Ripple has secured a spot in yet another prestigious ranking and locked in a new strategic partnership.

Meanwhile, its native token, XRP, is down 4% for the week, but the solid institutional interest suggests bearish pressure may soon ease.

In the Spotlight… Again

Just a few days ago, CNBC, the American business news channel, published its updated list of the top 50 disruptor companies for 2026. The ranking includes the most innovative, fast-growing, and industry-shaping firms worldwide, and Ripple was placed 16th.

On its way up, it has leapfrogged well-known names such as Canva, Samsara Eco, Harvey, Revolut, and more. Anthropic holds the first position, followed by OpenAI and Databricks.

Earlier in May, Ripple was also included among the top 10 entities on the Prime Unicorn Index. It was ranked sixth with a valuation of over $26 billion, while SpaceX (valued at more than $1.2 trillion) is the undeniable leader.

The index tracks the performance of US private companies worth over $1 billion. It serves as a benchmark for financial products tied to high-growth firms and includes 232 entities with a combined valuation exceeding $3.4 trillion.

The Latest Partnership

Ripple Prime (the company’s institutional-grade prime brokerage platform) recently collaborated with EDX Markets and EDX International. The development allows the entities’ clients to access EDX’s spot and perpetual futures liquidity for cryptocurrencies within a “unified, capital-efficient” framework. Speaking on the matter was Michael Higgins, International CEO of Ripple Prime:

“Building the next generation of prime brokerage requires partnering with venues that provide a secure, liquid bridge between traditional and digital markets. EDX is institutional-grade and delivers the performance, reliability, and depth that our clients expect.”

Additionally, the partnership lays the groundwork for the future integration of Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD. Prior to that, the company secured a $200 million debt facility with Neuberger Specialty Finance. The new capital will enable Ripple Prime (formerly known as Hidden Road) to scale its platform and serve more institutional clients.

Green ETF Days

The spot XRP ETFs have enjoyed strong interest lately. SoSoValue’s data show that millions of dollars have flowed into these products over the past weeks, with the latest red day on April 30. In comparison, spot BTC and ETH ETFs have been bleeding recently.

This means that institutional investors (pension funds, hedge funds, and others) have increased their exposure to Ripple’s cross-border token, thereby setting the stage for a possible price recovery.

The issuers behind these products include heavyweights like Canary Capital, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, and 21Shares. Collectively, they’ve brought in almost $1.4 billion in net inflows since debuting.

XRP Remains in Red Territory

Despite the advancement on the ETF front, Ripple’s native token is down about 4% for the week and is currently worth $1.36 (according to CoinGecko). However, that hasn’t stopped many analysts from making bullish predictions.

Recently, X user CoinForge argued that XRP looks “insane” and stands at a critical level that previously sent it up 700%. For their part, JAVON MARKS opined that the asset is still “holding broken out” against BTC and has the potential to outperform by nearly 800%.

The whale activity reinforces the bullish sentiment. Ali Martinez revealed that large investors have accumulated more than 71 million XRP over the last week. This shows that they might be positioning for a potential rally, which could encourage smaller players to hop on the bandwagon as well.

The post Ripple (XRP) News Today: May 21 appeared first on CryptoPotato.

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• Most users want crypto outcomes rather than wallet management.
• Wallets will remain part of the technical stack, while becoming less visible inside consumer products.
• Key management, seed phrases, gas fees, and network selection still create friction.
• Ownership, custody awareness, and transaction finality should remain visible.
• AI agents may become the next user interface for crypto transactions, with transparency and user control as core safeguards.

The crypto wallet has long served as the main entry point into Web3. 

Wallets have traditionally stored assets, connected users to dApps, signed transactions, and given people control over their funds.

However, in 2026, crypto sits inside trading apps, payment products, exchange platforms, embedded finance tools, and AI-driven interfaces. Users still need ownership, security, and transaction clarity. But many of them prefer crypto functions without seed phrases, gas settings, network selection, and manual signing flows.

BeInCrypto spoke with Kevin Lee, Chief Business Officer at Gate, Federico Variola, CEO of Phemex, and Fernando Aranda, Marketing Director at Zoomex, about whether wallets are losing their place as crypto’s main user interface, which parts of the journey still feel too technical, and how AI agents could simplify the next stage of crypto interaction.

Users Want Crypto Functions Without Wallet Complexity

Kevin Lee, Chief Business Officer at Gate, sees the trend through familiar financial experiences. For him, users want results. Wallets can still power the product in the background, while the visible experience becomes simpler.

“Most users do not want to deal with wallets, they want outcomes. While wallets remain essential at the infrastructure level, the interface is increasingly abstracted away,” Lee told BeInCrypto.

He pointed to assets held in custody, linked to a payment card, and used through Apple Pay or Google Pay. In this setup, a person can spend crypto through an interface they already understand, without handling private keys, gas fees, or signing processes.

“This allows crypto to be embedded into familiar payment rails without exposing users to private keys, gas fees, or signing processes. Adoption improves because friction and complexity are removed,” Lee said.

For Lee, wallets are becoming less visible rather than disappearing. They still support custody and transactions, but the user sees a cleaner product experience.

“Wallets are not disappearing, but they are becoming invisible, sitting behind more intuitive interfaces that deliver crypto functionality without requiring users to understand the underlying mechanics,” he added.

Wallets and Apps Are Becoming One Product

Federico Variola, CEO of Phemex, sees wallet abstraction through product convergence. Users increasingly expect one app to handle storage, trading, transfers, and access to crypto markets.

“Users just want an app at this point. Whether it’s a trading app that also creates a wallet for you, or a wallet that allows you to trade, like MetaMask or Rabby,” Variola said.

This benefits users by reducing the number of separate tools they need before taking action. Wallet providers are adding trading functions. Exchanges and newer platforms are adding wallet creation inside their own products.

“This is a convergence of products, which is positive for users. It abstracts a lot of complexity and creates opportunities for both wallet providers and newer platforms that can create wallets directly for users. In the end, users benefit from this reduction in complexity,” he said.

Variola also sees a security risk when simplicity goes too far. Users still need to understand self-custody, fund protection, and custody models. A smooth mobile interface can hide weak security habits, especially when assets depend on one device.

“Abstracting too much complexity can also be a downside. Users should still be aware of self-custody, how to secure their funds, and that some custody methods are significantly safer than others,” he said.

He cited Phantom users and parts of the Solana DeFi ecosystem, where many people rely heavily on mobile access without stronger offline security. In his view, these setups can become more exposed to theft.

The User Journey Still Feels Too Technical

Fernando Aranda, Marketing Director at Zoomex, sees wallet usability as one of crypto’s main adoption challenges.

“Users don’t want wallets – they want outcomes. Wallets were a necessary bridge, not the end product,” Aranda told BeInCrypto.

For Aranda, the strongest products in 2026 will hide the wallet while preserving crypto’s main benefits, including control, speed, and ownership.

The most painful part of the journey remains key management. Seed phrases, gas fees, and network selection still ask users to understand crypto mechanics before they can complete basic actions.

“Key management is still broken. Seed phrases, gas fees, network selection – these are artifacts of infrastructure, not user needs. If a product requires users to ‘understand crypto’ to use it, it’s already lost,” Aranda said.

This creates a product challenge across the industry. Many users want to send, trade, store, or spend assets. Crypto products often ask them to make technical choices first. Each extra step adds confusion and increases the chance of error.

What Should Stay Visible?

Even as wallets become less visible, some parts of the experience should stay in front of the user.

Aranda pointed to ownership and finality as two areas which deserve clear communication.

“Ownership and finality. Users don’t need to see behind the curtain, but they must know what they own, where it sits, and when a transaction is irreversible,” he said. “Abstraction shouldn’t mean losing control – it should mean removing noise.”

Of course, a better interface can remove unnecessary technical work, while still showing custody, permissions, approvals, and irreversible actions. Hidden risk creates a smoother screen, but a weaker user.

Variola made a similar point from a security perspective. Users still need to understand self-custody and the differences between custody methods, especially when assets sit inside mobile-first environments.

The future wallet experience may look less like a standalone crypto app and more like a security and permissions system inside larger financial products.

AI Agents Could Become the New Wallet Interface

AI agents could push wallet abstraction further by taking over actions users currently perform by hand.

Instead of choosing networks, checking fees, approving routes, and comparing options, users could give an AI agent a goal. The agent could then execute, optimize, and route transactions in the background.

“AI agents will become the new interface layer – executing, optimizing, and routing transactions on behalf of users,” Aranda said.

This could make crypto easier to use, especially in multi-chain environments where users face too many choices. It also creates a new risk category.

“But this introduces a new challenge: trust. We’re replacing wallet complexity with agent risk. The winners will be those who make AI actions transparent, verifiable, and aligned with user intent,” he said.

If agents handle crypto transactions, users will need strong controls over permissions, spending limits, approvals, and decision logic. The interface may become simpler, but trust will depend on what the user can verify.

Final Thoughts

The crypto wallet will remain part of custody, permissions, and transaction execution. Its role as the main user interface, however, is becoming weaker.

To sum up our expert opinions: 

• Gate’s Kevin Lee sees wallets becoming invisible inside familiar payment products. 
• Phemex’s Federico Variola sees wallets and trading apps merging into simpler multi-function products. 
• Zoomex’s Fernando Aranda sees AI agents becoming the next interface for crypto execution.

The next phase of wallet design depends on balance. Users want less complexity, while still needing clarity over ownership, custody, approvals, and irreversible transactions.

AI agents may simplify the experience further, but their success will depend on transparency, verifiable actions, and user control.

The post Is the Wallet Disappearing as Crypto’s Main User Interface? appeared first on BeInCrypto.

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Two newly launched US-based exchange-traded funds tied to Hyperliquid’s HYPE token are seeing strong early momentum, as trading activity continues to rise since their market debut.

According to SoSoValue data, 21Shares’ THYP and Bitwise Asset Management’s BHYP have generated nearly $41 million in combined trading volume since launching earlier this month.

Rare Momentum Behind Hyperliquid ETFs

Weighing in on the sharp growth in activity, Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said that both funds recorded another 50% increase in trading volume on Wednesday alone. In a post on X, Balchunas described the launches as “perfectly timed,” and added that most major asset classes, including stocks, bonds, gold, Bitcoin, and the broader crypto market, have declined recently. HYPE, on the other hand, has climbed 37% since THYP launched on May 12.

According to Balchunas, the steady increase in trading activity during the funds’ first week is “rare” for new ETFs, which often see initial excitement fade quickly after launch. 21Shares became the first issuer to launch a HYPE-linked ETF in the US with THYP on May 12, attracting $1.2 million in net inflows. BHYP followed on May 14 with $750,000 in net inflows and has continued trending upward since launch.

Grayscale Investments also entered the race for a Hyperliquid-linked investment product after filing for a HYPE ETF in March. The proposed fund is still under review by US regulators. Meanwhile, blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain reported that wallets linked to Grayscale bought and staked 510,387 HYPE tokens worth about $24.95 million over the past week.

A wallet linked to Galaxy Digital also bought 158,100 HYPE, which is worth around $8.8 million.

Hyperliquid Growth Trajectory

Zooming out, HYPE has gained nearly 40% so far this month, pushing its year-to-date returns to almost 123%. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan recently described the platform as one of the most important crypto projects to emerge in recent years. He also believes that investors still underestimate both its long-term impact and the value of the HYPE token.

Hougan said Hyperliquid has evolved beyond a crypto perpetual futures exchange into a financial “super-app” which offers exposure to commodities, S&P 500 futures, pre-IPO stocks, and prediction markets. The exec added that nearly half of the platform’s trading volume now comes from non-crypto assets and could rise further by the end of the year.

The post HYPE ETFs See Rare First-Week Surge as Eric Balchunas Calls Launch Timing ‘Perfect’ appeared first on CryptoPotato.

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The US Federal Reserve proposed creating limited payment accounts that could give legally eligible fintech and crypto-linked banks narrower access to its payment rails without the backstops available to traditional banks.

The proposal was released on Wednesday through a Federal Reserve Board request for comment and notice of proposed rulemaking, referring to “skinny master accounts” for nonbank financial institutions.

The Fed also encouraged regional Reserve Banks to pause decisions on Tier 3 account-access requests while it finishes the rulemaking, a step staff said is expected to end by Dec. 31, 2026.

Source: Eleanor Terrett

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“The temporary pause will allow the Federal Reserve to solicit and consider public input on payment accounts and to promote consistent implementation,” the announcement said.

The move highlights ongoing regulatory tension over crypto access to US payment systems following President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for broader fintech and digital asset integration, while the Fed maintains a more cautious approach.

Tier 3 pause expected to end by Dec. 31

The Fed expects its temporary pause on Tier 3 master account applications to end on or before Dec. 31, according to a Board memo.

The memo also provided a list of “pending account requests” from Tier 3 institutions as of Feb. 28, 2026. The list included companies such as Kraken Financial, the banking arm of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken.

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Kraken was later granted a limited-purpose master account by the US Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in early March 2026. The bank approved the access specifically under a Tier 3 classification.

Trump order and limits on direct Fed access by crypto

The crypto industry has long pursued access to Fed master accounts as a way to connect more directly to the US payment system.

The latest proposal does not give crypto exchanges direct access, even though there is broader political support for expanding fintech and digital asset access to the financial system.

Related: About 10% of Americans used crypto in 2025, highest level since 2022: Fed

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Even as Trump’s executive order signaled support for wider fintech and digital asset integration, direct access to master accounts would still be unavailable to crypto exchanges. Instead, firms would need to operate through an affiliate that qualifies as an eligible depository institution under the Federal Reserve Act, according to Eleanor Terrett.

Source: Eleanor Terrett

The concept of “skinny” payment accounts was first introduced in October by Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller and was further developed through policy discussions in early 2026.

Unlike master accounts, the proposed payment accounts would be limited to clearing and settlement only. They would not earn interest or provide access to central banking tools such as the discount window or intraday credit.

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Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026

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Bitcoin BTC$77,640.65 options worth roughly $6.25 billion are set to expire on Deribit on May 29, with positioning data pointing to $75,000 and $80,000 as the key levels to watch. The $75,000 strike carries the heaviest put concentration at $394 million in notional value, while $80,000 dominates on the call side with $532 million

The max-pain price, the level at which the largest number of contracts expire worthless sits at $75,000, just under 3% below where bitcoin currently trades at $77,250. With 43,184 call contracts versus 37,351 puts, the put/call ratio of 0.86 reflects a modestly bullish market, though bitcoin’s position above max pain means downward gravitational pull remains a real consideration.

However, the $82,000 strike is where the most attention is currently focused as of writing. Volume data shows the BTC 29MAY26 $82,000 call was the single most actively traded instrument on Thursday, with approximately 1,600 contracts ($126 million) changing hands, suggesting traders are positioning for a breakout higher rather than a retreat.

The total open interest across the expiry stands at 80,535 contracts, split between 43,184 calls and 37,351 puts.

Meanwhile, Deribit’s overall open interest has now reached $31.3 billion, overtaking BlackRock’s IBIT at $27 billion, according to checkonchain.

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Key takeaways

• ZEC is up 12% in the last 24 hours, making it the second-best performer in the top 10.
• The coin could rally past the $700 mark in the near term. 

ZEC rallies as broader crypto market underperforms

ZEC, the native coin of the Zcash ecosystem, is up 12% in the last 24 hours, making it the second-best performer among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap.

The rally allowed ZEC to hit the $692 mark earlier today, adding 26% to its market cap so far this week.

ZEC’s rally over the past few days comes as regulatory clarity for ZCash has improved following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s announcement closing its investigation into the Zcash Foundation. 

The Zcash Foundation also reported holding approximately $36.7 million in liquid assets, mostly in ZEC, according to its Q1 update. Core technical development continues on the Zcash protocol despite organizational changes at the Electric Coin Company.

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Zcash technical outlook: ZEC targets higher resistance levels above $700

The ZEC/USD 4-hour chart is extremely bullish as Zcash has only been outperformed by Hyperliquid over the last seven days. 

At press time, ZEC is trading at $655 after hitting the $692 level. The momentum indicators are extremely bullish, suggesting that the buyers are in full control. 

The RSI of 70 means that ZEC is now in the overbought region. The coin could undergo a correction, but the current momentum remains bullish. The MACD lines are also within the overbought territory.

If the rally continues, ZEC could extend its gains past $700 and hit the $745 resistance level for the first time since November. An extended rally would allow ZEC to target the $800 psychological level.

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However, if the market undergoes a correction, ZEC could retest the $580 low created on Wednesday. 

Failure to defend this support level could expose ZEC to lower demand zones around $485.

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Dogecoin has died a hundred times according to the internet. It keeps coming back anyway. ChatGPT looked at the current $0.10 price and predicts its one of the highest-upside meme plays heading into end-2026.

The base target is $0.60. The euphoric scenario touches $1.

Sam Altman’s AI does not dress up the DOGE thesis in utility arguments it cannot support.

The bull case is built on exactly what Dogecoin has always been built on: unmatched retail recognition, one of the strongest communities in crypto, and a history of explosive moves the moment momentum flips bullish. ChatGPT adds 3 specific catalysts that did not exist in previous cycles.

Elon Musk integrations are still live as a narrative driver. X payment rumors have not gone away. And renewed meme coin mania accelerating during a BTC-led bull run creates the kind of speculative environment where DOGE has historically outperformed everything with a serious use case.

The AI’s logic is simple: in a strong crypto cycle where Bitcoin pushes toward new highs and retail speculation returns, DOGE does not need fundamentals. It needs a crowd. And it has one that no newer meme coin has come close to replicating.

The bear case is equally honest. DOGE still lacks major utility compared to newer chains and if the broader market weakens or meme narratives fade, it could remain stuck between $0.08 and $0.15 for most of 2026.

That is not a crash scenario, it is a dead money scenario, and for a coin with no yield and no utility it is the more painful outcome for holders who bought expecting fireworks.

Dogecoin Price Prediction: DOGE Is at $0.10, Down 76% From Its Peak, and ChatGPT Just Predicts It a 6x.

Dogecoin price is trading at $0.1038 on the daily, and the chart tells the full story of a meme coin that ran too far too fast and has been paying for it ever since.

Price peaked around $0.45 in January 2025, crashed through the year, bounced to $0.30 in August on Musk-driven momentum, and then collapsed again through the second half of 2025 all the way to $0.08 in February 2026.

The recovery since that low has been the most sustained upside move on this chart in over a year, with price grinding from $0.08 back to $0.12 before the current pullback to $0.10.

The structure since February is the most constructive thing visible on this chart. Higher lows have printed consistently across March, April, and May, and the base between $0.08 and $0.12 has held for 3 months without a serious breakdown attempt.

That is the accumulation pattern ChatGPT’s bull case needs to be building on right now.

Resistance is $0.12 to $0.13, the ceiling that has capped every recovery attempt since March. Above it $0.15 is the next reference, which is also the top of ChatGPT’s bear case range and the level that separates dead money from genuine recovery.

Above $0.15 the chart opens up significantly with $0.20 as the next meaningful supply zone and $0.30 as the level where the August 2025 distribution sits. ChatGPT’s $0.60 base target requires clearing all of that sequentially. Support is $0.08 to $0.09, the February low and the only real floor in place. At $0.10 current price is sitting near the bottom of the recovery range rather than the top.

ChatGPT’s $1 euphoric scenario needs a full bull market and an Elon catalyst. The chart just needs $0.13 to break first.

Maxi Doge: Early-Stage Meme Coin Targets 1000x Breakout Potential

If the cryptocurrency market enters another bull cycle or altseason, meme coins could see particularly explosive gains, as they often amplify broader market movements.

One newcomer drawing attention is Maxi Doge ($MAXI). The project has already raised $4.7 million through its ongoing presale as traders speculate it could dethrone established meme coins such as BONK or Floki.

Maxi Doge is a hard pumping, loud, distant degen cousin to Dogecoin, leaning into the viral internet culture and speculative enthusiasm that fuelled the meme coin boom in 2021.

The token is an ERC-20 asset on Ethereum’s proof-of-stake network, which gives it a lower environmental footprint compared with Dogecoin’s proof-of-work system.

Presale investors can currently stake MAXI tokens to earn rewards of up to 65% APY, although returns gradually decline as more tokens join the staking pool.

The token is $0.0002808 during the current presale phase, with nominal increases through each subsequent funding round.

Interested investors can visit the official website and connect a supported wallet such as Best Wallet.

Tokens can also be purchased using a bank card.

The post Sam Altman ChatGPT AI Predicts Incredible Dogecoin Price By End of 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

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Key Highlights

• Applied Digital (APLD) advanced 7.9% during Wednesday’s session, ending at $39.52 with trading volume matching typical daily levels near 26 million shares.
• Needham analyst John Todaro elevated his price target from $51 to $66 while maintaining a Buy recommendation, highlighting hyperscale partnerships and HPC expansion.
• Citizens JMP reaffirmed its Buy stance with a $60 target on the same trading day.
• Quarterly revenue surged to $108.55 million, representing a 139.3% year-over-year jump and significantly exceeding Wall Street’s $78.47 million forecast.
• The company’s total capacity portfolio expanded to 1.7GW, supported by a 1.3GW development pipeline and ongoing collaborations with leading hyperscalers and Nvidia.

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Shares of Applied Digital (APLD) posted a robust 7.9% gain on Wednesday, settling at $39.52 after reaching an intraday peak of $39.59. This marked a substantial increase from Tuesday’s closing price of $36.62.

Applied Digital Corporation, APLD

Trading activity registered approximately 25.7 million shares, slightly below the stock’s typical daily volume of 26.2 million.

The rally followed a series of bullish analyst revisions. John Todaro from Needham — a top 100-ranked analyst on TipRanks with a 64.88% accuracy rate and 65.4% average return — increased his price objective on APLD to $66 from his previous $51 target, maintaining his Buy recommendation.

Todaro’s optimistic stance stemmed primarily from APLD’s recent 300MW Polaris Forge 3 lease agreement. The contract features similar financial terms and a matching 15-year timeframe as the company’s current Delta Forge 1 arrangement, signaling sustained demand from an important hyperscale client.

He further highlighted the firm’s broadened capacity footprint, which now totals 1.7GW, complemented by a 1.3GW pipeline under development. Ongoing partnerships with prominent hyperscalers and Nvidia reinforced his positive long-term perspective.

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Citizens JMP also upheld its Buy rating on APLD with a $60 price objective during the same session.

Revenue Acceleration Despite Deeper Losses

APLD unveiled its quarterly financial results on April 8th. Revenue reached $108.55 million, substantially outperforming analyst projections of $78.47 million and marking a 139.3% increase compared to the prior-year period.

However, profitability remained elusive. The company recorded a per-share loss of $0.36, wider than the consensus estimate of a $0.13 loss. Full-year analyst forecasts anticipate a $0.61 per-share deficit.

The stock currently commands a market capitalization of $11.29 billion, alongside a PE ratio of -53.40 and a beta coefficient of 5.69 — indicators that reflect both its growth-oriented financial profile and elevated price volatility.

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The 50-day moving average stands at $31.38, while the 200-day average registers $30.64, positioning Wednesday’s closing price comfortably above both technical benchmarks.

Wall Street Sentiment and Institutional Activity

The overall analyst community maintains a favorable outlook on APLD. Among 15 analysts tracking the stock, two assign it a Strong Buy rating, eleven recommend Buy, one holds a neutral position, and one rates it Sell. The average price target across all analysts is $44.67.

Citigroup confirmed its Outperform designation in January, while Texas Capital elevated APLD to Strong Buy during the same period. Wall Street Zen shifted to a Sell rating in April.

Regarding institutional ownership, Vanguard expanded its holdings by 36.4% during Q4, acquiring more than 6.4 million additional shares. Situational Awareness LP grew its position by 18.9% in Q1. Institutional investors collectively control 65.67% of outstanding shares.

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Two company directors divested a combined 22,500 shares between early and late April, with insiders selling a total of 35,000 units worth $1.18 million over the past 90 days. Insider ownership currently represents 9.5% of the company.

Todaro also identified the Base Electron project as a prospective revenue contributor within the high-performance computing segment, further diversifying the company’s growth trajectory.

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This is an excerpt from CoinDesk newsletter ‘Daybook.’ Sign up here, if you haven’t already.

Bitcoin BTC$77,231.70, ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), solana (SOL) and other top 10 coins have had a tough time lately, with each falling at least 2% in the past seven days. Still, there is always a bull market somewhere, and several crypto sub-sectors have chalked up impressive gains.

Coins associated with derivatives protocols, particularly those focused on perpetual futures such as HYPE and LIT, have surged by 40% or more.

HYPE has been rallying since Trade.xyz, a trading interface based on the Hyperliquid blockchain, listed the Space pre-IPO perpetual contract on Monday, valuing the company at $1.78 trillion. Trading volume on the contract topped $30 million on its first day. The protocol consistently earns millions in fee revenue per week, accounting for over 40% of total marketwide fee revenue, according to data source DefiLlama.

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And it’s not just Hyperliquid; investors are trading on other venues, too. According to CoinGecko, the monthly average volume on the top 12 decentralized exchanges for perpetual futures contracts has risen to $612 billion in 2026 from $532 billion in 2025.

Privacy and quantum-resistant coins such as Zcash (ZEC), Quantum Resistant Ledger’s QRL, Qubitcoin’s QTC and Starknet’s STRK are also climbing, with gains between 6% and 25%.

Data shows that investors are willing to overlook macro and geopolitical concerns and deploy capital, but only in coins with strong use cases and narratives.

Privacy is the flavor of the season, with fund managers like Arthur Hayes saying it is a fundamental necessity as advanced AI, large tech firms and government surveillance rapidly erode privacy. Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin on Wednesday outlined steps taken to bring privacy features to Ethereum, the world’s largest smart-contract blockchain.

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As for quantum risks, Google researchers have already warned that a sufficiently powerful quantum machine, could in theory, attack a massive blockchain like Bitcoin with significantly fewer resources that previously estimated.

Bitcoin itself is struggling to recover the ground lost in the past seven days, currently trading around $77,300.

“Softer on final stages” talks between the U.S. and Iran “takes some inflation pressure off the tape and gives risk assets room to bounce,” analysts at Marex said.

This doesn’t, however, feel like a clean restart of the bull trend, they said, but more like a relief bid in a market that is still constrained by rates.

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In traditional markets, NVDA closed Wednesday flat despite a blowout quarterly earnings report, while oil dipped to $98 per barrel. Stay alert!

Read more: For analysis of today’s activity in altcoins and derivatives, see Crypto Markets Today . For a comprehensive list of events this week, see CoinDesk’s “Crypto Week Ahead.”

What’s trending

Today’s signal

Ether’s price has dropped below the trendline connecting March and April lows. This trendline represented the recovery rally.

The breakdown, therefore, suggests an end to the price bounce and may invite more selling pressure from momentum traders, potentially yielding a deeper price slide.

The low of $1,937, from which prices turned higher in late March, is the key support now. A violation there would expose levels below $1,800.

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