Lee Jae-myung, the frontrunner in the upcoming South Korean presidential elections, has promised to cut crypto transaction fees and approve Bitcoin spot ETFs if he wins June 3’s poll. Per the South Korean newspaper Hanguk Kyungjae, Lee made a series of pledges to younger voters while speaking at an event in North Chungcheong Province on…
Defiance ETFs has filed for regulatory approval of four new exchange-traded funds (ETFs), some of which include simultaneous long Bitcoin (BTC) and short Ethereum (ETH). A May 6 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed the funds, which include the Bitcoin vs. Ethereum ETF, which is long BTC and short ETH; the…
The leading Senate Democrat on a panel tasked with investigating corruption and mismanagement is scrutinizing U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent crypto activities and whether they’re part of a “pay-to-play scheme to provide access to the Presidency to the highest bidder.” Richard Blumenthal, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations — a panel…
Crypto venture capital (VC) firms are experiencing operational strain and consolidation, even as project-level fundraising gains momentum. In the first quarter, crypto startups raised $5.85 billion, already accounting for nearly 61% of the capital raised throughout 2024, according to DefiLlama. Varys Capital head of venture Tom Dunleavy shared that, despite this influx, fewer active funds…
Key Takeaways: Visa’s investment in BVNK indicates mainstream confidence in stablecoins as the next wave of global payments. BVNK’s U.S. expansion and $12B annual processing show the rapid business adoption of stablecoin rails. This partnership positions Visa at the competitive forefront among players, bridging traditional finance with scalable crypto payment infrastructure. BVNK, a leading stablecoin…
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan cautioned that the digital asset market may face a turbulent summer if lawmakers in Washington fail to pass key crypto legislation, despite strong early momentum under President Donald Trump’s administration. In a note to clients, Hougan said crypto’s recent gains remain fragile without legal safeguards from Congress, warning that political gridlock…
Major industry figures, such as Chris Dixon and Brian Armstrong, have publicly backed the bipartisan Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. This endorsement comes ahead of a key Senate vote scheduled for this Thursday. Industry Support Introduced in February 2025 by Senator Bill Hagerty, the GENIUS Act is co-sponsored by Senate…
Coinbase unveiled an open-source protocol for on-chain payments via HTTP called x402. Announced on May 6, the system repurposes the previously unused HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code to support direct machine-native payments using stablecoins. The protocol enables autonomous agents and applications to pay for API access, data, and services without relying on human intervention,…
Bitcoin (BTC) tightened its grip on the crypto market on Tuesday, with dominance surging to fresh four-year high as crypto traders rotated into the market’s anchor asset ahead of tomorrow’s key Federal Reserve policy meeting. BTC held steady around the $94,000-$95,000 area, up a modest 0.6% over the past 24 hours and extending a tight-range…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is tapping longtime official Trish Turner to lead the organization’s Digital Assets Office, as stated in a May 5 report from Bloomberg. Trish Turner Tapped For Top Position According to the media outlet, Turner will serve as the crypto unit’s head after spending nearly two decades with the agency. The…