Crypto World

ETH at $2K as Bears Gain Grip, Signaling Renewed Downtrend

Published

2 hours ago

18 May 2026

Ether (ETH) extended a downbeat spell last week after hitting resistance near $2,400, with the price sliding to roughly $2,100 on Monday. Market observers described the move as a sign that sellers have regained control, marking a shift in near-term momentum for the largest smart contract platform by market capitalization.

The wave of selling came as liquidity pressure mounted on major venues and investment products, reinforcing a narrative of waning demand. Binance’s exchange data showed that taker sell volume surged as ETH breached crucial downside levels, a signal, according to analysts, of forced risk-off positioning among active traders. In parallel, fund flows underscored a broader withdrawal of institutional interest in Ethereum-related exposure.

According to SoSoValue, US-based spot Ethereum ETFs posted net outflows for five consecutive days, totaling $255 million. Globally, Ethereum-focused investment products rang up about $249 million in outflows for the week ending May 15, the largest weekly figure since early February, according to data tracked by CoinShares. These outflows suggest the market is experiencing a pause or reversal in institutional demand, at least in the near term.

Key takeaways

Ether drops roughly 12% after rejection at $2,400, with price extending lower toward $2,100 as bears reassert control.
Binance taker sell volume spikes above $1.1 billion during the downside move, indicating aggressive selling pressure from traders on futures platforms.
ETF and fund outflows imply waning institutional demand for Ethereum exposure in the short run, potentially constraining upside momentum.

Trading dynamics amid thinning demand

Price action around ETH has reflected a confluence of selling pressure and shifting investor positioning. Data from Binance shows a surge in taker sell volume as ETH moved below the $2,100 level, a pattern that traders sometimes interpret as forced de-risking or short-term bearish pressure from active market participants. CryptoQuant analyst Amr Taha captured the sentiment, noting that while the spikes do not automatically confirm a reversal into a deeper downtrend, they do indicate buyers were unable to absorb selling pressure during the move.

Analysts have increasingly linked price action to a widening macro and sectoral dynamics that have weighed on Ethereum demand. A related thread of analysis has tied ETH selling pressure to external catalysts, with coverage noting that surging oil prices have been identified as a driver of selling pressure in Ether by market commentator Tom Lee. The observation points to a broader risk-off environment where macro shifts can translate into crypto selling, particularly for assets with the most liquidity and sensitivity to market sentiment.

The withdrawal of liquidity from Ethereum-focused investment products aligns with the price action. SoSoValue’s data shows a five-day streak of net outflows from US spot ETH exposure totaling $255 million, a clear sign that institutions are rebalancing away from long ETH bets in the near term. Whale Factor, commenting on the flow trajectory, described the pattern as “heavy sell-side distribution” that has kept price pressure in place for now.

CoinShares’ weekly fund flow report further corroborates the trend, noting that global Ethereum investment products registered about $249 million in outflows for the week ending May 15, the largest weekly number since late January. Taken together, these outflows paint a picture of a market where institutional demand has cooled, at least temporarily, even as spot demand and retail interest remain more tentative.

Where is the support, and what comes next?

From a technical standpoint, investors are watching a cluster of roughly 3.85 million ETH that sits at a cost basis around $2,000–$2,100, according to Glassnode’s cost-basis distribution data. The concentration suggests a sizable cohort of holders could add if prices approach break-even, potentially offering a floor that might limit further downside in the near term.

Analysts remain divided on the vulnerability of ETH to a deeper retreat. Some traders point to a rising wedge pattern on daily charts, which could set the stage for a move toward the next major support around $1,700 if current supports fail to hold. In contrast, others argue that a decisive hold above $2,000 could slow the decline, with a potential bounce narrowly above that level contingent on continued demand and favorable liquidity conditions.

Strategists offered a spectrum of medium-term views. A well-known trader noted that Ethereum breached the $2,100 area after failing to sustain the $2,150 support, suggesting that a defense around the $2,050–$2,070 zone could provide a meaningful bounce if demand returns. Another analyst framed the situation as a test of buyers’ resolve near the lower end of the recent range, warning that a sustained break below the region could open the door to further softening into lower support bands.

Beyond the price action, the narrative around catalysts for a potential ETH rally remains anchored to a mix of macro conditions and on-chain developments. Sharplink’s CEO recently highlighted three catalysts that could help Ethereum reach new highs: the CLARITY Act’s progress in the United States, a broader return of market-wide risk appetite, and the growth of real-world asset tokenization on Ethereum. While these drivers are not immediate guarantees, they represent the structural tailwinds that could shift sentiment back toward Ethereum if liquidity and risk sentiment improve.

For now, traders are inclined to monitor the $2,000 level closely. A firm hold above this threshold could deter further downside and set the stage for a measured recovery, while a break below could expose traders to a test of the next support pockets identified by technical analysts and cost-basis data alike. The balance of on-chain activity, ETF and fund flows, and macro risk appetite will continue to shape the near-term trajectory.

In a related context, market observers have flagged that external factors, such as shifts in oil prices and broader risk sentiment, have historically fed into Ethereum’s price behavior. The interconnectedness of macro trends and on-chain dynamics underscores the importance of watching both liquidity flows and technical levels as the market digests renewed selling pressure and any potential rebound catalysts.

As the week unfolds, traders and investors will be watching three key variables: whether ETH can sustain a bid above $2,000, how ETF and institutional flows trend in the coming days, and whether demand from key market participants returns to supported levels to re-anchor prices above crucial supports.

The immediate question remains whether the current price action marks a temporary pause in a broader downtrend or the start of a longer retracement that could push ETH toward lower basins. Market participants will be closely analyzing liquidity conditions, the pace of outflows or inflows in Ethereum-related vehicles, and the evolving macro backdrop to gauge the durability of any short-term bounce.

Readers should stay tuned to updates on ETF flows, on-chain cost-basis shifts, and technical patterns that could prove decisive for ETH’s near-term path. The coming days may reveal whether the market finds equilibrium near $2,000 or if renewed selling pressure takes the price down to the next set of support levels.

What remains uncertain is how quickly institutional sentiment can reassert itself and whether macro risks ease enough to restore appetite for Ethereum exposure. Market participants will be watching closely to determine if the present pullback is a temporary pause in a longer-term recharge or a precursor to a deeper test of support zones.

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Crypto World

Ripple (XRP) Slumps 5% Weekly Yet Analysts Predict Major Rally Ahead: Details

Published

4 minutes ago

18 May 2026

NewsAdmin

Ripple’s cross-border token headed south over the past few days, plunging to its lowest level since the start of the month.

However, numerous factors and indicators suggest that a rebound could be on the way, while many analysts remain optimistic that a bull run is knocking on the door.

No Need to Panic?

The past 24 hours have not been favorable for the cryptocurrency market, with many leading digital assets posting substantial losses amid renewed tensions between the US and Iran. Recall that American President Donald Trump threatened the Asian country that the clock is ticking, warning them to act fast, “or there won’t be anything left of them.”

The US leader went even further, depicting himself in a spacecraft outside Earth and pressing a red button as countless bombs detonate in the background.

Ripple’s XRP is not among the few exceptions in green today (May 18) as its price fell to around $1.38 (according to CoinGecko). This represents a 5% weekly decline, returning to a level last observed nearly three weeks ago.

The pullback hasn’t managed to spread fear across crypto X, where numerous analysts remain bullish that XRP is gearing up for a major pump. The one using the moniker CoinForge, for instance, claimed that the asset looks “insane” right now and stands at a critical level that sent it up 700% last time.

“The MACD has just done a deep golden cross, and it is primed for an expansion. The target is just south of $5, and that would be a 240% jump,” they added.

JAVON MARKS and Celal Kucuker also made highly optimistic forecasts. The former argued that XRP is still “holding broken out” against BTC and has the potential to outperform by nearly 800%.

“This fulfilling, which a breakout similar to this one has done before, can result in XRP being priced above $10,” their analysis reads.

For their part, Celal Kucuker thinks the asset is ready for a massive breakout, claiming the valuation could exceed the ridiculous (at least as of now) $15.

Further Insight

The substantial inflows into spot XRP ETFs lately reinforce the optimistic outlook. SoSoValue’s data shows that the last day when outflows dominated was April 30, while the past week was the strongest since December.

Since their launch, these financial products have generated a cumulative net inflow of almost $1.4 billion, signaling strong interest from institutional investors and potentially setting the stage for upward price momentum.

Next on the list is the declining amount of XRP tokens stored on Binance. According to CryptoQuant, the figure dropped to a monthly low of around 2.75 million coins, suggesting that investors have shifted toward self-custody methods, thereby reducing immediate selling pressure.

XRP Stored on Binance, Source: CryptoQuant

The post Ripple (XRP) Slumps 5% Weekly Yet Analysts Predict Major Rally Ahead: Details appeared first on CryptoPotato.

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Crypto World

ZachXBT offers $10,000 bounty for evidence against Hong Kong market maker HSBG

Published

11 minutes ago

18 May 2026

NewsAdmin

Bo Shen reopens $42M crypto hack cxase with recovery bounty

ZachXBT is offering up to $10,000 for insider evidence that Hong Kong market maker HSBG manipulated centralized exchange markets, including trades around RIVER.

Summary

On-chain investigator ZachXBT is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for insider information about alleged market manipulation by Hong Kong market maker “Heisenberg Guru” (HSBG).

He alleges HSBG has been involved in multiple manipulation events on centralized exchanges, including activity around the token RIVER.

ZachXBT named individuals “Sion” and “Chao” as core members of HSBG and said chat logs, contracts, and internal communications could qualify for bounties, with tips to be submitted via private message on X.

On-chain sleuth ZachXBT has announced a bounty of up to $10,000 for whistleblowers who can provide credible insider evidence of market manipulation tied to Hong Kong market maker “Heisenberg Guru” (HSBG). In a post shared via his investigations channel, he claimed that HSBG has been involved in “multiple market manipulation incidents” on centralized exchanges, singling out trading around the token RIVER as one of the affected markets.

JUST IN: @zachxbt is offering up to $10K for intel on Hong Kong market maker Heisenberg Guru, also known as HSBG, over alleged links to multiple CEX market manipulation incidents, including $RIVER. pic.twitter.com/Y1xrTJoAuP
— SolanaFloor (@SolanaFloor) May 18, 2026
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ZachXBT targets alleged CEX manipulation ring

According to his statement, the goal of the bounty is to surface hard evidence that could substantiate or refute suspicions circulating in trading circles about HSBG’s tactics on order books. By explicitly framing the offer around “insider information,” ZachXBT is clearly aiming to reach people who have worked with, or inside, the market-making operation and have direct visibility into its strategies and instructions.

He also emphasized that the maximum payout is “up to” $10,000, implying that rewards will scale with the quality, relevance, and verifiability of the submissions rather than being a flat fee. That structure mirrors how he has handled other crowdsourced investigations, where documentation that can be independently confirmed often receives higher compensation than anonymous accusations.

Call for whistleblowers and documentary evidence

In his call for information, ZachXBT named “Sion” and “Chao” as core members of the HSBG operation, effectively putting specific individuals, rather than just a trading handle, under the spotlight. He suggested that a broad range of materials could be eligible for rewards, including chat records, contracts, and other internal communications that shed light on how HSBG coordinates trading activity on centralized exchanges.

Potential whistleblowers are being asked to submit tips by sending him a private message on X, where he runs most of his public-facing investigative work. While he did not outline an explicit verification process in the initial announcement, his prior investigations have typically involved cross-checking on-chain data, platform logs, and corroborating testimony before publishing detailed reports.

The move underlines the growing role of independent on-chain investigators in policing grey-zone behavior in crypto markets, particularly in areas like thinly traded CEX listings where formal enforcement remains patchy. If the bounty surfaces credible documentation of manipulation linked to HSBG or any associated accounts, it could increase pressure on exchanges to revisit their relationships with certain market makers and potentially spur regulators to take a closer look at trading practices in the Hong Kong-linked segment of the market.

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Crypto World

Bitmine’s Ethereum Hoard Surges Past 5.28 Million ETH as Company Nears 5% Supply Target

Published

17 minutes ago

18 May 2026

NewsAdmin

Bitmine Immersion Technologies announced that its Ethereum holdings have risen to 5.28 million ETH. This gives the company ownership of about 4.37% of Ethereum’s total circulating supply of 120.7 million ETH.

The company said its combined crypto, cash, and “moonshot” holdings now total $12.6 billion as of May 17.

Bitmine Closes In on ‘Alchemy of 5%’

Over the past week alone, Bitmine added 71,672 ETH, while its total staked Ethereum holdings reached 4,712,917 ETH, which is worth approximately $10.3 billion based on an ETH price of $2,191. The company said nearly 89% of its ETH treasury is now staked, generating annualized staking revenues of around $289 million, with a reported 7-day staking yield of 2.80%.

In its latest press release, Bitmine revealed that it is now 87% of the way toward its long-term target of acquiring 5% of Ethereum’s total supply, a goal Chairman Tom Lee believes could be reached sometime in 2026. In addition to its ETH treasury, the company also holds 202 Bitcoin, $685 million in cash, a $200 million stake in Beast Industries, and an $83 million position in Eightco Holdings, which it described as one of the few publicly traded companies offering indirect exposure to OpenAI.

Bitmine recently launched MAVAN, short for Made in America VAlidator Network, its institutional-grade Ethereum staking platform designed to support its treasury operations and eventually expand to custodians, institutional investors, and ecosystem partners. A portion of the company’s ETH is already staked through the platform.

ETH Weakness

Ethereum (ETH) briefly dropped to a low of $2,097 on Monday, its weakest level since April 7, as selling pressure continued across the crypto market. At press time, ETH was trading around $2,132, down nearly 3% over the past day. Reacting to the decline, Lee believes rising oil prices have been one of the main reasons behind the second-largest crypto asset’s recent weakness. On X, Lee explained that ETH’s inverse correlation with oil is now at its highest level ever, and added that Ethereum prices have moved lower during the past six weeks as oil climbed higher.

As such, a reversal in oil prices could help ETH recover in the short term. Still, he said the recent slump does not change ETH’s broader outlook, which he believes remains supported by tokenization growth and increasing demand from agentic AI systems. He also views the recent pullback as an “attractive opportunity.”

The post Bitmine’s Ethereum Hoard Surges Past 5.28 Million ETH as Company Nears 5% Supply Target appeared first on CryptoPotato.

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Crypto World

XRP Price Could Rally Soon: Institutional Funds Keep Flowing In as Citadel Joins the Race

Published

24 minutes ago

18 May 2026

NewsAdmin

XRP price has dropped by 2% to below its $1.40 support, yet institutional money flow beneath is anything but quiet. Citadel’s name is now attached to XRP exposure across multiple products, and a confirmed $500 million Ripple funding round adds hard infrastructure to what could otherwise read as speculative positioning.

RIPPLE SECURES $500 MILLION IN STRATEGIC FUNDING, VALUED AT $40 BILLION
Ripple’s latest investment round underscores strong institutional confidence in its blockchain payment infrastructure.
The $40B valuation cements Ripple as one of the largest players in crypto finance, even… pic.twitter.com/B73bUBd1vY
— Crypto Town Hall (@Crypto_TownHall) November 5, 2025

Reports circulating across research desks indicate Citadel Advisors has built $1.7 million in XRP ETF and trust exposure spanning Bitwise, Canary, Franklin, and Grayscale XRP Trust calls. However, primary 13F filings have not yet confirmed the exact positions.

What is confirmed, though, is that Citadel Securities and Fortress Investment Group co-led a $500 million strategic round in Ripple on November 5, 2025, valuing the company at $40 billion. That capital targets custody, stablecoins, and prime brokerage infrastructure. If the ETF filing is confirmed, Citadel has two very different bets that point in the same direction.

Meanwhile, XRP investment products pulled in approximately $81.59 million in net inflows during April, with spot ETFs logging consecutive heavy-flow days of $25.80 million and $18.52 million in mid-May. The SEC’s active review of NYSE Arca’s crypto ETF proposals, which bundle XRP alongside Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, also adds a regulatory catalyst.

Discover: The best crypto to diversify your portfolio with

Can XRP Price Break Toward $1.55 This Week?

XRP is consolidating in the $1.37–$1.41 range, a zone that has absorbed multiple test runs without a decisive breakdown. Support sits near the $1.35 area, and that floor appears increasingly well-defended as net inflows remain positive week-over-week.

Derivatives and technical analysis desks have flagged a potential 12% upside breakout setup, with short-term targets clustering around the low-double-digit percentage move from current levels, implying a path toward $1.55. Institutional desks cited in ETF-flow coverage argue that sustained net inflows above tens of millions per week would materially strengthen the breakout case.

Three scenarios worth tracking:

Bull case: ETF inflows remain elevated, SEC review delivers positive signals, XRP clears local resistance and tests $1.55+ within days.
Base case: Consolidation continues in the $1.37–$1.45 band for another one to two weeks as the market digests institutional positioning data.
Bear/invalidation: A confirmed break below mid-$1 support on elevated volume resets the structure and delays any breakout thesis considerably.

Momentum is leaning constructively, but XRP has delivered false breakouts before. The Citadel disclosure, confirmed or not, is less important than the ETF inflow cadence.

Discover: The best pre-launch token sales

LiquidChain Eyes Early Positioning as XRP Consolidates at Key Levels

XRP price consolidation is a familiar story: strong institutional narrative, legitimate inflow data, but near-term upside capped by a market cap already north of $85 billion. That math limits the multiple. For traders who’ve already made the XRP trade and are scanning for asymmetric early-stage exposure, the infrastructure layer feeding the next cycle of cross-chain activity is drawing attention.

LiquidChain ($LIQUID) is a Layer 3 execution environment that fuses Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana liquidity into a single unified layer. It’s a direct infrastructure play on the fragmentation problem that plagues multi-chain DeFi.

The project’s Unified Liquidity Layer enables single-step execution and verifiable settlement across all three ecosystems; developers deploy once and access all. The presale is currently priced at $0.0146, with $770K raised to date and a huge 1400% APY staking bonus for early buyers.

Research LiquidChain and assess whether the infrastructure thesis fits your risk profile.

The post XRP Price Could Rally Soon: Institutional Funds Keep Flowing In as Citadel Joins the Race appeared first on Cryptonews.

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Crypto World

Minnesota Legalizes Crypto Custody Services for Banks, Credit Unions

Published

30 minutes ago

18 May 2026

NewsAdmin

Minnesota Legalizes Crypto Custody Services for Banks, Credit Unions

Minnesota-based banking institutions and credit unions are set to offer some crypto custody services beginning in August.

On Friday, Governor Tim Walz signed House File (HF) 3709 into law, permitting “certain virtual-currency custody services to be offered and performed” by financial institutions in the US state.

One of the original sponsors in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Bernie Perryman, said in March that the bill was intended to ensure that “Minnesota-based financial institutions are allowed to evolve alongside their customers and members rather than forcing Minnesotans to rely on unregulated, out-of-state or offshore providers for services.”

The new law authorizes banks and credit unions to provide virtual-currency custody services in a nonfiduciary capacity from Aug. 1. The law amended Minnesota’s statutes to allow the financial institutions to engage “third-party service providers or subcustodians to facilitate virtual-currency custody services,” provided the funds were “legally and operationally segregated” from the bank’s or credit union’s assets and not treated as its property.

Source: Minnesota legislature

The crypto custody law could potentially affect operations at all the financial institutions in the state.

The state’s government information portal shows that, as of May 2025, there were 240 commercial insured banks operating in Minnesota, with about $128 billion in assets, and 82 member-owned credit unions under the Minnesota Credit Union Network. The country’s seventh-largest bank by total assets, U.S. Bancorp, is based in Minneapolis.

In addition to the crypto custody law, Minnesota lawmakers advanced a bill to ban digital asset kiosks and ATMs across the state in response to incidents of residents being scammed.

Crypto companies look to federal regulators for banking, custody services

Earlier in this month, Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, said it had filed with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust company charter. According to the company, it planned to establish Payward National Trust Company with “fiduciary custody and other services primarily for digital assets” if approved.

A U.S. jury handed Elon Musk a decisive loss on May 18, 2026, ruling he waited too long to sue OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman.

The verdict means Musk’s high-stakes claims of mission betrayal are over, clearing OpenAI’s path to commercial dominance.

OpenAI Wins: Musk’s AI Suit Crushed by Time Limit

The advisory jury in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found Musk’s breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment claims time-barred.

Elon Musk loses.
per @CadeMetz / @MikeIsaac pic.twitter.com/r7nOvhnJNk
— Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer) May 18, 2026
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Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit, donated tens of millions, and left the board in 2018.

He sued in 2024, arguing the shift to for-profit with Microsoft funding violated founding promises. Jurors agreed he knew of the changes years earlier.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is expected to accept the jury’s advisory finding, dismissing the liability phase.

Musk had sought over $130–150 billion in remedies, Altman’s removal, and structural reversal, now off the table.

Crypto Markets React Calmly

Crypto traders showed little panic. Bitcoin and major altcoins held steady, highlighting “Musk fatigue” in volatile markets.

The outcome strengthens centralized AI leaders like OpenAI (valued near $850B+), potentially sidelining decentralized AI-crypto projects that champion open-source and non-profit models.

Tesla (TSLA) faces short-term pressure as Musk’s xAI pushes forward without courtroom distractions in the AI race.

Tesla (TSLA) Stock Performance. Source: TradingView

Musk has repeatedly called most cryptocurrencies “scams” while Tesla holds significant Bitcoin.

The ruling affirms that donors challenging nonprofit-to-profit pivots years later face steep hurdles.

It reduces legal uncertainty for Big Tech AI investments and boosts OpenAI’s IPO prospects alongside its Microsoft ties.

Musk’s team is expected to appeal, with final judgment from the judge coming soon.

OpenAI advances toward public listing, while crypto-AI initiatives may accelerate decentralized alternatives to challenge corporate control.

Investors should track TSLA volatility, Bitcoin’s correlation with AI news flow, and xAI developments for emerging opportunities in this high-stakes tech-crypto intersection.

Neither Sam Altman nor Elon Musk had commented on this development as of this writing.

The post Elon Musk Loses OpenAI Battle: Jury Rules “Too Late” appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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