Category: Cryptocurrency

Tether and Gnosis have jointly invested $4.4 million into Sorted Wallet, a lightweight mobile crypto application designed for emerging markets. The funding includes $3.4 million in equity led by Tether and Gnosis, with additional contributions from Movement, Angel Invest Group, and angel investors like the founders of RWA.io. Strategic support of $1 million came from Vox Solutions.

Sorted Wallet’s app is only 10MB, making it ideal for low-cost feature phones and basic Android devices prevalent in Africa, South Asia, and parts of Central America. The wallet has already surpassed 500,000 downloads, with strong adoption in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Madagascar. Mexico and several Central American nations are also showing growth.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino emphasized that true financial inclusion requires reaching users who can’t afford expensive smartphones or data plans. He noted that digital assets have moved beyond trading to real-world applications, but infrastructure must be built for those on simpler devices. Tether previously invested $1.5 million in Sorted Wallet in 2024, and this latest round reinforces their commitment.

Gnosis investment partner Daniele Pinna described Sorted Wallet as a crucial access layer for stablecoin payments in markets where traditional fintech has limited reach. Gnosis, known for the Safe non-custodial wallet, sees Sorted’s lightweight approach as key to extending crypto payments via telecom networks.

The new funds will help Sorted Wallet expand into more Sub-Saharan African and South Asian markets, strengthen telecom integrations, and launch a new payment mechanism in May.

On-chain sleuth @ai_9684xtpa has identified a cluster of wallets potentially tied to venture capital firm a16z that may now hold a significant amount of Hyperliquid’s HYPE token. The analysis suggests these addresses could be the sixth-largest HYPE holders, and possibly the biggest external holder outside of Hyperliquid’s own ecosystem. However, a16z has not officially confirmed this connection, so the attribution remains speculative.

According to the analyst, the wallets have accumulated roughly 9.18 million HYPE since August 2025, with a current estimated value near $356 million based on an average purchase price of about $38.77. Lookonchain adds that since the start of 2026, the addresses added 4.92 million HYPE, worth around $183 million, and still hold 8.844 million HYPE across dozens of addresses after some transfers to exchanges and liquidity providers.

The whale activity coincides with a strong rally for HYPE, which recently surged about 24% in six days, approaching its all-time high. This uptick is attributed to factors like ETF demand, USDC growth, and increased synthetic market activity. Data from Santiment shows HYPE climbing from $38.32 on May 13 to roughly $47.65, with TradingView indicating strong buying pressure near $48.

Hyperliquid’s ecosystem has also seen a boost from new investment vehicles. Bitwise announced it would allocate 10% of management fees from its BHYP Hyperliquid ETF to buy and hold HYPE on its balance sheet. The fund launched on the NYSE on May 15. Combined with 21Shares’ THYP product, net inflows have surpassed $5.6 million quickly after launch. Hyperliquid now handles approximately $8 billion in daily trading volume and controls over 50% of decentralized perpetual futures open interest.

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan recently described HYPE as one of crypto’s most mispriced assets, arguing that investors may still view Hyperliquid as merely a fast-growing derivatives exchange rather than a broader trading platform. This perspective adds context to the growing interest from both retail and institutional players.

Paradigm, a venture capital firm known for its deep ties to the cryptocurrency space, has taken a strategic step beyond digital assets by co-leading a massive $110 million funding round in SendCutSend, an on-demand manufacturing company. The investment marks a notable expansion of Paradigm’s portfolio into industrial infrastructure and automated production services, areas traditionally outside its core focus.

SendCutSend, which provides software-driven, rapid-turnaround manufacturing for industries such as robotics, defense, aerospace, and automotive, secured the funding at a valuation exceeding $1 billion. According to Jim Belosic, founder and CEO of SendCutSend, the company had operated profitably for years without outside venture capital before this round. He explained that surging customer demand and production pressures forced the company to seek external capital to accelerate expansion rather than resorting to price hikes or slower delivery times.

Belosic noted that over the past year, SendCutSend logged more than 35,000 overtime hours as demand consistently outstripped capacity. The company has been growing at roughly 100% year-over-year, making traditional financing options inadequate for the scale of its expansion ambitions. With the new funding, SendCutSend plans to invest over $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing and domestically produced materials over the next five years. It also intends to spend more than $250 million on expanding current facilities and opening new production sites nationwide, aiming to increase capacity, lower prices, and maintain short lead times.

Matt Huang, Paradigm’s co-founder and managing partner, confirmed the firm’s role as co-lead investor in the round. Other participants include Sequoia partner Andrew Reed and Stripe co-founders Patrick and John Collison. Belosic acknowledged that he had previously avoided venture capital because many investors misunderstood manufacturing businesses and expected software-like growth returns, but he expressed confidence in this group of backers.

This investment is part of a broader trend by Paradigm to diversify its holdings beyond cryptocurrency. In recent months, the firm has partnered with Stripe on the Tempo payments network, collaborated with OpenAI on EVMbench for smart contract security testing, and developed a professional prediction market terminal for institutional traders. Additionally, Paradigm Bitcoin general partner Dan Robinson proposed PACTs, a protocol to help Bitcoin holders prove wallet ownership privately against future quantum computing threats.

Despite this expansion, Paradigm remains a significant player in the crypto venture space. The firm’s move into industrial manufacturing signals a strategic shift toward adjacent infrastructure and technology sectors while maintaining its core crypto investments.

Zerohash, a provider of digital asset infrastructure, is reportedly in talks to secure new funding that would value the company at over $1.5 billion. This development comes after Mastercard decided not to proceed with a planned investment, instead pursuing a different strategic acquisition in the stablecoin sector. According to sources, Mastercard had been considering a significant investment in Zerohash but shifted its focus after agreeing to acquire BVNK, a stablecoin infrastructure firm, for up to $1.8 billion. The deal with BVNK is designed to bridge on-chain payments with traditional fiat systems across more than 130 countries. A Zerohash representative refrained from commenting on the fundraising discussions, while Mastercard did not respond to inquiries.

Earlier this year, Mastercard was in advanced talks to acquire Zerohash entirely, with a potential valuation between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. That deal would have been one of Mastercard’s largest moves into the stablecoin space. Zerohash offers a suite of API-based tools that enable banks, brokerages, and fintech companies to integrate crypto and stablecoin capabilities, including custody, compliance, liquidity, and settlement. The company has also been involved in tokenized fund projects with major asset managers like BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and Hamilton Lane.

Zerohash achieved unicorn status in September 2025 after a $104 million Series D-2 funding round led by Interactive Brokers, which brought its total raised capital to $275 million. Other participants included Morgan Stanley, Apollo-managed funds, SoFi, and Jump Crypto. The company’s platform now supports over 5 million users in 190 countries and powers products for notable clients such as Stripe, Shift4, DraftKings, and Kalshi. By providing a complete digital asset infrastructure, Zerohash allows firms to offer crypto trading, stablecoin payments, and tokenized assets without building blockchain systems from the ground up.

South Carolina has introduced a new legislative framework for digital assets, emphasizing self-custody rights and limiting state engagement with central bank digital currencies. Governor Henry McMaster signed Senate Bill 163 into law, which updates the state’s approach to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.

The law ensures that individuals and businesses can accept digital currencies as payment without being prohibited. It also protects the right to use self-hosted or hardware wallets for storing digital assets. Additionally, state and local governments cannot impose extra taxes or fees on cryptocurrencies used for transactions.

A key provision bars state agencies, commissions, departments, and political subdivisions from accepting CBDC payments or participating in Federal Reserve pilot programs related to government-issued digital currencies. This move aligns with growing opposition to CBDCs among Republican lawmakers, who raise concerns about surveillance and financial privacy.

The legislation also provides legal protections for cryptocurrency mining. Local governments cannot enforce mining-specific noise restrictions in industrial areas beyond existing regulations. Furthermore, several blockchain activities, including mining, node operation, application development, staking infrastructure, and crypto-to-crypto trading, are exempt from money transmitter licensing requirements.

Definitions for blockchain, digital assets, wallets, nodes, mining, and staking have been formally added to the South Carolina Code of Laws. Similar efforts have emerged in other states, such as Kentucky, which recently enacted a bill protecting self-hosted wallets and preventing discriminatory restrictions on crypto mining.

H&H International Investment, the firm associated with renowned Chinese investor Duan Yongping, has made a notable entry into the stablecoin sector by acquiring shares in Circle Internet Group. The move, revealed in a first-quarter 2026 securities filing, highlights a growing intersection between traditional value investing and digital finance.

According to regulatory data, H&H International purchased 200,000 shares of Circle, valued at approximately $19.08 million based on an average price of $95.41 per share. This allocation represents a modest 0.10% of the firm’s overall 13F portfolio, which totals nearly $20 billion as of March 31. While the position is small, it signals Duan’s willingness to explore exposure to stablecoin infrastructure through a publicly traded entity.

Circle is best known for issuing USDC, a leading dollar-backed stablecoin used extensively for digital payments, trading, and blockchain settlements. The company has reported robust growth this year, with USDC circulation soaring 72% year-over-year to surpass $75.3 billion, driving a 15% surge in Circle’s stock price following an earnings release. However, the stock has also faced volatility, including a 22% decline after the introduction of a stringent US stablecoin bill that could limit yield offerings.

Beyond Duan’s move, the stablecoin ecosystem continues to expand. Circle’s first-quarter revenue hit $694 million, while USDC reached a circulation of $77 billion. The firm also raised $222 million for its Arc blockchain project at a $3 billion valuation. Broader adoption is evident as Meta integrates USDC for creator payouts via Solana and Polygon, and payments firm Nium adds USDC settlement options through Coinbase.

Duan Yongping, often compared to Warren Buffett for his long-term, value-oriented approach, commands attention with his investment decisions. While this stake is minor compared to his holdings in Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Nvidia, PDD Holdings, and Tesla, it underscores a measured but strategic bet on the future of digital currency infrastructure.

Bitcoin’s price dipped to around $77,300 on May 20, slipping below the $78,000 mark during early trading. Despite ongoing volatility tied to geopolitical tensions, persistent ETF outflows, and inflation worries from rising oil costs, analysts believe the current market setup mirrors past accumulation phases that led to major rallies.

Crypto analyst Ali Martinez points to a key signal from the Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio. He notes that the ratio has fallen below its 180-day simple moving average, which historically indicates a shift toward a high-conviction accumulation zone rather than a cooling phase. Martinez explains that when the MVRV ratio sits below this average, speculative excess gets flushed out, creating a discount that savvy long-term investors often exploit.

Using MVRV pricing bands, Martinez suggests Bitcoin could rally toward $94,850 if it holds above the critical support at $72,960. Losing that level might trigger a deeper correction toward the realized price near $54,270.

This optimistic on-chain view comes despite worsening short-term macroeconomic conditions. WTI crude oil futures eased to around $103 per barrel after President Trump’s renewed threats against Iran, keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed and fueling inflation fears. Higher energy costs complicate the Federal Reserve’s rate-cut timeline, adding pressure to risk assets.

Institutional demand for Bitcoin also weakened. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $331 million in net outflows on Tuesday, led by BlackRock’s IBIT, marking three consecutive days of withdrawals totaling nearly $1.27 billion. Over the past two weeks, outflows have approached $2 billion, reversing six weeks of inflows. However, long-term holder behavior remains resilient compared to previous corrections, supporting the accumulation narrative.

On the daily chart, Bitcoin maintains a higher-low structure intact since February’s low near $60,000. Price action stabilizes above an ascending trendline, with the 50-day SMA near $76,000 providing support. The Aroon indicator flashes bullish signals: Aroon Up at 85.7 and Aroon Down near zero, suggesting strengthening momentum. If bulls reclaim the $80,000–$81,000 resistance, a rally toward $85,000 could follow, potentially accelerating to the $95,000 MVRV target.

Derivatives data shows dense leveraged liquidity clusters above recent highs, hinting at upside targeting. Yet downside risks remain: losing $72,960 could trigger a decline toward $65,000 or even $54,000 if macro conditions sour.

Ripple’s XRP token is hovering around $1.37 after a slight 1.37% daily decline, with trading activity confined between $1.35 and $1.39. The asset’s market cap stands at approximately $84.6 billion, securing the fifth position among cryptocurrencies. Over the past week, XRP has lost about 5.88% of its value, repeatedly failing to break above local resistance levels.

Exchange flow data indicates a notable shift in market dynamics. According to CryptoQuant analyst Amr Taha, the deposit-heavy trend on Bybit that persisted from mid-April to mid-May has subsided. The exchange’s transaction delta, which measures the difference between depositing and withdrawing transactions, has moved close to zero, suggesting reduced selling pressure. Meanwhile, Binance and Coinbase now show more withdrawals than deposits, hinting at a gradual easing of exchange-driven sell-offs.

In the institutional arena, spot XRP ETFs continued to see positive net inflows, totaling $1.48 million on May 19. However, the cumulative net assets under these funds declined from $1.25 billion to $1.12 billion over the same period. This divergence indicates that while fresh capital is still entering the market, it is being offset by price depreciation or redemptions elsewhere.

Technical analysis reveals a tightening volatility band. Analyst Ali Martinez observed that XRP’s 3-day Bollinger Bands are at their narrowest in over a year, with the price oscillating between $1.29 and $1.50. Martinez describes this range as a no-trade zone, awaiting a decisive close outside these boundaries to signal the next major move. A breakout above $1.50 could propel XRP toward $1.80, while a breakdown below $1.29 might open the door for a decline to $1.00.

Other analysts, such as EGRAG CRYPTO, urge caution, emphasizing the importance of candle patterns within this critical macro structure to determine whether accumulation or distribution is occurring. Additionally, CryptoQuant contributor Arab Chain notes that institutional accumulation on Binance has slowed, with the relevant indicator hovering near neutral levels, indicating no clear directional bias.

For now, XRP remains locked in a tight range. The cooling of exchange deposits and persistent ETF inflows provide a supportive backdrop, but the token lacks the bullish conviction needed to overcome the $1.50 hurdle. Traders are closely watching for a clean break from the $1.29–$1.50 corridor to confirm the next significant trend.

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has shared a three-pronged approach to enhance native privacy on the network, focusing on short-term upgrades that aim to bolster transaction confidentiality and reduce information leakage. His recent post highlights that privacy is essential for achieving true “moneyness” for digital assets, and layer-1 privacy improvements could encourage more on-chain activity. The strategy targets three key areas: account abstraction combined with FOCIL, keyed nonces, and access-layer enhancements—all designed to improve the handling of private transactions, minimize metadata exposure, and safeguard user interactions with wallets and decentralized applications.

The first component pairs account abstraction (AA) with FOCIL to combat transaction censorship. Account abstraction allows Ethereum wallets to define custom transaction approval and payment methods, moving beyond the standard ECDSA signature. FOCIL ensures that valid transactions are included in blocks, making it harder for large block builders to ignore or block privacy-focused transactions. This combination provides stronger packaging guarantees for privacy protocols, reducing the risk of transactions being excluded.

The second step introduces keyed nonces to address sequencing issues. Traditional Ethereum transactions follow a strict order per account, which can cause bottlenecks when multiple private transactions occur simultaneously. Keyed nonces, as proposed in EIP-8250, assign each spend its own nonce domain—including one derived from a privacy nullifier—making transactions on different keys replay-independent. This removes a key bottleneck for future privacy systems, ensuring that private transfers do not fail or stall due to multiple actions from the same account.

The third area focuses on access-layer privacy, incorporating tools like Kohaku and private reads. Kohaku serves as a privacy-and-security toolkit for wallets, offering reusable components for private sending, key management, and transaction controls. Private reads enable users to query blockchain data without exposing their queries to infrastructure providers, preventing access patterns from revealing user behavior. Together, these improvements fortify the user’s privacy when interacting with the network.

This privacy initiative aligns with Ethereum’s broader roadmap, which identifies native privacy as a long-term “north star” alongside faster layer-1 performance, higher throughput, layer-2 scaling, and post-quantum security. The Ethereum Foundation’s recent focus shifts toward permissionless, secure, and privacy-first protocols, reinforcing the network’s commitment to reducing reliance on trusted third parties while maintaining its role in finance.

Recent developments in the XRP ecosystem have captured significant market attention, as spot XRP ETFs witnessed a substantial inflow of approximately $60.5 million over the past week. This influx of new funds, combined with a notable rebound in on-chain activity on the XRP Ledger, has reignited investor focus on Ripple’s native token. Although price movements remain relatively muted for now, the surge in network interactions—the highest since March—signals growing participation and a positive shift in market sentiment.

Amid this renewed interest, many investors are exploring alternative avenues for steady passive income. Cloud mining platforms, particularly SHRMiner, have gained traction among XRP holders seeking reliable returns without the complexities of hardware management. The platform offers XRP Smart Computing Power Contracts and an automated hosting model, enabling users to generate passive XRP earnings even during market fluctuations. SHRMiner supports multiple cryptocurrencies including XRP, BTC, ETH, and USDT, with a low entry barrier and daily profit settlements. Backed by McAfee and Cloudflare security certifications, the platform ensures fund safety through transparent mechanisms.

New users receive a $15 bonus upon registration, and the referral program offers up to $30,000 in rewards. Short-term mining contracts range from $100 to $50,000, with daily returns credited within 24 hours. SHRMiner, headquartered in the UK since 2018, serves over 5 million users across 180 countries, utilizing renewable energy-powered data centers for sustainable operations.