Binance News

U.S. President Donald Trump informed Congress on Friday that hostilities with Iran concluded in April, allowing the White House to bypass congressional authorization. According to Odaily, under the 1973 War Powers Act, the U.S. President can deploy military forces overseas for up to 60 days without congressional approval. Trump's 60-day war authority expired on May 1. In his letter, Trump stated that the U.S. ceased military operations against Iran on April 7, following a temporary ceasefire agreement between the two nations, which has since been extended. If hostilities resume, the 60-day countdown will reset and begin anew—a legal interpretation likely to be challenged by Senate Democrats. "Since April 7, 2026, there has been no exchange of fire between U.S. forces and Iran. Hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have now ended," Trump wrote in the letter.

The Arbitrum committee has voted to unfreeze Ethereum valued at $71 million to address a vulnerability in Kelp DAO that resulted in a $290 million loss. According to ChainCatcher, this decision aims to mitigate the financial impact of the security breach. The committee's action reflects ongoing efforts to safeguard assets and maintain stability within the ecosystem.

Arbitrum's Security Council seized 30,766 ETH from the KelpDAO hacker, valued at $71 million, but a US court order now prevents the DAO from accessing the funds. According to BeInCrypto, lawyers for North Korean kidnapping victims aim to claim the money under a 2015 judgment against Pyongyang. The legal action halts Aave and KelpDAO's plans to compensate users affected by the April 18 hack. The freeze highlights how centralized governance actions can lead to assets being pulled into US courts. The Southern District of New York issued the order, barring Arbitrum from transferring the seized assets.

Berkshire Hathaway's cash reserves have surged to a record $397 billion in the first quarter under the leadership of new CEO Greg Abel. According to Odaily, this marks a significant increase from the slight dip in cash reserves at the end of last year, driven by net stock sales amounting to $8.1 billion during the period.

The Brazilian Central Bank announced Resolution No. 561 on Thursday, revising the rules for electronic foreign exchange frameworks. According to Foresight News, the new regulation mandates that cross-border payments must be processed through traditional foreign exchange transactions or regulated Brazilian real accounts held by foreign counterparts. This measure does not completely ban cryptocurrency transfers within Brazil but removes digital assets, including stablecoins, from the country's regulatory framework.

Key Takeaways
US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.97 billion in net inflows in April -- the highest monthly total of 2026 -- pushing year-to-date net inflows to approximately $1.47 billion, per SoSoValueBlackRock's IBIT drove approximately $2 billion in April inflows alone; Grayscale's GBTC was the biggest loser with $280 million in outflowsMorgan Stanley's MSBT, which launched April 8, generated $194 million in inflows with no single day of outflows across the monthEther ETFs posted their first monthly inflow since October 2025 at $356 million, though remain $413 million in net outflows year-to-dateXRP ETFs logged their strongest month since December 2025 with $81.6 million in inflows; Solana ETFs recorded their smallest monthly total on record at $38.7 millionCumulative net inflows across all US spot Bitcoin ETFs since launch have now topped $58 billion
US spot Bitcoin ETFs closed April with their strongest monthly inflows of 2026, drawing $1.97 billion in net new capital as Bitcoin posted a 12% gain -- its best monthly performance since April 2025 -- according to SoSoValue data.
The April figure comfortably surpasses March's $1.37 billion and brings the year-to-date picture back into positive territory at approximately $1.47 billion, after outflows in January and February had put the funds underwater for the year. Cumulative net inflows since the products launched in January 2024 have now crossed $58 billion.

IBIT Dominates, GBTC Continues to Bleed
BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust was the month's standout performer, generating approximately $2 billion in net inflows for April alone -- a figure that effectively offset outflows from other funds and drove the category's positive monthly result. Grayscale's GBTC remained the sector's biggest drag, recording approximately $280 million in net outflows for the month, continuing a persistent redemption trend that has characterized the product since the launch of lower-fee competitors.
The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ETF, which began trading on April 8, delivered a strong debut month with $194 million in inflows and no single day of net outflows -- a notable achievement for a new entrant and a signal of strong institutional demand through the Wall Street giant's distribution network.
Late-month redemptions of approximately $490 million across three days dampened April's headline figure but were insufficient to reverse the month's broadly positive trend, underlining the resilience of underlying demand despite Bitcoin's failure to clear the $79,000 resistance level.
Ether ETFs Break a Six-Month Outflow Streak
April also delivered a meaningful turning point for Ethereum products. Spot Ether ETFs recorded $356 million in net inflows -- their first positive month since October 2025, when they attracted approximately $570 million. Despite the April recovery, Ether ETFs remain $413 million in net outflows year-to-date through the first four months of 2026, with cumulative net inflows since launch standing at approximately $11.9 billion.
Altcoin ETFs Post Mixed Results
XRP funds had their strongest month since December 2025, logging $81.6 million in April inflows and bringing total year-to-date net inflows to approximately $124 million, with cumulative inflows since launch reaching approximately $1.3 billion.
Solana ETFs were the relative disappointment, recording just $38.7 million in April inflows -- the smallest monthly total on record for the product category -- against cumulative inflows of approximately $1 billion. Dogecoin ETFs added $2 million in April, representing roughly 21% of their total cumulative inflows of approximately $9.6 million.
13F Season Ahead
April's strong inflow data arrives ahead of the 13F filing season in May, when major financial institutions will be required to disclose their first-quarter 2026 holdings in crypto ETFs. The disclosures are expected to provide the clearest picture yet of how deeply Bitcoin and crypto ETF exposure has penetrated institutional portfolios -- a dataset that could materially influence market sentiment heading into the summer.

Bitcoin's mining difficulty has been adjusted at block height 947,520, resulting in a 2.3% decrease to 132.47 T. According to ChainCatcher, the average hash rate across the network over the past seven days is currently 965.99 EH/s.

CFTC Chair Michael S. Selig has indicated that genuine crypto perpetual contracts might be legalized in the United States within the next few weeks to a month. According to NS3.AI, Selig mentioned that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is working on resolving classification issues related to perpetual contracts to replace the existing quasi-perpetual workarounds.

Ethereum's mainnet has recently reached a historic milestone with its monthly transaction volume hitting 72.8 million transactions. According to ChainCatcher, this record-breaking activity is distributed across various categories: token transfers account for 62%, utility transactions (including inscriptions) make up 13%, financial transactions comprise 8%, cross-chain transactions represent 2%, and unmarked transactions constitute 15%.

Key Takeaways
Bitcoin recovered to $78,180 in Asian Saturday trading, up 0.8% on the week, after rebounding from a Wednesday low of $75,500 triggered by fresh Iran military escalation reportsIran relayed a new ceasefire proposal to Washington through Pakistan on Friday, sending WTI crude falling nearly 3% to approximately $102 per barrel and supporting the Bitcoin bounceThe Senate released Clarity Act compromise text Friday, banning yield on stablecoin reserves while preserving activity-based rewards -- clearing the path for a Senate Banking Committee markupThe S&P 500 closed at an all-time high for a fifth straight weekly gain; the Nasdaq 100 hit its own record, lifted by Apple (+3.2%) and Oracle (+6.5%)Dogecoin outperformed all major crypto assets, surging nearly 10% on the week to $0.105 with futures open interest hitting a year-highZeroStack CEO Daniel Reis-Faria says Bitcoin's range-bound behavior reflects macro indecision rather than crypto-specific weakness, and that institutional re-engagement could move prices "pretty quickly"
Bitcoin climbed back above $78,000 in Asian trading on Saturday, recovering from a volatile week that saw the asset dip to $75,500 on Iran escalation fears before rebounding on fresh ceasefire signals and a landmark crypto legislative development that removes one of the most contentious obstacles to US crypto market structure law.
The largest cryptocurrency traded at $78,180, up 0.8% on the week, as two developments converged to improve sentiment heading into the weekend: Tehran's delivery of a new ceasefire proposal to Washington through Pakistani intermediaries, which sent WTI crude falling nearly 3% to approximately $102 per barrel, and the Senate's release of long-awaited Clarity Act compromise language that resolves months of deadlock between crypto firms and bank lobbyists.
Clarity Act Breakthrough
The Senate released the negotiated Clarity Act compromise text on Friday, ending one of the bill's most contentious sticking points. The agreement -- reached by Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks -- would prohibit stablecoin issuers from offering yield based purely on holding reserves, a concession to the banking industry that had argued such products threatened their deposit base. Critically for crypto firms, activity-based reward programs structured as incentives for platform participation are preserved under the compromise.
Coinbase, which had been at the center of the negotiations, signaled immediate support. Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal said the language "preserves activity-based rewards tied to real participation on crypto platforms and networks, which is what the bank lobby said they wanted."
The compromise clears the path for a Senate Banking Committee markup -- the formal hearing where the bill is debated and amended -- bringing the Clarity Act closer to a full Senate vote than it has been at any point in the legislative process. If enacted, Treasury and the CFTC would have one year to write detailed rules governing what crypto firms can and cannot do with yield products.
Equities Hit Records; Iran Risk Eases
US equity markets had a significantly stronger week than crypto. The S&P 500 closed Friday at an all-time high, marking a fifth consecutive weekly gain on the back of strong megacap tech earnings. The Nasdaq 100 advanced 0.9% to its own record, with Apple gaining 3.2% after a better-than-expected revenue outlook and Oracle surging 6.5% following news it had joined the list of AI firms working with Pentagon classified networks.
The Iran ceasefire signal was the week's most important macro development for energy and risk markets. Tehran's new proposal, relayed through Pakistan, reduced the immediate risk of military escalation and triggered a sharp pullback in crude prices -- removing one of the key inflationary pressures that had been capping Bitcoin's ability to build on the $75,000 support level.
Macro Indecision Keeps Bitcoin Range-Bound
Despite the week's constructive developments, Bitcoin remains trapped in the $75,000--$80,000 range that has defined trading since April 19. ZeroStack CEO Daniel Reis-Faria attributed the persistent range-bound behavior to macro rather than crypto-specific factors.
"Bitcoin staying below the $78,000 mark isn't really about crypto right now, it's about what's happening in the broader market. The Fed holding rates wasn't a surprise, but there is no clear direction on what comes next, and that's keeping investors from stepping in," Reis-Faria said.
He added that ETF outflows and softer demand are symptoms of institutional caution rather than institutional exit. "It doesn't mean institutions are leaving the market, it just means they're not increasing their exposure right now. If money starts coming back in, especially from institutions or through ETFs, Bitcoin can move higher pretty quickly."
Altcoins Mixed; Dogecoin the Standout
Among major altcoins, Ether held near $2,310, XRP traded at $1.39, and Solana sat at $84.57 -- all approximately flat on the week. Dogecoin was the clear outperformer, surging nearly 10% on the week to $0.105 as futures open interest hit a year-high earlier in the week.
The Setup Heading Into Next Week
The catalysts needed to push Bitcoin decisively above $78,000 remain outside the market's immediate control. Fed policy clarity, a re-acceleration of ETF inflows, or a formal Hormuz reopening agreement are the three most likely triggers identified by analysts -- none of which are imminent but all of which are closer than they were a week ago given the Clarity Act progress and the latest Iran ceasefire signals.

Key Takeaways
Seven OPEC+ members have agreed in principle to increase June production targets by approximately 188,000 barrels per day, similar to May's 206,000 BPD increase excluding the UAE's shareThe production increase is described as largely symbolic given the Strait of Hormuz disruption has caused far greater supply disruption than any OPEC quota adjustment can offsetPolymarket prices a 75% probability of WTI crude hitting $110 in May, a 45% chance of $120, and a 22% chance of $130, per PolyBeats dataThe UAE's withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+ effective May 1 has not derailed the remaining members' decision-making process, which is proceeding on a "business as usual" basisAn online OPEC+ meeting among the seven remaining members is planned for Sunday
Seven OPEC+ members have reached an agreement in principle to raise their collective oil production target by approximately 188,000 barrels per day in June, sources told BlockBeats on May 2 -- but the decision is being widely characterized as symbolic given that the real driver of global oil supply disruption lies far beyond OPEC's control.
The planned June increase mirrors May's adjustment of 206,000 BPD when accounting for the UAE's now-departed share, signaling that the remaining OPEC+ core is pressing ahead with its established production roadmap despite the bloc's most significant membership rupture in years. The seven remaining members plan to formalize the decision in an online meeting on Sunday.
A Largely Symbolic Move
The production increase does little to address the dominant force reshaping global oil markets. The ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran has disrupted the majority of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz -- a chokepoint through which approximately 20% of global oil supply transits -- causing supply dislocations far larger in scale than any incremental quota adjustment OPEC+ could realistically implement. In that context, 188,000 additional barrels per day represents a marginal offset to a structural supply shock measured in millions of barrels.
The UAE's exit from OPEC effective May 1 adds further complexity. Abu Dhabi is now free to set its own production levels independently, potentially adding supply outside the cartel's coordination framework -- a dynamic that could accelerate the erosion of OPEC+'s relevance as a price-setting mechanism, as Nordea Bank analyst Jan von Gerich warned following the UAE's withdrawal announcement.
Markets Price Significant Further Oil Upside
Despite the symbolic nature of the production increase, prediction market data suggests traders expect oil prices to move materially higher before the end of May. According to PolyBeats data from Polymarket, the probability of WTI crude hitting $110 on a single day this month stands at 75%, while the probability of reaching $120 is priced at 45% and $130 at 22% -- a distribution that reflects persistent uncertainty around the Hormuz situation and the risk of further military escalation.
With WTI currently trading around $102 per barrel following Friday's ceasefire proposal-driven pullback, a move to $110 would represent an approximately 8% increase from current levels -- a threshold the market views as more likely than not before June.
Crypto and Macro Implications
For Bitcoin and risk assets, the combination of a symbolic OPEC+ increase and elevated Polymarket oil price probabilities reinforces the inflationary headwind that has been capping risk appetite through April and into May. A sustained move toward $110--$120 WTI would keep inflation expectations elevated, reduce the probability of Fed rate cuts further into the distance, and maintain the higher-for-longer monetary policy backdrop that has been one of the primary constraints on Bitcoin's ability to break decisively above $79,000--$80,000.

Crypto venture capital funding experienced a significant decline in April 2026, reaching $659 million, a 74% decrease from $2.6 billion in March. According to NS3.AI, this marks the lowest monthly total since July 2024. Data from CryptoRank indicates that 63 funding rounds were completed in April, contributing to a total of $5.64 billion in funding for 2026 so far. The monthly financing scale has been on a downward trend since October 2025, coinciding with a roughly 37% decrease in the total crypto market capitalization over the same period.

Key Takeaways
Crypto analyst Ali Martinez identifies $80,000 as the key psychological and technical resistance level for Bitcoin in May, with significant short-selling liquidity clustered at that levelA break above $80,000 could trigger a short squeeze pushing prices rapidly toward $84,000Downside support levels are identified at $75,000, $73,000, and $70,000 if the resistance holdsThe $75,000–$80,000 range on the daily chart is described as the battleground that will likely determine Bitcoin's overall trend for MayThe market is currently in a "tug-of-war" between bulls and bears with order clusters forming at key liquidation levels
Bitcoin is entering May locked in a narrow range with order clusters building at critical price levels that could trigger large-scale liquidations in either direction, according to crypto analyst Ali Martinez, who identifies $80,000 as the defining level for the month ahead.
Writing on May 2, Martinez outlined a binary setup for Bitcoin's near-term price action. The $80,000 level represents a major psychological and technical resistance zone where significant short-selling liquidity has accumulated -- a concentration of positions that cuts both ways. If Bitcoin breaks above $80,000, the forced covering of those short positions could rapidly accelerate the move toward $84,000 in a classic short squeeze dynamic. If the level holds as resistance for a fourth consecutive time, the market would likely turn its attention to downside support at $75,000, $73,000, and ultimately $70,000.
The analysis frames the $75,000–$80,000 range as the month's central battleground. A decisive daily chart break in either direction -- above $80,000 or below $75,000 -- is likely to set the tone for the entirety of May's price action, Martinez argued, with the current tug-of-war between bulls and bears leaving the market in an unstable equilibrium that cannot persist indefinitely.
The setup aligns with broader market structure observations from multiple analysts. Negative funding rates across major exchanges confirm persistent short bias, while the True Market Mean at approximately $79,000 has twice rejected Bitcoin's advance. At the same time, institutional accumulation between $65,000 and $70,000 and Strategy's $3.9 billion in April purchases provide structural support that limits the depth of any downside move.
The resolution of the $75,000–$80,000 range -- whether by a Fed policy shift, a Hormuz ceasefire, or a re-acceleration of ETF inflows -- remains the central question for Bitcoin heading into the first full trading week of May.

a16z has submitted an 18-page comment letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on May 1, expressing concerns over state-level prediction market regulations. According to NS3.AI, the firm warned that these rules could potentially drain liquidity and restrict user access. a16z highlighted that cease-and-desist orders and proposed state bans create obstacles that conflict with the CFTC's rules on fair market access. Additionally, a16z emphasized that blockchain-based prediction markets offer greater transparency due to the auditability of on-chain transactions.

BlackRock has called on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to reconsider certain aspects of the draft GENIUS Act rules concerning payment stablecoin issuers. According to NS3.AI, BlackRock is urging the OCC to eliminate a proposed 20% cap on tokenized reserve assets. Additionally, BlackRock seeks confirmation from the OCC that Treasury Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) qualify as reserve assets. The investment firm also recommends the inclusion of Treasury floating-rate notes with up to two years of remaining maturity in the list of eligible assets.

A trader has remarkably transformed 3 ETH into 550 ETH within just 15 days through the Asteroid project. According to PANews, the trader, identified as '0xaA5,' initially invested 3 ETH to purchase 4.28 billion $ASTEROID tokens. The trader subsequently sold all the tokens, realizing a total of 550 ETH, equivalent to approximately $1.27 million. This transaction resulted in an impressive return on investment of 183 times the initial amount.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to further reduce the U.S. military presence in Germany, exceeding the previously stated drawdown of 5,000 troops. Bloomberg posted on X, highlighting that this decision has sparked concerns among Republican allies and NATO countries. The move comes amid ongoing debates about the strategic implications for NATO and the U.S.'s role in European security. Critics argue that reducing troop numbers could weaken the alliance's deterrence capabilities against potential threats. The decision has prompted discussions on the future of U.S. military commitments in Europe and its impact on transatlantic relations.

On-chain analyst Axel Adler Jr. has indicated that Bitcoin has not yet experienced the significant decline typically seen at the bottom of previous bear markets. According to NS3.AI, Adler's model, which is based on four past market cycles, suggests that the current market has not yet entered its final phase.

The UK Treasury and the Bank of England are contemplating slowing down the development of the digital pound, known as 'Britcoin.' According to Foresight News, insiders have revealed that UK officials are considering a 'compromise solution' to delay the progress of this central bank digital currency (CBDC), rather than making a final decision to approve or abandon the project this summer. One reason for the inclination to postpone full-scale development is the potential for private sector innovations, such as tokenized deposits, to offer alternative solutions that enable faster and cheaper payments while utilizing the existing regulated banking system. Currently, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey remains skeptical about the necessity of a retail digital pound. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank is advancing its digital euro initiative, whereas the United States has halted its work on central bank digital currencies.

Key Takeaways
Nick Timiraos reports the Fed's internal debate has shifted from "when to cut" to "what conditions would require rate hikes" -- a fundamental pivot in policy directionThree regional Fed presidents -- Logan, Hamack, and Kashkari -- formally objected to language suggesting the next move is a rate cut, the first such dissent on policy wording since September 2020Powell acknowledged "intense discussions" and admitted dissenters' arguments were "fully valid," signaling the dovish bias is effectively dead even if the language was retained procedurallyMinneapolis Fed President Kashkari outlined a rate hike scenario if the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen quickly, warning hikes may be necessary even at the cost of labor market weaknessFormer senior Fed economist William English warned that holding rates steady while inflation rises is "passive easing" that becomes increasingly unsustainable over timeKevin Warsh will inherit this divided institution when he assumes the chairmanship in mid-May, with the next policy meeting approximately one month after Powell's departure
The Federal Reserve has crossed a significant threshold in its internal policy debate, shifting from a discussion about when to resume rate cuts to an active consideration of conditions that might necessitate rate hikes -- a pivot that Nick Timiraos, the Wall Street Journal reporter closely followed as a conduit for Fed thinking, characterized on May 2 as a crucial turning point in the interest rate path.
The shift was made visible in the voting record from Wednesday's policy meeting, where three regional Fed presidents -- Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hamack, and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari -- formally objected to retaining language in the policy statement suggesting the next policy move is more likely to be a rate cut. The dissent targeted wording rather than the rate decision itself, a rare occurrence that has not been seen since September 2020.
Powell Validates the Dissenters
Outgoing Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged the depth of the internal disagreement at his final press conference, describing the committee's discussions as "intense" and stating that the arguments of the dissenters were "fully valid." While Powell stopped short of removing the dovish guidance -- citing procedural reasons given that this was his final meeting -- his explicit validation of the hawkish dissent effectively signals that the language will not survive into the next meeting under new leadership.
The net result, as Timiraos frames it, is that the Fed has partially moved from signaling rate cuts to a neutral wait-and-see posture -- a shift with direct implications for asset prices that had been partly supported by expectations of eventual easing.
The Hormuz Shock Is the Core Driver
The energy shock from the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz is identified as the primary force driving the policy recalibration. Unlike transitory price shocks that dissipate over weeks, the Hormuz disruption is structural -- a supply chain constraint that could keep energy costs elevated for months and permeate broader price levels, pushing inflation expectations higher at precisely the moment the Fed had hoped to pivot toward easing.
Kashkari outlined the rate hike scenario explicitly in a Friday speech, warning that if the strait does not reopen quickly, a series of rate increases may be necessary -- even at the cost of further weakening the labor market. The willingness of a Fed official to explicitly invoke the possibility of hikes despite deteriorating growth conditions underscores the severity of the inflation concern at the institution.
Former senior Fed economist William English added a structural dimension to the warning, arguing that holding rates steady while inflation rises constitutes "passive easing" -- a policy stance that becomes increasingly difficult to justify the longer elevated energy prices persist and feed through to broader price levels.
Warsh Inherits a Divided Fed
The timing of the policy pivot creates a complex inheritance for incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, whose Senate Banking Committee nomination was advanced on April 29 and who is expected to assume the chairmanship in mid-May. The next FOMC policy meeting will occur approximately one month after Powell's departure, meaning Warsh will chair his first meeting against a backdrop of active internal debate about whether the next move is a hold, a cut, or potentially the first rate hike in the current cycle.
The three-way dissent on policy wording -- the first of its kind since September 2020 -- signals that Warsh will face a meaningfully divided committee from day one, with hawks explicitly pushing for a harder line on inflation and the dovish camp losing ground rapidly as the energy shock proves more persistent than initially anticipated.
Crypto Market Implications
For Bitcoin and risk assets, the Fed's shift from dovish signaling to neutral wait-and-see removes one of the key pillars that had supported the April recovery narrative. Markets had been pricing eventual Fed easing as a tailwind for risk assets, but with the June meeting now showing a 94.9% probability of a hold and rate hike scenarios being openly discussed by Fed officials, the monetary policy backdrop has turned materially less supportive. Bitcoin's inability to sustain moves above $79,000 despite strong institutional demand may partly reflect this repricing of the rate path -- a headwind that could persist until the Hormuz situation is resolved and energy-driven inflation pressures ease.

On May 3, Sky co-founder Rune closed short positions in crude oil futures, including WTI and Brent Oil, as well as the S&P 500 index. According to BlockBeats On-chain Detection, the overall loss from these positions exceeded $735,000.

Nobitex, a cryptocurrency exchange, claims to have approximately 11 million users and accounts for about 70% of Iran's crypto activity. According to NS3.AI, the exchange was established by two brothers from the Kharrazi family. Nobitex has refuted any affiliations with the government following reports that linked its founders to a prominent political family in Iran. Blockchain analytics firms have identified suspicious, sanctioned, and state-linked transactions on the platform. Despite these allegations, Nobitex has continued to process transactions during the ongoing conflict.

Canada's Spring Economic Update 2026 has put forward a proposal to ban crypto ATMs, which currently number nearly 4,000 across the country. According to NS3.AI, the Canadian government has identified these machines as a primary method used by scammers, contributing to over $704 million in fraud losses reported by Canadians in 2025. Despite the proposed ban, Canadians would still be able to purchase digital assets through other regulated channels.

On May 02, 2026, 21:38 PM(UTC). According to Binance Market Data, Bitcoin has crossed the 79,000 USDT benchmark and is now trading at 79,092.890625 USDT, with a narrowed 1.25% increase in 24 hours.

On May 02, 2026, 21:38 PM(UTC). According to Binance Market Data, BNB has crossed the 620 USDT benchmark and is now trading at 621.190002 USDT, with a narrowed 0.61% increase in 24 hours.

Publicly traded cryptocurrency mining companies are experiencing significant growth in 2026, despite ongoing challenges in the broader crypto market. According to Cointelegraph, all ten of the largest publicly traded mining stocks have shown positive year-to-date (YTD) performance, with increases ranging from approximately 5% to over 85%, based on data from Bitcoinminingstock.io.

Leading the pack is TeraWulf, Inc., which has seen gains of about 85%. Hut 8 Corp. follows with an increase of roughly 67%, while Riot Platforms, Inc. has risen around 46%. Other notable performers include Core Scientific, Inc., up about 40%, and Applied Digital Corporation, which has climbed roughly 37% YTD. Bitdeer Technologies Group, however, is the weakest among the top ten, with a rise of around 5%. Outside this group, American Bitcoin Corp., a company linked to U.S. President Donald Trump and backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., has seen a decline of approximately 29%.

These developments occur even as Bitcoin (BTC) remains down about 20% YTD, despite a 17% increase over the past 30 days. The surge in mining stocks coincides with many leading companies expanding into artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) sectors. Riot Platforms recently reported $167.2 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2026, with its data center business contributing $33.2 million, offsetting a decrease in core mining revenue. CEO Jason Les described this period as an “inflection point” as the company shifts towards becoming a revenue-generating data center operator.

Core Scientific, Inc. is also enhancing its infrastructure, planning to transform a Texas site into an AI-focused data center campus with a capacity of up to 1.5 gigawatts, including about 1 gigawatt available for leasing. Approximately 300 megawatts currently used for Bitcoin mining at the site will be repurposed for data center operations. In February, HIVE Digital Technologies reported a 219% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue as it expanded its AI and HPC business, alongside a $30 million contract to deploy Nvidia GPUs for enterprise AI cloud customers. That same month, MARA Holdings, Inc. acquired a 64% stake in French AI data center company Exaion.

A recent report from Bernstein suggested that IREN Limited, the largest publicly traded miner by market cap, might eventually phase out its Bitcoin mining operations as it reallocates resources towards GPU-based workloads.

OpenAI founder Sam Altman recently shared his thoughts on the development of AI models. According to Jin10, Altman expressed that while he has often considered the importance of making models cheaper and faster, it seems that enhancing their intelligence remains the most crucial aspect.

Berkshire Hathaway reported a record cash and Treasury bill position of $397.4 billion in the first quarter of 2026. According to NS3.AI, this comes as Greg Abel maintains the company's anti-Bitcoin stance. The company's operating earnings increased by 18% to $11.35 billion during the quarter. Berkshire continued to be a net seller of equities, with no capital allocated to Bitcoin, spot Bitcoin ETFs, or any digital assets.

U.S. Federal Reserve official Austan Goolsbee commented on recent economic developments, stating that last week's inflation data was concerning. According to Jin10, Goolsbee emphasized the negative implications of the inflation figures, suggesting potential challenges for monetary policy. The data has raised questions about the Federal Reserve's future actions and its ability to manage inflation effectively.

Federal Reserve official Austan Goolsbee stated that GDP growth has been unexpectedly strong. According to Jin10, he also noted that consumer spending is steadily advancing.

Japan has reportedly intervened in the currency market by purchasing approximately $35 billion worth of yen, causing the dollar to decline nearly 3% to 155.5. According to NS3.AI, data from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) suggests this scale of intervention, and confirmation from the Ministry of Finance would mark Japan's first official action to support the yen in almost two years, making it the second-largest intervention on record. The short-rate gap between the BOJ and the U.S. Federal Reserve remains around 275–300 basis points, which is a key factor driving yen-funded carry trades.

The Ethereum Foundation recently hosted the 'Soldøgn Interop' event from April 28 to May 2 in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, gathering over 100 core developers for a week-long focus on the Glamsterdam network upgrade. According to Foresight News, the event achieved three main objectives.

Firstly, the stable operation of ePBS (enshrined PBS) across multiple clients was confirmed, with the external Builder process completing end-to-end testing and glamsterdam-devnet-2 going live. Secondly, the EIP-8037 proposal for adjusting state creation gas fees finalized its parameters, shifting from dynamic pricing to a fixed cost_per_state_byte, stabilizing in bal-devnet-6. Thirdly, developers set a target minimum gas limit of 200 million for the Glamsterdam upgrade, following improvements in execution layer throughput from block-level access list (BAL) optimizations and structural adjustments in block timing by ePBS. The final gas limit parameters and fee adjustments will be confirmed and announced in an upcoming AllCoreDevs meeting.

Additionally, progress was made on the Hegotá upgrade, with FOCIL completing an early prototype and advancing multi-client testing. The native account abstraction (AA) proposal addressed key requirements such as signature replacement, aggregation, gas sponsorship, and L2 DoS resistance. CL developers also made final decisions on EIPs within the Glamsterdam scope, including EIP-8061 and EIP-8045, while postponing EIP-8237 to a future fork.

CFTC Chairman Michael Selig is advocating for a strategy to reduce state government intervention in prediction markets throughout the United States. According to NS3.AI, if this proposal is enacted, platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi may have increased freedom to facilitate trading on sports and current events.

In the past 24 hours, the cryptocurrency market witnessed liquidations totaling $110 million, according to Coinglass data. ChainCatcher reports that long positions accounted for $49.26 million, while short positions saw liquidations of $61.22 million. Bitcoin long positions experienced liquidations of $8.48 million, and short positions saw $6.71 million in liquidations. Ethereum long positions faced $10.86 million in liquidations, with short positions at $4.52 million.

Additionally, 99,559 traders were liquidated globally during this period. The largest single liquidation occurred on OKX's ETH-USDT-SWAP, valued at $1.14 million.

Key TakeawaysA Bitcoin call option expiring May 29 with an $84,000 strike is priced at 0.0136 BTC ($1,063), implying only a 25% probability of Bitcoin rising 8% by month-endBitcoin put options have traded at a premium for the past month, reflecting persistent demand for downside protectionUS spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $1.3 billion in March and $2 billion in April, pushing total net assets above $100 billion -- a strong institutional demand signal that contradicts the cautious options positioningStrategy and Metaplanet combined to purchase 61,310 BTC over the past 30 days -- exceeding the equivalent of five months of Bitcoin mining output -- significantly reducing available sell-side supplyBitcoin is up 15% over the past 30 days but remains down approximately 12% year-to-date, a performance drag that partly explains the lack of enthusiasm for leveraged upside betsBitcoin has recovered back above $78,000 as broader risk appetite improved alongside the S&P 500 hitting a record high on Friday, but the options market is sending a notably cautious signal -- pricing only a 25% probability that Bitcoin will reach $84,000 by the end of May despite a 15% gain over the past 30 days.The implied probability is derived from a May 29 call option with an $84,000 strike price, currently trading at 0.0136 BTC or approximately $1,063. With 27 days remaining until expiration, the pricing reflects options market skepticism about Bitcoin's ability to extend its current recovery by a further 8% before month-end -- a hesitation that stands in notable contrast to the robust institutional buying visible in spot ETF flows and corporate treasury accumulation.Derivatives Lean DefensiveThe cautious call option pricing is consistent with the broader derivatives picture. Bitcoin put options have traded at a premium relative to calls for the past month, indicating sustained demand for downside protection that has not meaningfully abated despite the price recovery. The persistent put premium reflects a market that is hedging against failure rather than positioning for a breakout -- a posture partly explained by Bitcoin's approximately 12% year-to-date decline, which has left many investors cautious about committing to leveraged upside exposure before a sustained trend reversal is confirmed.Spot Demand Tells a Different StoryThe institutional spot market paints a starkly different picture. US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.3 billion in net inflows in March and $2 billion in April, pushing total ETF net assets above $100 billion -- a threshold that analysts widely use as a proxy for the depth and durability of institutional Bitcoin demand. The consecutive months of strong ETF inflows represent a structural bid that exists independently of the speculative derivatives market.Corporate treasury accumulation reinforces the supply squeeze dynamic. Strategy added 56,235 BTC over the past 30 days while Metaplanet purchased 5,075 BTC, bringing combined institutional purchases to 61,310 BTC -- a figure that exceeds the equivalent of five months of total Bitcoin mining output. The scale of corporate absorption relative to new supply significantly reduces the available sell-side pressure that would otherwise cap price advances.Two Markets, One AssetThe divergence between cautious derivatives positioning and robust spot demand creates an analytically interesting setup. Options markets are pricing in meaningful downside risk and limited upside probability, while spot ETF flows and corporate treasury data point to accelerating institutional conviction. Historically, sustained spot demand has been a more reliable predictor of medium-term price direction than short-term derivatives sentiment, particularly when corporate buyers are absorbing supply at multiples of new issuance.As long as institutional spot buying remains robust, the 25% options-implied probability of reaching $84,000 may understate the actual likelihood -- not because the options market is wrong about near-term volatility, but because the structural supply reduction from corporate and ETF accumulation creates conditions where a single macro catalyst could close the gap between current prices and the $84,000 target more rapidly than derivatives traders are currently pricing.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has indicated that shortages of Mac mini and Mac Studio devices may persist for several months. Some upgraded Mac mini orders are currently showing wait times of 16 to 18 weeks. According to NS3.AI, Mac revenue increased by 6% year over year, reaching $8.4 billion in the quarter. The rapid adoption of OpenClaw for local AI agents has driven developers to opt for high-memory Apple Silicon systems, contributing to the demand.

Developers Sergio Lerner and Dan Held have expressed concerns regarding Paul Sztorc's proposed eCash fork, suggesting it resembles an airdrop to Bitcoin holders rather than a traditional Bitcoin hard fork. According to NS3.AI, the developers highlighted that the UTXO-based distribution method and absence of comprehensive replay protection might pose operational challenges and potential fund-loss risks for users attempting to claim the tokens.

Polymarket's monthly fees reached an unprecedented $43.36 million in April, according to DeFiOasis data. This figure represents more than a twofold increase from the previous month. According to NS3.AI, Polymarket Global contributed $37.81 million, while Polymarket US added $5.55 million. Together, these two markets accounted for over 97% of the fees in the on-chain prediction market.

Gen Z individuals are facing an average personal debt of $94,101, according to economist Alice Lassman. She describes this trend as part of a broader economic shift she terms 'disillusionomics,' where young adults are increasingly building multiple income streams to navigate an uncertain financial future. According to NS3.AI, this shift is characterized by a declining belief in homeownership, a focus on value-driven spending, and a growing reliance on buy-now-pay-later services.