Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Experts Suggest No Altcoin Season Until Money Printing Returns

Horizen Launches Mainnet on Base

Grayscale Adds BONK, Hypeliquid, and 30 Other Tokens To Its New Q3 Assets List

In this week’s edition of the weekly recap, Sam Bankman-Fried appeared to implement a documented media playbook from prison, former SafeMoon CEO Braden Karony received a 100-month sentence, and Strategy introduced perpetual preferred shares to fund Bitcoin purchases.

Bankman-Fried executes documented media approach Court records and recent prison communications indicate the convicted FTX founder is implementing a media strategy outlined in a January 15, 2023 Google document created shortly after his arrest. The document detailed 12 tactics Bankman-Fried considered to generate favorable media coverage following his indictment, arrest, extradition, and arraignment. Recent communications show Bankman-Fried shifting politically rightward and praising Trump’s cryptocurrency policies. SafeMoon executive sentenced to prison Former CEO Braden Karony received a 100-month sentence Monday in Brooklyn federal court for stealing millions in customer funds and using them for personal enrichment. A federal jury convicted Karony in May of last year on charges including conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Strategy introduces variable dividend preferred stock The Bitcoin (BTC) treasury company is expanding its use of preferred stock to fund cryptocurrency purchases while reducing exposure to market volatility. CEO Phong Le told Bloomberg in a February 12 interview that the company is offering perpetual preferred shares branded “Stretch” to attract investors seeking digital asset exposure without extreme price fluctuations. The product pays a variable dividend adjusted monthly, providing an alternative financing mechanism for the company’s ongoing Bitcoin accumulation strategy. Grayscale files AAVE ETF application The investment firm reportedly submitted an S-1 application to the Securities and Exchange Commission for an AAVE spot exchange-traded fund according to regulatory filings. The filing follows increased attention to AAVE, a decentralized finance protocol, after a governance vote on decentralizing its operational structure received community support. Kalshi partners with sports insurance broker The prediction market platform announced collaboration with sports insurance broker Game Point Capital and made an entry into the sports insurance market according to CEO Tarek Mansour. The partnership targets the fast-growing sports insurance and reinsurance industry, currently valued at approximately $9 billion annually and projected to double by 2030. Binance launches prepaid card in CIS markets The exchange introduced its prepaid Mastercard crypto card in several Commonwealth of Independent States countries. The card offers instant crypto-to-fiat payments and cashback rewards according to marketing lead Anka Tsintsadze’s Friday confirmation. South Korean police lose custody Bitcoin Gangnam Police Station confirmed Friday that 22 Bitcoin worth approximately ₩2.1 billion (roughly $1.6 million) were lost from police custody. The Bitcoin was voluntarily surrendered by suspects during a 2021 investigation and held in custody since then. Robinhood debuts layer-2 testnet The trading platform launched a public testnet version of its proprietary layer-2 network developed using Arbitrum’s technology stack. Robinhood Chain is currently accessible to a closed group of partners and developers who can experiment with integration, access points, and documentation. Hoskinson clarifies Midnight privacy strategy Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson stated Thursday at Consensus Hong Kong that privacy-focused blockchain Midnight doesn’t plan to recruit Monero and ZCash users, calling them a “different demographic” already caring deeply about privacy. Midnight will instead target “billions of people that don’t know they need privacy” with default privacy protection rather than optional features. BitMine continues Ethereum accumulation The company added 40,613 Ethereum (ETH) valued at approximately $83.2 million to its industry-leading Ethereum holdings last week despite unrealized losses currently sitting near $7.5 billion. Total holdings reached 4,325,738 Ethereum worth over $8.8 billion, representing about 3.58% of circulating ETH supply. Chairman Tom Lee stated “BitMine has been steadily buying Ethereum, as we view this pullback as attractive, given the strengthening fundamentals.” Strategy maintains Bitcoin purchases despite losses Strategy announced Monday it acquired an additional 1,142 Bitcoin last week even as its nearly $50 billion holdings remain underwater following last week’s cryptocurrency market plunge. The firm purchased coins for approximately $90 million total, with a cost basis of $78,815 per Bitcoin.

In 2020, Shiba Inu showed the world what a community-driven meme coin could do. Starting as a Dogecoin alternative, SHIB surged 48,000,000% from launch to its October 2021 all-time high. That rally changed how investors think about memecoins forever.

In 2026, a new shift is underway. Artificial intelligence is becoming the new engine for meme culture. Projects combining AI automation with meme infrastructure are attracting early capital. MemeToro ($MT) is one of the most discussed names inside that trend. It is building a full memecoin economy powered by an autonomous AI agent on BNB Chain.

How SHIB Changed the Memecoin Playbook Shiba Inu was launched anonymously in August 2020 as a community experiment. It had no venture capital backing and no formal roadmap. Its growth came from viral momentum and the passionate “SHIB Army.”

SHIB has evolved significantly since then. It sits roughly 94% below its all-time high of $0.000086 from 2021. The ecosystem has grown, but price recovery has remained elusive. That gap between ecosystem development and price performance is a familiar challenge in crypto.

What SHIB built with community momentum, a new wave of projects is building with AI. The logic is simple. Memecoin narratives move faster than any human team can track manually.

By the time most traders spot a trend, the early gains are already gone. AI agents can compress that reaction gap significantly. They scan social media, news, and on-chain activity in real time. They identify viral potential before it reaches the mainstream market.

This is exactly the problem MemeToro is engineered to solve. Its AI Agent monitors live cultural moments and converts them into tradeable, fair-launched tokens. Bonded memecoins auto-list on PancakeSwap, delivering instant liquidity at launch.

MemeToro: Building What Comes After SHIB MemeToro is not just another presale token. It is a structured memecoin ecosystem on BNB Chain. The platform combines four core products.

These include

An AI Agent for memecoin creation Prediction markets layer Staking Web3 news portal The $MT token powers all of them. Users can stake $MT and earn up to 35% APR. Prediction markets add an additional engagement layer for active traders. The news portal helps new users learn how to navigate Web3 safely. This combination of tools gives $MT utility across multiple user types. Speculators, stakers, creators, and learners all have a reason to participate.

Why BNB Chain Is the Right Ecosystem for This Moment BNB Chain is one of the most active environments for memecoin launches in 2026. Sub-cent transaction fees and fast confirmation speeds make it ideal for high-volume trading. Over 150,000 AI agents have deployed across BNB Chain this cycle. The network commanded over 45% of memecoin DEX volume at its 2025 peak. MemeToro benefits directly from this infrastructure.

Presale Structure and Tokenomics The $MT presale is currently open at $0.00139 per token. A total of 857 million tokens are allocated to the public sale. That represents 71% of total supply. Presale participants face no vesting period. Tokens are fully claimable at the official launch date.

Marketing and team allocations are subject to a 24-month vesting schedule. This protects early buyers from post-launch sell pressure. Smart contracts have been independently audited by approved third-party security firms. The open-source design of the AI Agent also allows the community to verify its logic directly.

Final Words SHIB proved that memecoins can build real ecosystems and loyal communities. MemeToro is applying that same principle to a new era. The tools have changed. AI replaces pure viral luck as the growth engine. The playbook is still community-first but now automation amplifies it.

Investors who missed early SHIB may find MemeToro’s AI-memecoin angle worth watching. It offers an early-stage entry point within a growing 2026 narrative. The presale is live. Ground-floor pricing is still available at $0.00138.

More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

Website: https://memetoro.com/

X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt

Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt

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New York, New York, May 13th, 2026, Chainwire

Proposed protocol upgrade extends Stacks' live Proof-of-Transfer mechanism to let BTC holders earn native Bitcoin yield without bridging, wrapping, or surrendering custody.

Stacks Labs today published a whitepaper outlining the first self-custodial Bitcoin Staking mechanism generating Bitcoin-native yield. The whitepaper details a proposed upgrade to Stacks’ existing Proof-of-Transfer (PoX) consensus mechanism that enables BTC holders to earn Bitcoin-denominated yield while their Bitcoin remains locked on the L1 under their own keys.

The whitepaper addresses a fundamental gap in the market: Bitcoin represents over $1.3 trillion in idle capital, yet BTC holders have had no path to earn Bitcoin yield on that capital without bridging to another chain, wrapping their BTC, or handing custody to a centralized lender. Existing approaches, including restaking protocols that require moving BTC off L1 or rely on intermediary trust assumptions, leave holders exposed to risks Bitcoin was designed to eliminate. Stacks’ Bitcoin Staking mechanism is the first mechanism where BTC stays on Bitcoin, under the holder's own keys, while generating native Bitcoin yield. The publication follows last week’s launch of the Stacks 2026 roadmap (stacks.co/roadmap), which laid out a three-phase plan for building Bitcoin-native finance. Bitcoin Staking is Phase 1 of that plan: the mechanism that anchors long-term BTC capital on-chain and establishes the economic foundation for the phases that follow, including a 100x throughput increase and a full suite of Bitcoin-native lending, borrowing, and programmable capital products.

The mechanism builds directly on PoX, which has operated in production since January 2021 and distributed more than 4,200 BTC in stacking rewards to date. Bitcoin Staking extends this existing infrastructure.

How It Works

Under Bitcoin Staking, participants form “protocol bonds” where participants pair a BTC timelock on Bitcoin with a corresponding STX lock on Stacks for a 6-month bonding period, targeting a fixed yield subject to the risks inherent to the protocol. The BTC remains on the Bitcoin blockchain, secured by Bitcoin consensus, under participant-controlled keys for the full bonding period.

BTC yield is generated the same way it is today under PoX: Stacks miners bid BTC to compete for STX block rewards and transaction fees. That miner-paid BTC is distributed to eligible participants. Bitcoin Staking changes who is eligible and how rewards are prioritized, not how they are generated.

Bitcoin Staking distributes PoX rewards according to a waterfall structure. Paired BTC-plus-STX positions form the primary tranche and receive the target yield rate for their respective bonds. After protocol bond obligations are met, excess miner revenue is split between STX-only stakers and a reserve fund that buffers payouts when miner revenue falls short. 

Phased Rollout

The whitepaper proposes Bitcoin Staking launches in two phases. The first, PoX-5, is a managed bootstrap period expected to run approximately 12 months. During this phase, Stacks Endowment sets capacity and yield parameters and intends to work with a set of institutional partners who have been onboarded ahead of launch. Initial program conditions target 3,000 BTC in capacity at a 3% BTC APY with a 5% minimum STX pairing ratio. Partner onboarding for the bootstrap phase is underway; interested institutions can contact Stacks Endowment directly.

During the bootstrap phase, Bitcoin Staking will progressively decentralize, eventually transitioning to PoX-6, a permissionless consensus-encoded operation. In this phase, a permissionless sealed-bid clearing auction determines capacity allocation while yield rates, and ratio requirements are determined on-chain from miner economics, reserve fund status, and prior-period participation data. This phase is the fully decentralized end state described in the whitepaper.

Both phases require community governance approval through the Stacks Improvement Proposal (SIP) process. 

Participation Paths

BTC holders can pair native Bitcoin, timelocked on L1, with STX for full protocol bond participation. sBTC holders, the Bitcoin-backed asset on Stacks, can pair sBTC with STX through L2 smart contracts, enabling pooled participation and DeFi integrations. STX holders can stake without any Bitcoin commitment and receive residual yield as the third tranche of the waterfall. Pooled participation options exist across all paths for smaller holders. 

"Bitcoin is the world's most trusted asset precisely because of its design and safety principles on the L1. Bitcoin Staking changes the calculus; holders can now earn yield denominated in BTC, trustlessly, while their Bitcoin stays exactly where it belongs. This whitepaper is the culmination of years of protocol-level work to make Bitcoin programmable without compromising what makes it Bitcoin." — Muneeb Ali, Founder, Stacks.

“Bitcoin holders have been waiting for a way to put their capital to work without giving it up. What we’ve built on Stacks has already distributed over 4,200 BTC in real yield since 2021. Bitcoin Staking takes that proven infrastructure and makes BTC itself the yield-bearing asset, under the holder’s own keys, on Bitcoin. The whitepaper is the technical specification for Phase 1 of what we laid out in the roadmap last week — and the institutional partners we’ve been working with are ready to move.” — Alex Miller, CEO, Stacks Labs.

Availability

The full Bitcoin Staking whitepaper is available today here. The Stacks 2026 roadmap, which provides the broader context for Bitcoin Staking as Phase 1 of the network’s development plan, is available at stacks.co/roadmap. Community discussion and the SIP governance process will follow publication. Technical specifications, implementation documentation, and partner onboarding details will be published in subsequent releases. Institutions interested in participating in the PoX-5 bootstrap program should contact Stacks Endowment at [email protected].

About Stacks

Stacks is the leading Bitcoin layer by BTC deployed, providing infrastructure for a growing range of Bitcoin-native applications. The network enables Bitcoin-native financial applications, from lending and borrowing to autonomous AI agents, all settled with Bitcoin finality. Users can learn more at stacks.co.

ContactPR & Events
Shannon Voight
Stacks Labs
[email protected]

Disclaimer: Press release sponsored by our commercial partners.

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Stacks, the Bitcoin Layer 2 ecosystem, has published a whitepaper describing a new Bitcoin Staking model that lets users stake BTC and earn yield paid in BTC.

From STX stacking to BTC staking Stacks uses a consensus mechanism called Proof of Transfer, or PoX. In the previous model, users who wanted to earn BTC yield had to acquire and “stack” STX, the native token of the Stacks network. Miners would send BTC to these STX stackers as part of the consensus process, creating a flow of Bitcoin rewards back to participants.

The old STX stacking model offered yields that historically ranged from roughly 7% to 20% in BTC, though more recent rates have been variable and generally lower.

The new Bitcoin Staking model eliminates the STX requirement entirely. Users can stake BTC directly and earn BTC yield.

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How the new model works The whitepaper introduces the concept of BTC yield vaults as a central component of the new staking architecture. These vaults are designed to let Bitcoin holders deposit BTC and receive yield without needing to interact with the STX token economy at all.

The underlying mechanics still leverage Stacks’ existing Proof of Transfer infrastructure. Stacks doesn’t modify Bitcoin’s foundational code or require any changes to the Bitcoin protocol itself. Instead, it operates as a smart contract and Layer 2 ecosystem built on top of Bitcoin.

The specific yield rates for the new model haven’t been detailed in the whitepaper announcement, but the framework is designed to offer what the team describes as competitive Bitcoin-native returns.

Institutional providers that already facilitate BTC yield through STX stacking are expected to be among the first to distribute the new Bitcoin Staking product.

Why Bitcoin yield is the holy grail Institutional allocators, in particular, often face mandate restrictions that prevent them from holding smaller-cap altcoins. A pure BTC-in, BTC-out model fits much more cleanly into traditional portfolio frameworks.

Babylon Protocol has been building Bitcoin staking infrastructure. EigenLayer has explored restaking models that could eventually extend to BTC. And wrapped Bitcoin on Ethereum continues to attract billions in deposits for DeFi lending and yield strategies.

What differentiates Stacks’ approach is the direct relationship with Bitcoin’s base layer through Proof of Transfer, which avoids the trust assumptions inherent in wrapping BTC on another chain.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

For years, Bitcoin has been the world’s most valuable digital asset that mostly just sits there. Unlike Ethereum, where staking and lending have become a cottage industry, BTC holders have had limited options for generating yield without surrendering custody of their coins. UTXO Management wants to change that calculus.

The investment firm has become the first institutional participant in Bitcoin staking on the Stacks protocol, putting real capital behind the idea that Bitcoin’s Layer-2 ecosystem is ready for serious money.

What Stacks and sBTC actually do Stacks is a Layer-2 protocol that sits on top of Bitcoin. It uses a mechanism called Proof-of-Transfer, or PoX, where miners on Stacks commit actual BTC to participate in block production, while holders of STX (the native Stacks token) can lock their tokens and earn BTC rewards in return.

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sBTC is a decentralized asset backed 1:1 by Bitcoin, functioning as a bridge that lets BTC holders access decentralized finance activities like lending and staking without selling their Bitcoin.

During the initial scaling of sBTC, capacity surged from zero to 3,000 BTC within 24 hours. Jump Crypto and SNZ were also among the early participants in the rollout.

Why institutions care about Bitcoin yield UTXO Management’s entire thesis revolves around the Bitcoin ecosystem and its Layer-2 infrastructure, signaling conviction rather than opportunism.

Hex Trust added another data point in April 2025 when it expanded its institutional custody and support services to include both STX and sBTC.

What this means for investors The competitive landscape is worth watching closely. Stacks isn’t the only Layer-2 trying to unlock Bitcoin DeFi. Projects like Babylon, which focuses on Bitcoin staking for proof-of-stake security, and various rollup proposals are all chasing the same institutional dollar.

The risk side of the ledger deserves attention. Layer-2 protocols are still relatively young infrastructure. Smart contract risk, bridge risk, and the general complexity of PoX economics all represent variables that institutions need to underwrite carefully. sBTC’s 1:1 peg to Bitcoin sounds simple, but maintaining that peg under stress is a different story.

For investors tracking this space, the metrics to watch are sBTC’s total capacity growth, the number of institutional custodians supporting the asset, and whether yield rates prove attractive enough to pull capital away from competing products. Early institutional participation from firms like UTXO Management, Jump Crypto, and SNZ represents a meaningful endorsement of the Stacks ecosystem.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Fireblocks, the institutional crypto infrastructure platform that processes more than $5 trillion in digital asset transfers annually, has integrated the Stacks Bitcoin Layer 2 network. The move opens Bitcoin DeFi services to more than 2,400 institutional clients who previously had no streamlined way to access them.

The Fireblocks-Stacks integration covers several key capabilities. Institutional clients get custody support for STX tokens, plus the ability to mint and bridge sBTC, the synthetic Bitcoin asset that operates on the Stacks network.

From there, clients can access DeFi protocols built on Stacks, including Hermetica, Zest/Granite, and Bitflow. These protocols span lending, token swaps, and yield generation.

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One of Stacks’ selling points for institutional users is speed. The network processes transactions with roughly 5-second block times, compared to Bitcoin’s average of about 10 minutes. For institutions executing complex DeFi strategies, that difference matters.

The integration was announced in early February 2026, with full functionality expected by the end of Q1 2026.

Why institutions care about Bitcoin DeFi now Bitcoin’s base layer wasn’t designed for smart contracts. Layer 2 solutions like Stacks exist specifically to bridge that gap, adding programmability on top of Bitcoin’s security model. But even with Layer 2 solutions available, institutions faced a second barrier: custody and compliance. A hedge fund or asset manager can’t just connect a MetaMask wallet to a DeFi protocol and start yield farming. They need enterprise-grade custody, audit trails, regulatory compliance frameworks, and counterparty risk management. That’s exactly what Fireblocks provides.

Broader context and competitive positioning Stacks has also established partnerships with BitGo and Circle, two other heavyweight names in institutional crypto infrastructure. BitGo provides custody and liquidity services to institutional investors. Circle is the issuer of USDC, the second-largest stablecoin by market cap. Together with Fireblocks, these partnerships form a triangle of institutional credibility that few Bitcoin Layer 2 competitors can match.

For investors watching this space, the key metric to track isn’t the integration announcement itself but what happens to total value locked on Stacks-based DeFi protocols over the coming quarters. If institutional capital actually flows through Fireblocks into protocols like Hermetica, Zest/Granite, and Bitflow, it would validate the thesis that Bitcoin DeFi can attract serious money, not just crypto-native capital.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

A whale has transferred nearly $20 million worth of Bitcoin to Binance as the flagship crypto continues to struggle.

Summary

A Bitcoin whale moved around 300 BTC to Binance, with roughly $20 million in value, while still holding about 200 BTC. The wallet built its position earlier in 2025 at an average price of $97,541, leaving it at a loss if the holder sells. Data from Arkham Intelligence shows that an address labeled “bc1q…kp4n” sent around 300 BTC, valued at over $20 million, to a Binance deposit address on Tuesday. As of press time, the wallet still retains roughly 200 BTC, which is worth about $13.75 million based on prices at the time of writing.

The wallet appears relatively recent compared to others seen in recent months, where decade-old holdings have suddenly become active to execute similar transfers.

On-chain data indicates that the address accumulated around 513 BTC between January and March 2025. At the time, the stash was worth close to $50 million, pointing to an average acquisition price of roughly $97,541 per coin.

So far, it remains unclear whether the transfer was made with the intent to sell, but movements to exchanges are often linked to potential selling activity. Given that the wallet is currently sitting at a loss, with Bitcoin trading near $69,000, the move could be aimed at limiting further downside.

On the contrary, the transfer could simply be portfolio restructuring or internal fund management rather than an immediate sale.

However, if we look at recent whale activity, it would not come as a surprise if the holder is preparing to sell. Bitcoin is down more than 45% from its all-time high and has faced intense volatility in recent sessions.

Last month a dormant wallet moved 2,100 BTC, worth around $147.7 million, after more than 13 years of inactivity. In another case, roughly $33 million in Bitcoin was sent to Binance by a separate whale.

This is happening as Bitcoin price has remained under pressure due to bearish macro catalysts, particularly rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The conflict has pushed oil prices higher and aggravated inflation concerns in the U.S. and across global markets. As long as these tensions persist, large holders may be inclined to remain on the sidelines.

On the other hand, institutions and treasury firms like Strategy have continued buying the flagship crypto.

Crypto exchange OKX CEO Star Xu has challenged Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s famous story about selling his house to invest in Bitcoin. This follows CZ’s release of his autobiography, ‘Freedom of Money,’ in which he shared insights into how he founded Binance.

OKX CEO Questions Binance Founder’s Bitcoin Story In an X post, Xu stated that CZ constantly talks about the story of selling a house to buy Bitcoin, but questioned what the “full truth” behind it was. He went further, raising questions such as where the down payment for that house originally came from and whether it was indeed CZ’s house that was sold.

The Binance founder had reiterated these claims in an interview on the All In podcast earlier this year, revealing that he sold an apartment for around $900,000 and used the proceeds to DCA into Bitcoin during the dip, at an average BTC price of $600. However, the OKX CEO has doubts, prompting him to poke holes in the story.

Xu also questioned whether CZ ever considered the feelings of his wife’s parents, who supported him, when he was using this story to portray himself as “visionary and repeatedly showcasing it as an achievement.” The OKX CEO also suggested that there are truths that he has never disclosed publicly, as it has never been his principle to ‘take advantage’ of someone’s misfortune or use their private life for moral attacks.

“If it weren’t for that book full of falsehoods dragging me into this, I would never have brought up these old matters again,” he added. It is worth noting that the clash between the OKX CEO and the Binance founder dates back to Xu’s allegations that CZ falsified company contracts involving early Bitcoin investor Roger Ver when CZ worked at OKCoin. However, CZ addressed this in his book and denied any wrongdoing, accusing competitors of using FUD to damage his reputation. 

The Clash Leads To $1 Billion Wager The clash between the Binance founder and the OKX CEO intensified when CZ said he was happy to bet $1 billion after Xu questioned his claim that he had officially divorced. However, CZ said he wouldn’t post any legal documents online out of respect for his ex-wife’s privacy.

I typically ignore all these false claims attacks. But…

You can apologize now. I am officially divorced.

I won’t post any legal docs online, as I respect privacy of my ex-wife, and I appreciate the time we spent together.

I am happy to bet $1 billion USD (or any number you… https://t.co/G9GAl6nMqL

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) April 9, 2026

However, he told the OKX CEO that they could get lawyers to validate the divorce agreement if he agreed to take the $1 billion bet. “This bet offer is valid permanently, whenever you feel ready. But if you don’t take it within 24hrs, it clearly shows who has been mis-representing to the public,” he added.

In response, Xu stated that top crypto exchanges OKX and Binance have multiple regulators and that, as the UBO of a regulated company, publicly offering $1 billion is “hardly professional conduct.” He questioned whether Binance regulators would find the move from the Binance founder acceptable.

Regarding whether CZ misled the public about his divorce, the OKX CEO questioned whether his Binance stake has been legally separated from his ex-wife. “Time to own it like a man and apologize. Don’t try to divert topics, with more false attacks,” CZ said in response.

Jefferies: Samsung is likely to follow SK Hynix’s example to list in the US via ADRs.

Jeff Kim, Head of Research at Jefferies, said Samsung is likely to follow SK Hynix in listing on the U.S. market via American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), which will boost the share price of the South Korean chipmaker whose valuation lags behind Micron. "Chip stocks are at a turning point. ADRs will serve as an important catalyst to drive their valuations," he added.

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UBS and TD Cowen sharply raise Arm’s target price, betting on a revaluation of Arm’s AI data center CPU value.

Arm’s stock price pulled back this week alongside the high-valuation AI sector, though some Wall Street analysts say the correction does not alter the company’s long-term standing in AI data centers. UBS sharply raised Arm’s price target from $260 to $470, retaining its Buy rating; TD Cowen lifted its target from $265 to $475, also keeping a Buy recommendation. Both firms share the view that as agentic AI evolves, CPUs could gain greater importance in data center architectures, rather than GPUs continuing to monopolize the investment narrative. TD Cowen believes that over the long term, CPUs could hold a more strategic position in certain AI workloads. UBS, meanwhile, emphasizes that the real debate in the market centers on the revenue potential of Arm’s self-developed or independent CPU business. The bank projects Arm’s CPU-related revenue could reach around $14 billion by 2030, though the company itself has stated this business will not have a material impact on its finances until fiscal 2028. Arm’s strengths lie in low latency and energy efficiency—metrics that major cloud providers are increasingly prioritizing as they expand AI infrastructure. Even with its stock pulling back from recent highs in the short term, analysts still view Arm as one of the key beneficiaries of the server CPU upgrade cycle.

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Crypto whale who profited over $23.77 million from BAT ICO liquidates 27,586 ETH

According to monitoring by Yu Jing, a whale that earned $23.77 million from participating in the BAT ICO sold 15,000 ETH (valued at roughly $24.29 million) two hours ago. The whale has now fully liquidated all 27,586 ETH it received from selling 35 million BAT on-chain over the past day and a half, converting the proceeds into 44.836 million USDS at an average selling price of $1,625.

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Sources: Iraqi officials once considered withdrawing from OPEC, but current plans are to remain a member and pursue a higher quota.

A senior Iraqi oil ministry official said that if OPEC quotas are not significantly increased, Iraq will be forced to consider all available options. Sources said Iraqi officials had considered withdrawing from OPEC, but the current plan is to remain a member and push for higher quotas. (Jinshi)

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Kepler Cheuvreux raises ASML’s European share price target from €1,460 to €1,830.

Kepler Cheuvreux has raised the target price for ASML’s European shares from €1,460 to €1,830.

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Stifel: U.S. economy in "overheated expansion" as AI investment cycle outweighs consumer pressure

U.S. large diversified financial services holding company Stifel has raised its year-end S&P 500 target and rolled out a stock allocation framework for a "high-growth, high-inflation" environment. The firm lifted its year-end S&P 500 target to 7,800 points, noting the U.S. economy is entering a "running hot" state—where economic growth is strengthening alongside mounting inflationary pressure. Stifel’s models show U.S. growth momentum is picking up while inflation momentum is clearly overheating, a trend that will reshape the market’s leading sector structure in the second half of the year. Instead of traditional consumer sectors, Stifel’s top picks are investment-led cyclical industries, including banks, transportation, materials, energy, semiconductors, software and equipment. The firm adds that fixed-asset investment in AI remains on the rise: large tech firms including Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Google are projected to combine for roughly $725 billion in total capital expenditures in 2026, some $100 billion higher than prior estimates. This means the AI investment chain is likely to continue outperforming the consumption chain squeezed by inflation. Stifel advises investors to reduce exposure to discretionary consumer, consumer staples, communication services and some financial services sectors, as these areas see weaker earnings revisions. Conversely, the firm favors cyclical value stocks and hedges with defensive value sectors such as insurance, autos, energy and banks.

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TLDR: Binance Bitcoin futures Open Interest climbed from $6.4B in March to $8.96B, topping the 180-day moving average. The eight-month deleveraging phase mirrors conditions last seen in 2022, just before the FTX collapse hit markets. Speculative traders returned to Bitcoin derivatives despite a continued deterioration in the global macro environment. Analysts warn the recovery trend stays fragile, as leveraged traders could exit positions quickly if Bitcoin corrects further. Bitcoin traders are re-entering derivatives markets after an extended eight-month deleveraging cycle. Binance futures Open Interest climbed from $6.4 billion in March to approximately $8.96 billion, crossing back above its 180-day moving average.

The shift points to renewed speculative appetite, though analysts caution the trend remains fragile given persistent macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures still weighing on broader risk markets.

Bitcoin Open Interest Climbs Back Above Key Average Binance futures Open Interest has been a reliable gauge of trader activity in the Bitcoin derivatives market. When Open Interest falls below its 180-day moving average, it typically signals that futures activity is contracting. Liquidations mount, and traders pull back from leveraged positions as corrections deepen.

That is precisely what unfolded following the October 10 event. The downturn, compounded by a weakening global macroeconomic backdrop, pushed traders toward risk reduction. Over the months that followed, Binance Open Interest remained below its 180-day moving average.

Crypto analyst Darkfost noted that this deleveraging phase lasted roughly eight months. According to the analyst, a comparable situation last occurred in 2022, just ahead of the FTX collapse. That event triggered another sharp round of liquidations across the market.

🗞️ Bitcoin traders are returning after 8 months of Deleveraging

Since the October 10 event, Bitcoin has gone through a prolonged deleveraging phase across derivatives markets, represented here through Binance futures activity.

[ 💡These periods are identified on the chart when… pic.twitter.com/6Ky1umZaak — Darkfost (@Darkfost_Coc) May 22, 2026

The recent climb above the 180-day moving average, currently near $8.75 billion, marks a potential turning point. Open Interest now sits at approximately $8.96 billion, placing it above that threshold. This crossover is generally read as a signal that the deleveraging period has ended.

Speculative Traders Drive the Recovery, but Risks Remain The return of traders to Bitcoin derivatives has contributed to the ongoing price correction to the upside. Bitcoin’s sharp pullback from prior highs attracted speculative participants looking to position for a rebound. Their activity has added buying pressure through leveraged exposure.

Darkfost pointed out that despite ongoing macro deterioration, traders moved back into futures positions. The analyst wrote that the sharp correction drew more speculative traders looking to play a rebound. That dynamic has helped stabilize price action in recent weeks.

However, the recovery remains early-stage and should not yet be treated as a confirmed trend reversal. The macro environment has not meaningfully improved, and external shocks could quickly reverse the recent inflows. Leveraged traders tend to exit positions rapidly when conditions shift against them.

If Bitcoin resumes the correction that began in October, these returning traders could unwind just as fast as they entered.

The speed at which Open Interest rose above the moving average also means it could fall back below it. For now, the market is in a transitional phase rather than a clear recovery.

TLDR: Binance Bitcoin reserves grew 5.1%, rising from 617,000 BTC to 648,600 BTC between April 25 and June 1, 2026. Ethereum holdings on Binance climbed 10.4%, adding 350,000 ETH during the same five-week observation period. Combined USDT and USDC reserves on Binance dropped $3.87 billion, reducing available spot market buying power significantly. Bitcoin fell below $71,000 amid rising crypto supply and shrinking stablecoin liquidity, reflecting a structural shift inside Binance. Binance Bitcoin reserves recorded a notable increase between late April and early June 2026, rising by 31,600 BTC. At the same time, combined stablecoin reserves on the exchange fell by $3.87 billion.

This shift in reserve composition came as Bitcoin dropped below $71,000 for the first time since April. The data points to a broader liquidity change inside the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

Rising Crypto Reserves Paint a Complex Market Picture Binance’s Bitcoin reserve climbed from 617,000 BTC to 648,600 BTC between April 25 and June 1. That represents a 5.1% increase over roughly five weeks.

Meanwhile, Ethereum reserves also moved higher during the same window. Holdings grew from 3.35 million ETH to approximately 3.7 million ETH, an increase of about 350,000 ETH, or 10.4%.

Source: Cryptoquant

Higher exchange reserves can suggest that more crypto supply is available for trading on the platform. When coins accumulate on exchanges, it often indicates that holders have moved assets closer to potential selling points. However, reserve movements alone do not confirm that selling is occurring or imminent.

The simultaneous rise in both Bitcoin and Ethereum holdings is worth noting. It suggests the trend was not isolated to a single asset. Instead, it reflected a broader movement of crypto into Binance’s custodial reserves across the period.

What makes this development more pointed is that it occurred alongside a drop in Bitcoin’s price. The timing of rising supply and declining stablecoin buffers raises questions about the balance of buying and selling pressure on the exchange.

Falling Stablecoin Reserves Reduce Immediate Buying Power While crypto reserves increased, stablecoin balances moved in the opposite direction. Binance’s USDC holdings declined from $7.67 billion to $6 billion, a drop of $1.67 billion. USDT reserves also fell, moving from $40.3 billion to $38.1 billion, a reduction of $2.2 billion.

Together, the two stablecoin declines total approximately $3.87 billion. Stablecoins on exchanges generally represent available capital ready to purchase crypto in spot markets. When those balances shrink, the pool of immediate buying power contracts accordingly.

This matters because the spot market relies on stablecoin liquidity to absorb available supply. Fewer stablecoins on a platform means less firepower for buyers to bid up prices or defend key support levels. That dynamic can contribute to downside price pressure when supply is simultaneously increasing.

The combined effect, more crypto supply alongside reduced stablecoin liquidity, created a less supportive environment for Bitcoin’s price.

Bitcoin’s move below $71,000 occurred within this framework, suggesting the decline reflected structural conditions inside the exchange, not just broader market sentiment.

Bitcoin has fallen below $70,000 as capital continues to flow toward a narrow group of high-performing U.S. equity sectors, according to a new analysis from Binance Research.

Summary

Binance Research linked Bitcoin’s recent weakness to record levels of capital concentration in U.S. equities, with AI, defense, and energy sectors attracting investor flows. Bitcoin has remained under pressure as ETF outflows exceeded $3.4 billion over 11 trading days, while Mt. Gox wallet transfers and macro uncertainty weighed on sentiment. Binance Research said past periods of extreme stock market concentration were often followed by Bitcoin recoveries within weeks when no crypto specific crisis was present. According to Binance Research, the CBOE Dispersion Index recently reached 42, its third-highest reading on record, a level the firm said points to extreme concentration within the S&P 500. The research unit argued that when a small number of investment themes attract most market inflows, Bitcoin often struggles to compete for liquidity.

Binance Research said the current environment is being driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure, semiconductor stocks, defense companies, energy firms, and commodities. 

As money moves into those areas, the firm said Bitcoin has been left competing for capital on several fronts at once.

Bitcoin performance against equities. Source: Binance Research. Binance points to historical trends In its analysis, Binance Research described a pattern in which strong returns from a handful of stock market themes draw capital away from alternative assets. The firm said the process typically begins when outsized gains in specific equity sectors attract investor attention, concentrating capital into a limited group of winners. 

According to Binance Research, that concentration can create what it described as a “capital black hole,” reducing liquidity available for Bitcoin and other risk assets.

Several historical examples were cited in the analysis. For instance, Bitcoin fell about 20% during the 2015 rotation into FAANG stocks and biotechnology companies. During a defensive sector rotation in 2016, BTC declined about 18%, according to the report.

The research also highlighted Bitcoin’s 68% decline during the 2018 period that combined late-cycle FAANG leadership with the collapse of the initial coin offering market. In 2022, Binance Research said a rally in energy stocks coincided with a roughly 50% drop in Bitcoin.

More recently, the firm linked Bitcoin’s decline from approximately $115,000 to $71,000 during late 2025 to heavy investor interest in artificial intelligence and semiconductor companies. Binance Research added that the current quarter has seen another rotation into AI, defense, and energy sectors while Bitcoin has fallen about 11% so far.

Recovery could come faster without a crypto-native crisis The report arrives as Bitcoin remains under pressure from a combination of crypto-specific and macroeconomic factors. 

BTC dropped below $70,000 during Asian hours on June 2 after U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $483 million in daily net outflows, extending an 11-session withdrawal streak that has seen more than $3.4 billion leave the funds.

Adding to market uncertainty, Mt. Gox-linked wallets transferred 10,306 BTC worth about $739 million, reviving concerns that creditor distributions could eventually increase supply. Simultaneously, Strategy’s disclosure that it sold 32 BTC, its first Bitcoin sale in roughly four years, also introduced some panic.

Despite the weakness, Binance Research argued that historical precedent offers a more constructive outlook when Bitcoin’s decline is tied primarily to capital rotation rather than problems within the crypto industry itself.

The firm said previous peaks in the dispersion index were often followed by Bitcoin bottoms within 0 to 20 weeks, with a median recovery period of roughly two weeks, and noted that the current market lacks a major crypto-native crisis comparable to previous industry-specific shocks.

Outside equity market dynamics, Bitcoin continues to face pressure from macroeconomic uncertainty. Oil markets have remained volatile as traders assess developments surrounding U.S.-Iran negotiations and potential disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. 

At the same time, demand for traditional safe-haven assets has increased, with gold and silver attracting inflows as investors react to geopolitical risks and inflation concerns.

Derivative markets have also amplified recent losses. As per earlier coverage from crypto.news, more than 152,000 traders were liquidated over a 24-hour period, with total liquidations exceeding $744 million after Bitcoin lost key technical support levels. On the chart, BTC has broken below a rising channel that had supported its recovery from February lows, which puts $68,700 and $65,000 as the next downside targets.

Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao believes that even with the market’s recent plunge, crypto is alive and well. He is still bullish on the beginning of a long-awaited “super cycle.”

Binance Founder CZ Opens Up On His ‘Super Cycle’ Prediction During a recent interview, Binance’s CZ was questioned about the comments he made four months ago that stated 2026 could be a crypto super cycle. Bitcoin is having trouble finding any rhythm, and is still in the $60,000-$64,000 range, the interviewer said. She added that “things are not looking good from where we sit today.”

The Binance founder demurred by stepping away from any specific market predictions. “I think even when I said it, I probably said I could not predict the future,” he said. When pressed further, he added, “I try to avoid prediction questions regardless.”

Might be late…

I can't predict anything. 😂 https://t.co/Q6EjgR3VzL

— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) June 13, 2026

While the BTC price had surged toward $80,000 recently, the interviewer said it has been brought back down to roughly $60,000, joking that “we’ll call this a winter.” CZ admitted the current weakness but counterattacked the general concerns about industry.

“But will crypto die? Absolutely not,” CZ said. The Binance founder added, “Crypto will continue to grow. So I think the super cycle will come. I’m not sure when it will come.”

The interview clip was then posted on the social media platform X, where it seemed CZ took the shot at the earlier prediction. He sarcastically wrote, “Might be late… I can’t predict anything.”

Crypto Market Remains Volatile The Binance founder’s remarks coincide with the overall volatile nature of the crypto market. Bitcoin has been struggling to hold above $64,000 in the last few trading sessions amid the macroeconomic concerns.

Bitcoin is entering a critical technical level, said crypto analyst Ted Pillows. He wrote in a post on X today that “BTC is right at its short-term resistance zone.”

BTC price analysis chart. Source: Ted Pillows | X Pillows also connected the dots between Bitcoin’s next potential move and developments involving US president Donald Trump and Iran. “Trump is saying that a peace deal will be signed tomorrow,” the analyst wrote. Pillows added, “If that actually happens, Bitcoin will finally see a pump after weeks of downtrend.”

Earlier in the day, the BTC price rallied back up from the $63,500 area and remained close to $64,000.

Sun 21 Jun 2026 ▪ 7 min read ▪ by Ghiles A.

Summarize this article with:

The debate around the network’s historic funds comes back to the forefront after a statement from Changpeng Zhao. The founder of Binance mentioned the possibility of blocking some of Satoshi Nakamoto’s bitcoins due to risks related to quantum computing. CZ, however, presented this idea as a question intended for the community, not as a personal initiative.

In brief CZ reignites the debate on a possible freeze of bitcoins associated with Satoshi Nakamoto due to risks related to quantum computing. The founder of Binance does not propose a seizure, but questions the community about possible protection of vulnerable addresses. Quantum computers could pose a future threat to certain wallets whose public keys are already exposed. Satoshi’s bitcoins remain at the heart of discussions, as their freezing could create a precedent contrary to the network’s decentralization principles. The challenge for Bitcoin will be to find a balance between security against new technologies and respect for the protocol’s fundamental rules. CZ opens the debate on a possible freeze of Satoshi’s bitcoins CZ mentioned this possibility during a conversation with Alex Thorn, director of Galaxy Research, on the Galaxy Brains podcast. The founder of Binance did not present this idea as a decision taken but as an open question intended for ecosystem members.

After this statement, CZ denied rumors claiming he “could personally block the address linked to Satoshi Nakamoto for a given period.” He explained that this interpretation did not correspond to his statements.

The former Binance executive did not call for a seizure of funds. He rather mentioned the idea of a delay after which cryptocurrencies present on addresses deemed vulnerable could be blocked by a protocol modification.

CZ notably posed a question to the community:

Why not provide for a period of about a year before applying a possible measure against exposed addresses?

Changpeng Zhao. Founder of Binance. Source: X/@TCryptochicks. According to this approach, the funds concerned could be protected through a network evolution. However, this proposal raises a major difficulty. CZ acknowledged that it remains complex to precisely identify wallets belonging to Satoshi Nakamoto among those used by Bitcoin’s earliest miners.

This reflection aligns with some technical proposals already discussed within the ecosystem. The BIP-361 proposal notably includes mechanisms to gradually limit risks related to vulnerable addresses and exposed signatures.

Furthermore, he had also called for caution regarding the quantum threat. His approach relies on the idea that the network must anticipate future risks without overlooking the consequences of a significant modification of its rules.

The quantum risk reignites the question of dormant funds The discussion launched by CZ is based on a specific technical concern: the possible evolution of quantum computers. These technologies could eventually make it possible to recover private keys from already exposed public keys.

The danger mainly concerns wallets whose public keys appear on the blockchain. An attacker equipped with sufficiently advanced technology could then attempt to retrieve the funds associated with these addresses.

In March, a study conducted by Google Quantum AI reinforced concerns around this possibility. Researchers estimated that an attack could require fewer than 500,000 qubits and occur within minutes, a level lower than previous projections.

Faced with this threat, the Bitcoin network must consider evolving towards cryptography resistant to quantum computing. However, such a transition requires significant coordination and several years of preparation.

Data available in March indicated that more than one-third of bitcoins had already revealed their public key on the blockchain. These addresses could therefore be exposed in case of a rapid quantum technology evolution.

The question becomes even more sensitive with funds attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto. According to estimates based on the Patoshi model, the Bitcoin creator mined about 1.1 million BTC between 2009 and 2010. These holdings today represent a considerable value and have been unused since their creation.

Bitcoin: The dilemma between network security and respect for founding principles The debate about vulnerable addresses goes far beyond the technical question. It directly touches one of Bitcoin’s essential principles: fund ownership must not depend on any authority capable of imposing a decision.

In this logic, bitcoins associated with Satoshi Nakamoto should not be frozen or altered. These holdings hold a special place in the network’s history, as they represent the first mined blocks and the very origin of the protocol.

An intervention on these funds would create a major precedent. Bitcoin was designed to operate without central control, with identical rules for all participants. Allowing the blocking of specific addresses, even for a security-related reason, would question this fundamental logic and would even betray the network’s original spirit.

The risk would not concern only Satoshi’s bitcoins. If a decision allowed changing the status of certain old addresses, the question could arise again for other wallets considered vulnerable or inactive.

It is important, however, to maintain a nuanced interpretation: the quantum threat remains a real challenge for Bitcoin’s future. Complete lack of response could expose some users to attacks capable of recovering funds protected by current cryptographic systems.

The difficulty thus consists in protecting the network without turning its operation into a system where one entity or a majority could decide the fate of existing holdings. The solutions considered aim precisely to address this threat while limiting changes to the protocol rules.

CZ acknowledged that “there is no perfect solution to this problem.” The choice will therefore oppose two priorities: anticipating a future technological threat and preserving the historical principles that have allowed Bitcoin to function since its creation.

In the future, the debate will likely not focus solely on freezing Satoshi Nakamoto‘s bitcoins but on a broader question: can the network evolve in response to a new technological threat without abandoning the principles that built its value? The answer will depend on the community’s ability to find a balance between protecting funds, resisting new attacks, and respecting Bitcoin’s fundamental rules.

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Ghiles A.

Journaliste et rédacteur web passionné par l’univers des cryptomonnaies et des technologies Web3. J’y traite les dernières tendances et actualités afin de proposer un contenu de haute qualité à un large public du secteur.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.

PANews reported on December 17th that, according to SoSoValue data, the cryptocurrency market generally rebounded, with Bitcoin (BTC) rising 2.01% to break through $87,000, while Ethereum (ETH) rose 0.12%, still fluctuating narrowly around $2,900. Other notable sectors included: SocialFi, up 3.53% in the last 24 hours (Toncoin (TON) up 4.08%); PayFi, up 2.62% (Telcoin (TEL) up 5.11%); RWA, up 2.58% (MANTRA (OM) up 12.90%).

In other sectors, Layer 1 rose 1.53%, with Sui (SUI) up 3.70%; CeFi rose 1.52%, with OKB up 3.20%; Layer 2 rose 1.14%, with Zora (ZORA) up 9.83%; DeFi rose 0.57%, with Uniswap (UNI) up 3.88%; and Meme rose 0.41%, with SPX6900 (SPX) up 5.86%. Meanwhile, AI fell 1.37%, but Fartcoin (FARTCOIN) bucked the trend, rising 10.30%; NFT fell 1.68%, with ApenFT (NFT) falling 10.83%.

Bitcoin nears $97,000, while altcoins like KAITO and Alpaca Finance lead gains.

The cryptocurrency market remained relatively flat on Wednesday as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin (BTC) is up 2.5% to nearly $97,000 over the past 24 hours, while Ethereum (ETH) has gained 3% to reach approximately $1,815. XRP also recorded an increase, albeit more modest, rising 1% to $2.13. Meanwhile, Solana (SOL) climbed 2% to $145.

BTC PriceTwo standouts among altcoins include KAITO, which surged 47% to $1.29, and Alpaca Finance, which rose 38% to $0.28.

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization remains flat on the day at around $3.03 trillion. Meanwhile, leveraged liquidations totaled approximately $249 million, according to CoinGlass. BTC accounted for around $93 million of these liquidations, with ETH following at approximately $45 million.

Meanwhile, spot BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $86 million in outflows on Wednesday. Spot ETH ETFs experienced around $18 million in outflows, according to SoSoValue data.

Fed Holds Rates SteadyThe slowed market activity comes as the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, maintaining its benchmark federal-funds rate at 4.25% to 4.50%. This decision came at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).

The move was widely anticipated by markets, and Fed officials emphasized they are closely monitoring the implications of existing policies before considering any future adjustments. "Uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further," the FOMC said.

The Fed’s decision comes amid growing pressure from President Donald Trump to lower interest rates. Over the past few weeks, Trump has been increasingly vocal in criticizing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his handling of monetary policy.

In a social media post on April 18, Trump wrote: “The ECB is expected to cut interest rates for the 7th time, and yet, ‘Too Late’ Jerome Powell of the Fed, who is always TOO LATE AND WRONG, yesterday issued a report which was another, and typical, complete mess!”

Arizona lawmakers are weighing a bill that would let the state keep digital assets in a reserve instead of selling them off, and XRP is one of the names on the list.

The proposal would place those assets under the state treasurer’s control, and it could also let the state earn extra returns through staking, airdrops, or limited lending if the move does not raise financial risk.

What The Fund Would Hold SB1649 creates a Digital Assets Strategic Reserve Fund made up of digital assets that are held by, confiscated by, or surrendered to Arizona.

The bill text also says the treasurer could deposit state-held digital assets through a secure custody solution or an approved exchange-traded product, then administer the fund directly.

Source: LegiScan It defines “digital asset” broadly enough to include Bitcoin, XRP, stablecoins, nonfungible tokens, Dash, Internet Computer, Ravencoin, Chia, eCash, Monero, and other digital-only assets that meet the bill’s fair-value test.

That fair-value test is built around adoption, annual transactions, annual transaction value, and development activity. In plain terms, the bill tries to sort assets by market use and technical strength before they can be treated as reserve holdings.

The wording is broad, but it is not an open-ended invitation to buy anything. It sets a screening standard first.

BTCUSD trading at $1.31 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView A Bill That Keeps Moving The measure has already cleared the House Rules Committee and is headed to a full House vote. Arizona legislative tracking shows the committee approved it 8-0 on March 30, after earlier Senate action sent it across the chamber. That means the bill is still alive, but it is not law yet.

The House step matters because it moves the proposal closer to the finish line. The bill would give the treasurer authority to manage the fund, and it would also allow digital assets reported as abandoned property to be delivered in native form to the state or its custodian.

If those assets sit unclaimed long enough, staking rewards and airdrops could be shifted into the reserve fund.

Why XRP Is In The Mix XRP has drawn extra attention because it is named directly in the bill, not implied through a broad crypto category. The same section that lists Bitcoin also lists XRP alongside several other assets that could qualify under the reserve framework.

Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView

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PANews reported on March 20th that, according to SoSoValue data, the cryptocurrency market has declined for three consecutive days. The SocialFi sector fell 4.65% in the past 24 hours, with Toncoin (TON) down 5.48%. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) fell 0.88% in the past 24 hours, briefly dipping below $69,000 before recovering to above $70,000. Ethereum (ETH) fell 1.94%, breaking below $2,200. Only the GameFi sector performed well, rising 0.24% in the past 24 hours, with Axie Infinity (AXS) rising 3.84%.

In other sectors, the PayFi sector fell 0.50% in the last 24 hours, but eCash (XEC) rose 2.55%; the Meme sector fell 1.15%, with PIPPIN (PIPPIN) surging 12.38% within the sector; the Layer 1 sector fell 1.31%, with Zcash (ZEC) falling 6.13%; the Layer 2 sector fell 1.43%, with Celestia (TIA) falling 3.08%; the CeFi sector fell 1.45%, with OKB (OKB) falling 3.15%; and the DeFi sector fell 1.49%, with Morpho Token (MORPHO) remaining relatively strong, rising 2.15%.