Peter Thiel-backed payments startup Augustus received conditional approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a US national bank built around artificial intelligence and stablecoin-based payments.

The approval, announced Monday, would allow Augustus to expand its existing European banking operations into the US, as financial firms increasingly compete to modernize cross-border settlement infrastructure using tokenized dollars and blockchain-based payment systems.

The company describes Augustus National Bank as “the first clearing bank for the AI era,” built on an AI and stablecoin-native core designed to interact directly with machine agents at “the speed of compute,” rather than relying on batch processes and human clerks.

Founded in 2022, Augustus operates under European banking licences and says it already processes billions of dollars for institutional clients, including cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. Its proposed US national bank charter, however, is still at the conditional approval stage and will only become effective once the OCC’s pre-opening requirements are satisfied.

Augustus secures OCC conditional approval. Source: PR Newswire

Related: Stablecoin issuer Circle faces lawsuit over $280M Drift Protocol hack

While companies such as Ripple and Circle have pursued national trust bank charters under the OCC framework, only a limited number of digital asset firms have reached comparable advanced stages in the federal chartering process. The OCC approval places Augustus among a small group of companies that have progressed toward a national bank charter in recent years, according to the release.

Race to build the stablecoin bank

The move comes as competition intensifies to modernize cross-border payments and stablecoin settlement infrastructure in the US.

Under the Guiding and Establishing Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act regime for payment stablecoins, banks and trust companies can issue fully reserved dollar tokens, and a growing group of issuers and payments companies are testing ways to integrate tokenized dollar flows into regulated banking rails.

Circle’s collaboration with core banking provider Finastra in August 2025, for example, lets banks settle cross-border payments in USDC via Finastra’s Global PAYplus hub, and Citi and HSBC introduced live tokenized deposit services for 24/7 cross-border and interbank payments in November 2025.

Augustus, backed by Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, Creandum, and the founders of companies including Ramp and Deel, has raised about $40 million, according to the company. At 25, Dabitz would be the youngest chief executive of a federally chartered bank in over 100 years.

Cointelegraph reached out to Augustus for comment, but had not received a response by publication.

Asia Express: North Korea denies crypto hacks, Upbit’s bank tests Ripple

Solana nears key resistance as cloud mining platforms like AJC Mining gain traction in crypto recovery phase.

As whale activity, ETF capital inflows, and bullish momentum in the derivatives market continue to build, Solana is preparing to challenge the key resistance level near $97.40. 

For everyday users, this market rebound is not only a sign of Solana’s ecosystem recovery but also a clear indication that the digital asset market is entering a new phase driven by institutional capital, on-chain data, and global user participation.

Crypto market recovery makes cloud mining a new entry point for everyday users

As mainstream crypto assets such as Solana, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Bitcoin Cash regain market attention, more users are looking for easier ways to participate in the digital asset economy.

Compared with traditional mining, which requires expensive mining machines, electricity management, hardware maintenance, and technical knowledge, Cloud Mining is becoming a lighter and more accessible option. Users do not need to build their own mining farms or manage complex mining equipment. Instead, they can participate through a professional cloud mining platform and access mining power more conveniently.

Against this backdrop, AJC Mining is gaining attention as a cloud mining service platform. Through professional mining farm deployment, global hashrate management, and transparent system operations, AJC Mining aims to provide users with a more convenient and efficient Cloud Mining experience.

Register with AJC Mining now and receive a $15 new user bonus. Click to register and claim a free $15 bonus.

Real users share their views on Bitcoin cloud mining

Recently, AJC Mining conducted street interviews in the United Kingdom with real cryptocurrency users to understand how they view the current crypto market and the growing popularity of lower-barrier cloud mining.

One user from the UK said:

“I’m usually busy with work and don’t have time to study complicated mining equipment, so I prefer a simpler way to participate.”

Another user commented:

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A third user said that the biggest value is “peace of mind”:

“I don’t want to watch the market every day. This allows me to focus on my own life instead of market fluctuations.”

Another user added:

“I used to think mining had a very high entry barrier, but after learning more about it, I found that ordinary users can also participate more easily.”

AJC Mining: Cloud mining is becoming a new choice for entering the crypto market

Why is traditional mining difficult for beginners?

Traditional crypto mining often requires expensive mining machines, high electricity costs, technical setup, equipment maintenance, and professional operational knowledge. These challenges make it difficult for many ordinary users to participate directly in mining.

Why Is Cloud Mining more suitable for everyday users?

With AJC Mining Cloud Mining, users do not need to purchase mining machines or handle technical issues. The platform manages mining resources in a centralized way, making it easier for users to participate in crypto mining.

For users searching for a reliable Bitcoin Cloud Mining Platform, AJC Mining provides a simpler way to access mining services without the complexity of traditional mining infrastructure.

How does AJC Mining help users start mining?

Users only need to select and purchase a cloud mining contract. AJC Mining manages the mining operations, allowing users to start mining easily, track income growth in real time, and participate without technical experience.

What data can users view?

AJC Mining provides users with access to mining status, system performance, and income updates. The process is designed to be transparent and intuitive, allowing users to monitor their cloud mining activity more clearly.

Core advantages of AJC mining cloud mining

AJC Mining offers several key advantages for users interested in Bitcoin Cloud Mining, LTC Cloud Mining, DOGE Cloud Mining, and BCH Cloud Mining:

• Professional data centers and standardized mining farm facilities designed to improve operational stability and efficiency.
• Security technologies associated with McAfee® and Cloudflare® to help protect user accounts and digital assets.
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Join AJC Mining and start a more efficient cloud mining journey

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AJC Mining cloud mining contract examples

According to the contract descriptions, all contracts follow a “daily profit + principal return” model. Profit distribution is presented transparently and is open to all users.

(Click here to view more contract details.)

AJC Mining supports multiple cloud mining options

AJC Mining is not only focused on Bitcoin Cloud Mining. The platform also provides access to several popular cloud mining options, including:

LTC cloud mining
Litecoin remains one of the most established digital assets in the crypto market. AJC Mining offers users a convenient way to participate in LTC Cloud Mining.

DOGE cloud mining
Dogecoin continues to attract global attention because of its strong community and market popularity. Through DOGE Cloud Mining, users can participate in Dogecoin-related mining more easily.

BCH cloud mining
Bitcoin Cash also maintains a presence in the digital asset market. AJC Mining provides BCH Cloud Mining options for users interested in Bitcoin Cash mining services.

By supporting Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Bitcoin Cash, AJC Mining is positioning itself as a multi-asset Cloud Mining platform for users who want flexible access to mining opportunities.

Conclusion: AJC Mining is becoming a popular Bitcoin cloud mining platform

As high-performance blockchain ecosystems such as Solana continue to expand, the crypto market is attracting renewed attention from ordinary users. The recent street interviews conducted by AJC Mining in the United Kingdom show that many users prefer a simpler and more transparent way to participate in mining, especially when compared with the technical complexity of traditional mining.

Through professional mining farm deployment, global hashrate management, and transparent system operations, AJC Mining is working to provide a more stable and efficient Cloud Mining experience. For users looking for an easier way to participate in the crypto market, cloud mining is becoming an increasingly popular choice.

For those searching for AJC Mining, Cloud Mining, Bitcoin Cloud Mining, Bitcoin Cloud Mining Platform, LTC Cloud Mining, DOGE Cloud Mining, or BCH Cloud Mining, AJC Mining offers a convenient platform to explore multiple cloud mining opportunities.

For more information, visit the official website or download the mobile app.

Circle Internet Group agreed to sell 740 million ARC tokens for $222 million in a private placement led by a16z Crypto, valuing the Arc blockchain network at $3 billion on a fully diluted basis.

The New York Stock Exchange-listed issuer of the USDC stablecoin disclosed the token presale Monday alongside its first-quarter 2026 results, which showed higher revenue and reserve income but lower net income.

The round was led by a16z Crypto and backed by a consortium including BlackRock, Apollo Funds, ARK Invest, Bullish, General Catalyst, Haun Ventures, Intercontinental Exchange, IDG Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, Marshall Wace, SBI Group and Standard Chartered Ventures.

Circle entered into the token purchase agreements on Friday, agreeing to sell the ARC tokens at $0.30 each in a private placement exempt from registration under the US Securities Act of 1933.

The sale marks a major step in Circle’s effort to expand beyond stablecoin issuance into blockchain infrastructure, as the company seeks to build Arc into a settlement layer for stablecoin finance, tokenized assets and programmable financial markets.

Circle first introduced Arc in August 2025 as an open layer-1 blockchain focused on stablecoin finance. It also published a whitepaper on Monday, describing ARC as a “native coordination asset” designed to support governance, security and network operations on the system.

ARC token powers Circle’s “Economic OS” blockchain

Circle’s Arc whitepaper describes ARC as the native token of its layer-1 “Economic OS” blockchain built for stablecoin-based finance and tokenized markets.

The network uses a hybrid consensus approach, combining permissioned validators with a planned shift toward proof-of-stake (PoS) from the proof-of-authority (PoA) consensus model.

ARC’s five interconnected functions. Source: ARC

Circle said ARC has a fixed initial supply of 10 billion tokens allocated across three buckets, with about 60% going to the ecosystem for developers, grants and network growth, while 25% is reserved for Circle to support development, staking and governance participation.

The company said the remaining 15% is set aside as a long-term reserve to provide flexibility and stability during market stress or future network needs.

Related: Canton Network creator targets $300M in capital raise: Report

Circle’s Q1 revenue rises as USDC growth offsets higher costs

Circle’s financial performance in the first quarter was driven primarily by continued growth in USDC circulation and transaction activity.

USDC in circulation rose 28% year over year to $77.0 billion at quarter end, while onchain transaction volume surged 263% to $21.5 trillion. Total revenue and reserve income, which includes earnings from USDC reserves and other business lines, rose 20% to $694 million.

Source: Circle

Net income fell 15% to $55 million, as higher costs outweighed revenue growth. Operating expenses rose 76% to $242 million, driven mainly by post-IPO stock-based compensation and related payroll taxes, along with continued investment in product, distribution and infrastructure.

Even so, Circle’s underlying business performance improved, with adjusted EBITDA rising 24% to $151 million.

Circle (CRCL) stock price chart year-to-date. Source: Yahoo Finance

Circle (CRCL) shares were up around 3% in premarket trading to $116.7, extending recent gains, according to Yahoo Finance. The stock is up around 12.2% over the past month and more than 40% year to date.

Magazine: XRP ‘probably going to $12,’ Bitcoin ETFs add $1B: Market Moves

Ripple’s prime-brokerage unit announced Monday it closed a $200 million funding agreement with global investment firm Neuberger Berman to expand the margin it offers investors to trade in traditional and digital asset markets.

In its announcement, Ripple also said the funding will help support the ongoing growth of its multi-asset prime brokerage platform, Ripple Prime, citing increasing client demand for its institutional-grade services and margin financing solutions.

The crypto firm said that since it acquired Hidden Road and rebranded it as Ripple Prime in 2025, this platform’s revenue has tripled year over year. Neuberger Berman has approximately $570 billion in total assets under management (AUM).

Ripple acquired prime-brokerage Hidden Road for $1.25 billion, one of the largest deals in the history of the cryptocurrency industry. The company later agreed to buy treasury-management software provider GTreasury for $1 billion.

“Dependable access to financing and balance sheet strength are critical to institutional participants in today’s dynamic markets,” said Noel Kimmel, President of Ripple Prime. “This facility enables us to grow alongside our clients by delivering increased margin capacity, greater responsiveness, and improved capital efficiency.”

Kimmel said that apart from the funding, Neuberger Specialty Finance brings deep expertise in asset-based finance and a strong understanding of Ripple Prime’s services and business model.

“Ripple Prime has built an innovative brokerage platform combining fintech-grade technology and agility with bank-level compliance and operational rigor,” said Peter Sterling, Head of Neuberger Specialty Finance.

Institutional investors are getting increasingly more involved in crypto assets, in part due to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Administration’s drive for more crypto-friendly rules and regulations.

State Street Corp. announced a digital-asset platform earlier this year, while Standard Chartered Plc has plans to set up a prime brokerage for crypto trading.

Ripple also raised $500 million, giving the firm a $40 billion valuation, with backing from Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities. That capital was used to boost Ripple’s expansion into custody, stablecoins and prime-brokerage services.

Key Takeaways

• Intel shares jumped approximately 14% on Friday, followed by an additional 6% gain in premarket trading Monday, reaching $130.13.
• A preliminary chip manufacturing agreement between Apple and Intel was reached, with support from the U.S. government playing a facilitating role.
• Separate reports indicate Intel is negotiating with SK Hynix regarding chip-packaging solutions, which could establish a second major foundry partnership.
• Following the conversion of $9 billion in federal grants to equity, the U.S. government now owns approximately 10% of Intel.
• First-quarter results significantly exceeded projections — adjusted EPS reached $0.29 compared to the $0.01 estimate, while revenue totaled $13.58B against a $12.42B forecast.

Intel’s trajectory in 2026 has been nothing short of remarkable. The chipmaker’s stock has surged more than threefold year-to-date, with the most recent rally fueled by consecutive major announcements that signal a potential turnaround for its struggling foundry operations.

Intel Corporation, INTC

According to a Friday report from The Wall Street Journal, Intel and Apple have struck a preliminary deal that would see Intel produce processors for Apple products. This agreement emerged after negotiations spanning over a year, with assistance from U.S. federal officials who had previously transformed $9 billion in government grants into equity ownership — establishing roughly a 10% government stake in the semiconductor giant.

The announcement triggered a surge of up to 14% in INTC shares on Friday. By Monday’s premarket session, the momentum continued with an additional 6% climb, pushing the stock to $130.13.

A follow-up report added fuel to the rally. ZDNet Korea disclosed that Intel is engaged in discussions with SK Hynix concerning chip-packaging capabilities designed to combine high-bandwidth memory with general-purpose processors — a market segment where TSMC currently holds dominant position. Neither Intel nor SK Hynix has issued public statements regarding these negotiations.

Should both partnerships materialize, Intel’s foundry division would transition from having no significant external clients to securing two major customers within mere weeks.

Strong First Quarter Results Paved the Way

The Apple partnership announcement didn’t emerge in a vacuum. Intel had already demonstrated solid performance before these major headlines broke.

First-quarter financial results substantially outperformed analyst expectations. The adjusted earnings per share of $0.29 crushed the consensus estimate of just $0.01. Total revenue reached $13.58 billion, surpassing the anticipated $12.42 billion. The data center division delivered particularly strong performance, posting 22% revenue growth to $5.1 billion, propelled by robust CPU demand for artificial intelligence applications.

During the earnings call, CEO Lip-Bu Tan stated: “The CPU is reinserting itself as the indispensable foundation of the AI era — this isn’t just our wishful thinking, it’s what we hear from our customers.”

The impressive quarterly performance triggered a 20% jump in INTC shares during after-hours trading when the results were disclosed.

Analyst Response

Bank of America upgraded its Intel price target from $56 to $96 following the Apple announcement, though the firm maintained its Underperform rating. The institution recognized that the foundry partnership could generate substantial revenue streams, despite maintaining its overall cautious perspective on the stock.

Prior to these developments, Intel’s only publicly confirmed external foundry client was Terafab — a venture connected to Elon Musk intended to supply Tesla and other Musk-affiliated enterprises — though specific terms of that partnership remain largely undisclosed.

Broader market conditions also provided favorable backdrop. The S&P 500 climbed 0.84% to close at 7,398.93 on Friday, while the Nasdaq advanced 1.71% to 26,247.08, with both indices reaching all-time highs. The global semiconductor industry has collectively added approximately $3.8 trillion in market capitalization during the past six weeks.

The April employment report showed non-farm payroll additions of 115,000, exceeding expectations, while the unemployment rate held at 4.3%.

Key Highlights

• Shares of Inhibrx Biosciences climbed 17% Monday following encouraging Phase 2 clinical trial data for INBRX-106 in head-and-neck cancer treatment.
• The experimental therapy paired with pembrolizumab delivered a 44% objective response rate compared to just 21.4% for pembrolizumab monotherapy.
• Among evaluable patients, 11 of 25 responded in the combination therapy group versus 6 of 28 in the single-agent arm; the combination group also recorded three complete responses while the control arm had zero.
• Patients receiving combination treatment demonstrated T-cell proliferation levels up to 15 times greater than those treated with pembrolizumab alone.
• The company plans to initiate Phase 3 enrollment in Q3 2026, with progression-free survival outcomes anticipated by Q4 2026.

Shares of Inhibrx Biosciences (INBX) gained 17% Monday after the biotechnology company unveiled encouraging interim data from its Phase 2 HexAgon clinical study evaluating INBRX-106 for the treatment of head and neck cancer.

Inhibrx Biosciences, Inc., INBX

The equity had already experienced remarkable growth exceeding 1,000% during the previous year, fueled by favorable data from another oncology candidate, INBRX-109, announced in October.

The clinical study evaluated INBRX-106 — a hexavalent OX40 agonist compound — combined with pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab administered as a single agent. The patient population consisted of first-line, treatment-naïve individuals with PD-L1 positive metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The combination therapy arm achieved a 44% confirmed objective response rate. By comparison, the control arm receiving only pembrolizumab recorded a 21.4% response rate — representing a statistically meaningful 22.6 percentage point advantage.

The trial enrolled a total of 68 participants, with 33 assigned to the combination therapy arm and 35 to the control group. Of these, 53 patients comprised the evaluable population for efficacy analysis.

Within that evaluable cohort, 11 of 25 patients treated with the combination regimen demonstrated responses. In the pembrolizumab-only group, six of 28 patients responded.

Notably, three patients in the INBRX-106 combination arm achieved complete responses. The control arm recorded zero complete responses.

Immune Cell Activity Reinforces Clinical Findings

Beyond the headline response metrics, the immunological data proved particularly compelling. Patients treated with the combination therapy exhibited up to a 15-fold mean elevation in CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell proliferation compared to baseline. Patients receiving pembrolizumab monotherapy showed increases reaching only 2.5-fold.

According to Inhibrx, this biological evidence provides mechanistic validation for the clinical outcomes — demonstrating that the underlying immune system activation aligns with the patient benefit observed in the trial.

CEO Mark Lappe expressed that the company was “greatly encouraged by these early clinical results,” highlighting specifically the quality and depth of responses being documented at this stage.

Toxicity Profile Deemed Acceptable

The combination regimen produced a safety profile that company officials characterized as manageable and aligned with expectations for dual immunotherapy approaches.

The most frequently observed treatment-related adverse events included rash, diarrhea, fatigue, and infusion-related reactions. The majority of these events were categorized as low-grade in severity.

Neither treatment arm reported any deaths attributed to the study medications.

Inhibrx indicated that progression-free survival outcomes from the Phase 2 segment are projected for release in Q4 2026.

The Phase 3 component of the HexAgon study is scheduled to commence patient enrollment during Q3 2026.

Cardano price continued pushing higher on Monday after confirming a breakout from a multi-month falling wedge pattern, raising expectations that bulls could attempt a move toward the $0.32 level in the coming sessions.

According to data from crypto.news, Cardano (ADA) traded around $0.28 at press time on May 11 after climbing steadily from recent lows near $0.24 seen in April. The token has now reclaimed important resistance levels as broader sentiment across the crypto market improved alongside Bitcoin.

The latest ADA rally comes as several fundamental catalysts continue building around the Cardano ecosystem. Grayscale recently increased Cardano’s weighting in its Smart Contract Fund to 18.33% while reducing its Ethereum exposure, signaling growing institutional interest in the network.

At the same time, speculation surrounding a potential Cardano spot ETF has also started gaining momentum after reports suggested Grayscale could pursue a dedicated ADA-linked product later this year.

Meanwhile, Cardano developers recently rolled out a major Lace Wallet upgrade, adding multi-chain support ahead of the upcoming Van Rossem hard fork scheduled for late June. Stablecoin activity on the network has also expanded following the launch of USDCX, a privacy-focused version of USDC designed for non-EVM chains like Cardano.

On-chain activity additionally suggests larger investors continue accumulating ADA during recent consolidation phases. Recent Santiment data showed whale wallets holding between 10 million and 100 million ADA have steadily increased their positions over the past several weeks despite broader market uncertainty.

Cardano price analysis

On the daily chart, ADA has confirmed a breakout above a multi-month falling wedge pattern that had constrained price action since February. The breakout occurred after several weeks of consolidation near the lower boundary of the structure, with buyers finally pushing the price above the descending resistance trendline around the $0.26 region.

Falling wedges are generally considered bullish reversal formations, especially when price breaks above resistance alongside strengthening momentum.

The measured move derived from the height of the wedge projects a potential upside target near the $0.32 region, which also aligns closely with a previous resistance zone visible on the chart.

ADA has also reclaimed its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day simple moving averages following the breakout, a sign that short- to medium-term momentum may be shifting back in favor of buyers. However, the 200-day SMA near the $0.35 level still remains a major longer-term resistance barrier overhead.

Momentum indicators seem to show bulls have the advantage over the coming weeks. The MACD has completed a bullish crossover while the histogram continues printing expanding green bars, signaling that upward momentum is strengthening.

If bulls maintain control above the breakout zone near $0.26, ADA could attempt a move toward the intermediate resistance around $0.30 before potentially targeting the projected $0.32 level.

On the downside, failure to hold above the broken wedge resistance and the moving average cluster near $0.25–$0.26 could weaken the breakout setup and pull Cardano price back toward the lower support trendline around $0.24.