.

Japan’s largest brokerages are preparing to sell cryptocurrency investment trusts to retail investors, according to a Nikkei Asia survey published on Sunday.

Peter Schiff, chairman of Euro Pacific Asset Management and longtime gold advocate, told VRIC Media host Darrell Thomas this week that the U.S. economy is far more fragile than markets currently reflect, and that inflation is heading higher, not lower.

Since the $292 million KelpDAO incident, decentralized finance has endured a brutal stretch, with fallout spreading well beyond the initial exploit. Lending protocol Aave has been among the hardest hit, as its total value locked has fallen 44% during a month that exposed just how fragile confidence across the DeFi sector can become after a major breach.

Coinbase moved deeper into Hyperliquid by taking the USDC treasury deployer role, while HYPE jumped on the platform’s shift toward a more unified stablecoin setup. Strategy’s STRC preferred stock hit record trading volume, reinforcing Michael Saylor’s bitcoin funding machine. In Washington, Kevin Warsh was confirmed as Fed chair and the CLARITY Act advanced in the Senate, keeping macro policy and crypto regulation at the center of the market conversation.

Prediction market traders have placed more than $5.5 million in combined volume on the Kentucky 4th Congressional District Republican primary, with challenger Ed Gallrein holding a narrow edge over seven-term incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

Michael Saylor’s orange-dot chart renewed focus on another potential Strategy bitcoin buy disclosure after showing 818,869 BTC and reserve value near $64 billion. Traders closely watch these posts because similar charts have preceded past Strategy purchase updates.

Bitcoin traded in a narrow consolidation range on May 17 as traders monitored whether support near $77,700 could stabilize the broader bullish structure after the recent pullback from the $82,800 high. Market data showed BTC holding above the critical $78,000 zone while mixed technical indicators across multiple time frames reflected cautious sentiment and weakening bearish momentum.

Revolut and Nubank, two large neobanks, are now reaping the benefits of investing in Mexico, reaching milestones suggesting the market has reached an inflection point in the adoption of these alternatives, preferring them over traditional banks.

According to local media, the use of cryptocurrency for illicit purposes has skyrocketed in Brazil, with criminal groups leveraging it for money laundering purposes. The number reached 71 million reais (nearly $14 million) of 505 billion reais ($100 billion) that circulated in Brazil in 2025.

Ironwallet CEO Ermo Eero warns that unilateral U.S. law cannot substitute for mutual international treaties. He notes that the crypto industry must build genuine institutional trust by policing bad actors from within rather than fighting external oversight.

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company raised its stake in Blackrock’s Ishares bitcoin ETF by 16% in Q1 2026, disclosing ownership of 14.7 million shares valued at $565.6 million.

IG expanded UK crypto access with more than 50 additional digital assets, bringing its total offering above 100 tokens. The rollout follows regulatory approval for its crypto business and introduces swaps, advanced charting features, and upcoming wallet transfer support.

Canary XRP ETF reported 212.6 million XRP, valued at about $305 million, as its latest holdings update followed a quarterly SEC filing. The trust’s disclosures showed rising token holdings, spot-only exposure, and valuation pressure tied to XRP’s price action.