Crypto World
ServiceNow (NOW) Stock Rockets 14% on AI Innovations and Software Sector Rally
Key Takeaways
- ServiceNow (NOW) climbed approximately 14% Friday, spearheading a significant software sector upswing
- Investor excitement built around new AI capabilities announced at Knowledge 2026, featuring the Otto assistant
- Bank of America resumed coverage with an optimistic perspective, positioning NOW as an agentic AI frontrunner
- The company’s board authorized a $4.2 billion stock repurchase program, boosting investor confidence
- The positive momentum rippled through software equities, lifting Snowflake, Oracle, Atlassian, and cybersecurity stocks
Shares of ServiceNow (NOW) skyrocketed approximately 14% during Friday’s trading session, delivering one of the year’s most impressive single-day performances in the software industry. By midday, the stock maintained its gains while the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) climbed 5% in parallel.
This surge follows several weeks of downward pressure on software equities. Prior to Friday’s rally, NOW shares had declined nearly 29% year-to-date, reflecting market concerns about artificial intelligence potentially cannibalizing traditional enterprise software revenues.
The market sentiment appears to be reversing course.
During the Knowledge 2026 event, ServiceNow introduced cutting-edge generative AI capabilities, highlighted by the Otto assistant, while announcing strategic collaborations with Experian and Boomi. These revelations demonstrated how the company is integrating AI directly into its platform architecture instead of positioning it as a standalone offering.
At the Jefferies Software, Internet and AI conference this week, ServiceNow’s COO and Chief Product Officer Amit Zavery tackled the AI disruption narrative head-on.
“We don’t want to have a non-AI and AI mindset anymore inside the company,” Zavery explained. “Our customers don’t want it. They want to be able to adopt AI as part of the same products they buy from us.”
Zavery further articulated why enterprise system-of-record platforms like ServiceNow maintain critical importance in an AI-dominated landscape.
“For IT managers and IT system owners, I already have all the other visibility. I don’t want to go to a third-party system for only AI-related stuff,” he noted.
Board Approves $4.2 Billion Repurchase; BofA Returns with Positive View
The stock benefited from two supplementary drivers. ServiceNow’s board greenlit a $4.2 billion share repurchase initiative, demonstrating management’s conviction in the company’s current price levels.
Separately, Bank of America resumed its ServiceNow coverage with an upbeat assessment, characterizing the firm as a pioneer in the developing agentic AI landscape. Such institutional endorsement typically influences hesitant investors to reconsider their positions.
Combined, these developments amplified what was already shaping up to be an exceptional trading day for the equity.
Broader Software Sector Experiences Widespread Gains
ServiceNow’s performance didn’t occur in isolation. Snowflake (SNOW), fresh off Thursday’s 36% surge to record highs following quarterly results, tacked on another 4.5% Friday.
Oracle (ORCL) vaulted 8% higher, Atlassian (TEAM) rocketed 11%, GitLab (GTLB) advanced 7.5%, and monday.com (MNDY) rose 6%. Microsoft (MSFT) inched up 3.7% in anticipation of next week’s Build 2026 conference, where fresh AI model announcements are anticipated.
Cybersecurity equities participated in the rally as well. Rubrik (RBRK) surged nearly 9%, CrowdStrike (CRWD) climbed 7.5%, Palo Alto Networks (PANW) appreciated 6.3%, and Fortinet (FTNT) gained 4%.
Company leadership also established a long-range revenue objective of $30 billion by 2030, providing investors with enhanced visibility into the company’s AI-driven growth trajectory.
Crypto World
Coinbase Wins CFTC Approval to Offer Global Crypto Perpetuals and Options to US Clients
Coinbase Financial Markets became the first US-regulated futures commission merchant (FCM) cleared to connect domestic clients to global crypto perpetuals and options markets, the exchange said May 29, opening access to a multi-trillion dollar category previously closed to US traders.
New guidance from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) cleared the path. Institutional clients gain regulated access to instruments that account for roughly 80% of global crypto trading volume, and Prime client onboarding began immediately.
Why US Traders Lost Access for Years
Until now, US customers had no compliant route to perpetual swaps and crypto options, the two largest categories of digital-asset trading.
Many institutions stood up offshore entities to reach these markets, adding counterparty exposure and duplicative infrastructure costs.
The arrangement removes the need for offshore trading workarounds and consolidates global liquidity through a single regulated broker.
The guidance also extends prior CFTC steps such as the leveraged spot trading framework cleared in late 2024.
Deribit Access Anchors the Launch
Options on Deribit, which Coinbase acquired last year, are live through Coinbase Financial Markets, with perpetual futures contracts to follow.
Deribit holds more than $31 billion in bitcoin (BTC) options open interest.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said US users had been locked out of roughly 80% of global crypto markets, framing the CFTC clearance as the end of that gap.
Earlier US-regulated perpetual-style contracts arrived through Cboe’s continuous futures this year, but those products are limited to domestic venues and do not route to global liquidity.
“This morning, the @CFTC took historic action to permit the listing of a true bitcoin perpetual contract by a CFTC-registered exchange, charting a path for one of the most liquid segments of the crypto asset markets to exist within the US regulatory framework,” noted CFTC chair Mike Selig.
Retail access is expected later. Coinbase has not disclosed a timeline.
The post Coinbase Wins CFTC Approval to Offer Global Crypto Perpetuals and Options to US Clients appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
FedEx Freight (FDXF) Spinoff Goes Live June 1: Everything You Need to Know
Key Takeaways
- FedEx Freight launches as an independent company on June 1 trading under ticker FDXF
- Shareholders of FedEx receive one FDXF share for every two FDX shares owned; parent company maintains approximately 20% ownership
- When-issued trading shows FDXF around $185 per share, though analysts believe fair value could reach $275 based on Old Dominion comparables
- Management projects medium-term revenue growth of 4%–6% with operating profit expansion of 10%–12%
- Parent company FDX carries a consensus Strong Buy rating from 21 Wall Street analysts with a $423.15 average target price
The separation of FedEx Freight from its parent company is finally arriving. The less-than-truckload (LTL) division launches independent trading on Monday, June 1, debuting on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker FDXF.
As the LTL division of FedEx, this business caters to industrial clients requiring freight transportation over shorter routes without needing full truckload capacity. The company competes directly with established players like Old Dominion Freight Line and XPO.
This spinoff represents the culmination of a strategic shift. FedEx has been streamlining operations to concentrate on its primary express shipping and logistics segments. Though consistently profitable, the Freight division represented a relatively modest component of the overall enterprise.
For fiscal 2026, FedEx Freight projects revenue of $8.7 billion alongside operating income of $1.1 billion. To put this in perspective, the remaining FedEx operations are forecast to generate nearly $94 billion in revenue during the same period.
In when-issued trading ahead of the official launch, FDXF shares have been exchanging hands near $185. This represents the market’s preliminary assessment before the stock formally begins regular trading.
The Valuation Opportunity
This is where the situation becomes compelling. Old Dominion, widely regarded as the premier LTL operator, commands a forward earnings multiple approaching 40x. Meanwhile, FedEx as a consolidated entity trades at approximately 18x forward earnings. This substantial valuation disparity provides the fundamental rationale for executing this separation.
Should FDXF achieve valuation parity with Old Dominion’s trading multiple, Wall Street analysts project a fair value near $275 per share — representing nearly 50% appreciation from current when-issued levels.
However, Old Dominion maintains superior profitability metrics. The company is projected to generate approximately $1.5 billion in operating profit from $5.7 billion in revenue during 2026, reflecting materially higher margins than FDXF currently achieves.
Narrowing this margin differential will be critical for FDXF to justify a comparable valuation multiple. Management has established targets for 10%–12% annual operating profit growth over the medium term, which should support margin improvement.
For reference, Old Dominion has delivered roughly 8% average annual operating profit growth over the trailing five-year period. Analysts project this growth rate will accelerate to approximately 11% moving forward — essentially matching FDXF’s stated objectives.
Distribution Details for Existing Shareholders
Current FedEx shareholders will receive one FDXF share for every two shares of FDX held as of the established record date. The parent company will retain approximately 20% ownership in the freight operation following completion of the spinoff.
FDX stock has demonstrated robust momentum leading into this separation event — gaining more than 40% year-to-date and climbing over 80% during the trailing twelve-month period through Friday’s close.
From an analyst perspective, FDX maintains a consensus Strong Buy rating based on recommendations from 21 Wall Street analysts, comprising 17 Buy ratings, 3 Hold ratings, and 1 Sell rating. The consensus price target stands at $423.15, suggesting approximately 3% upside from prevailing price levels.
FDXF commences regular-way trading on Monday, June 1.
Crypto World
Payouts.com warns on AI agent payments
Payouts.com co-founders say the future of agent payments combines stablecoin rails with programmable control layers built for enterprise trust.
Summary
- Payouts.com CEO Leor Ceder says programmability, not wallets alone, will define which AI agents enterprises can trust by 2027.
- Co-founder Barak Hirchson lists five non-negotiable controls that make autonomous agent spending safe and auditable at scale.
- Stablecoins win in cross-border and machine-to-API micropayments; programmable infrastructure determines which rail gets used everywhere else.
Payouts.com co-founders Leor Ceder and Barak Hirchson say the next wave of AI agent commerce runs on stablecoin rails, and on the programmable control layer built on top of them. In their view, wallets are a necessary foundation, but the durable enterprise value sits in what governs them.
The position adds a critical dimension to the wallet-led narrative dominating agent payments today. Juniper Research forecasts cross-border B2B stablecoin payments will hit $5 trillion by 2035, up from $13.4 billion in 2026, with B2B taking 85% of total stablecoin transaction value.
Where stablecoins win and where smart rail selection matters
Hirchson, Payouts.com’s chief solutions officer, said rail selection is decided by the recipient: country, payment method, urgency, amount, and cost all factor in. Stablecoins win cleanly in two scenarios.
The first is cross-border versus SWIFT, where wire fees and FX spreads can eat 4 to 5% of a transaction. The second is machine-to-API micropayments, where the x402 standard already routes pay-per-call API invoices in stablecoin. Crypto.news reported that AI agents have settled $73 million across 176 million transactions on crypto rails, with USDC handling 98.6%.
“PIX clears in under ten seconds in Brazil for free, UPI handles hundreds of millions of transactions a day in India at near-zero cost,” Hirchson said. “The agents that scale are the ones that can pick the right rail per transaction, not the ones locked into a single rail based on what their limited wallet supports.”
The five non-negotiable agent controls
Hirchson laid out five controls he said are non-negotiable before companies let agents transact autonomously: scoped credentials, hard spend caps enforced at the protocol level, cryptographically signed mandates, idempotency at the payment layer, and a fail-closed posture.
“This is what programmable spending actually means. You define the envelope once, the infrastructure enforces it forever, and the agent operates freely inside it,” he said. “Is the industry building these fast enough? Not uniformly.”
Some wallets shipped recently include hard caps and signed mandates, he said. Others ship with an API key and a balance, which he called the worst-case configuration for a compromised key.
What the agent payment stack looks like by 2027
Ceder said the interesting question by May 2027 will not be which stablecoin wins. It will be programmability: how granularly enterprises can define what an agent is allowed to do, how reliably that policy is enforced, and how cleanly compliance can be proven after the fact.
“The wallet wars happening right now will look the way the browser wars look in retrospect: necessary, formative, and not where the durable value got captured,” Ceder said. The compliance layer must be built into the infrastructure rather than the agent, with every payment passing a cascade of principal, account and jurisdiction checks before any money moves.
Coinbase and Cloudflare have built the x402 protocol into a fast-growing settlement rail for agents, with the standard recently joining the Linux Foundation. AWS embedded x402 into Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments earlier this month, while Solana and Google launched Pay.sh as a parallel route.
For Payouts.com, the bet is that the control layer above those rails is where enterprise spend will land. The agent stays autonomous. The envelope around it does not move.
Crypto World
CFTC says some derivatives markets may not suit 24/7 trading
The CFTC has warned regulated derivatives platforms that round-the-clock trading may suit crypto-native markets but may not work safely across every traditional asset class.
Summary
- The CFTC warned that 24/7 trading may not suit every traditional derivatives market.
- Coinbase said the CFTC approval adds crypto perpetuals and global options to its regulated platform.
- The CFTC and Gemini asked a Manhattan court to vacate a $5 million settlement order.
The CFTC said in a Friday advisory that exchanges and clearinghouses should carefully assess products before extending trading and clearing to a 24/7 model. The agency said some markets can support constant access because newer trading systems use blockchain networks, decentralized infrastructure, crypto collateral, stablecoins, and mobile platforms.
The warning came as the agency also allowed CFTC-regulated crypto platforms to offer perpetual futures and global options.Coinbase said in a Friday blog post that the approval lets one of its regulated affiliates add the largest and most liquid category of global crypto trading to its existing 24-hour platform.
CFTC draws line between crypto and traditional markets
According to the advisory, the agency does not view all markets the same way regarding permanent trading hours. The CFTC said agricultural derivatives may face different limits because of their customer base, regional structure, and specialized hedging practices.
The agency said some products could face thinner liquidity during off-peak hours. Under those conditions, the CFTC said markets may experience greater price swings, wider bid-ask spreads, and greater exposure to manipulation.
Under CFTC rules, trading platforms remain the first line of defense against market abuse. The agency said firms that expand trading hours should add compliance controls tailored to the risks posed by constant access.
Agency Asks Firms to Discuss 24/7 Plans
In its letter, the CFTC urged regulated exchanges and clearing organizations to speak with the agency before making major changes to trading schedules. The advisory framed those discussions as part of the agency’s oversight role, especially as market structures around crypto products change.
CFTC Chairman Mike Selig has made crypto, prediction markets, and new trading technology central issues at the agency. Under his leadership, the regulator has made several crypto policy decisions as the Trump administration pushes federal agencies to provide the digital asset industry with a clearer path.
Coinbase said its platform already supports 24/7 trading across equities, futures and prediction markets. The company said the new approval adds crypto perpetuals and global options to that lineup through a CFTC-regulated affiliate.
Gemini settlement reversal adds to policy reset
The same policy environment has also affected older enforcement cases. As previously covered by crypto.news, the CFTC moved to scrap its $5 million settlement with Gemini after deciding the case should not have been brought under the agency’s current standards.
According to a joint motion filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, the CFTC and Gemini asked a judge to vacate the January 2025 consent order. The order had resolved allegations linked to Gemini’s proposed Bitcoin futures contract.
The request shows how the agency’s current leadership is reviewing past crypto actions while opening more room for regulated digital asset products. The CFTC is prepared to allow 24-hour crypto markets, but it wants traditional derivatives platforms to prove that constant trading will not weaken market oversight.
Crypto World
Coinbase unlocks global crypto derivatives for U.S. institutions
Coinbase has opened a regulated route for U.S. institutions to trade global crypto derivatives through its futures commission merchant.
Summary
- Coinbase Financial Markets now offers U.S. institutions regulated access to global crypto derivatives, starting with Deribit options.
- CFTC staff action supports the structure, with certain crypto perpetual contracts treated as foreign futures under specific conditions.
- Coinbase’s partnership with Standard Chartered adds fiat funding rails for major currencies, supporting institutional spot, derivatives, and financing strategies.
Coinbase said on May 29 that Coinbase Financial Markets now gives eligible U.S. clients access to crypto derivatives markets, starting with Deribit options. The company described the unit as the first U.S.-regulated futures commission merchant to offer access to global crypto derivatives, including perpetual futures and options.
The launch follows action from Commodity Futures Trading Commission staff involving products listed on Deribit FZE, Coinbase’s affiliated foreign board of trade. Coinbase said institutional clients can begin onboarding immediately through Coinbase Financial Markets, while retail access is planned for a later stage.
Institutions get regulated access to Deribit options
Coinbase said the first phase will focus on Deribit options, with crypto perpetual futures, more collateral options, and other derivatives products expected later. The company framed the rollout as a way for U.S. institutions to reach markets that have long been active offshore.
According to Coinbase, crypto derivatives account for about 80% of global crypto trading volume. The company also cited Deribit data showing more than $31 billion in bitcoin options open interest as of May 28.
For trading firms, Coinbase said the access could support hedging, volatility trading, and BTC-linked basis strategies. The company added that U.S. clients previously lacked a regulated route into a market it described as having an annual trading volume of multi-trillions of dollars.
CFTC staff action supports the structure
The regulatory path rests on CFTC staff positions tied to foreign futures and margin arrangements. In its letter, CFTC staff said certain crypto asset perpetual contracts described in the request may qualify as foreign futures under Commission Regulation 30.1.
Staff also issued a no-action position covering certain transfers of customer-owned digital commodities and payment stablecoins to a foreign broker-affiliate for margin purposes. The letter said the position remains subject to the listed conditions.
Coinbase closed its $2.9 billion acquisition of Deribit in August 2025, following its announcement earlier that year. The exchange said Deribit handled more than $185 billion in trading volume in July 2025 and held about $60 billion in open interest on its platform at the time.
Crypto-market reports have also linked Deribit to major Bitcoin options expiries, in which large positions can shape short-term trading around strike prices and expiry dates.
Coinbase builds institutional rails beyond derivatives
The derivatives rollout also aligns with Coinbase’s recent institutional push into fiat funding. As previously covered by crypto.news, Coinbase expanded its partnership with Standard Chartered to give institutional clients greater currency access across global markets.
The integration added funding rails for AUD, SGD, CAD, and CHF. It also added GSIB-backed settlement for EUR and GBP.
Coinbase said the service is available through Coinbase Prime and Coinbase Exchange. The company said the arrangement helps institutions manage capital across spot, derivatives, and financing strategies without forcing every position to be denominated in a single base currency.
Crypto World
Top 4 Cryptos Wealthy Investors Are Buying Now for a Mid-Year Rally
The crypto markets are finally heating up again, and large institutional investors are lying low and waiting for their next big move, as Bitcoin has broken above $80,000 per coin following its intraday peak of $81,660. Other alternative currencies are seeing significant institutional activity, despite the market’s overall cautious attitude. There are currently four leading crypto assets that are worth watching. Some have been around for a while and have institutional backing, while others have recently emerged into play due to their upside potential.
Little Pepe is easily the smallest-risk, highest-reward pick on this list, but it’s also the one attracting speculative whale attention right now.
Priced at just $0.0022 during presale stage 13, the project has already raised more than $28.1 million, with the current round reportedly 98.44% filled at the time of writing. That kind of momentum is hard to ignore in the meme coin sector.
Unlike many meme projects, Little Pepe is pushing a bigger narrative. According to the team, they are developing a Layer-2 blockchain for meme coins, which will be fast, cost-efficient, and anti-sniper bot. The platform will also introduce a dedicated launchpad for memes on its blockchain.
It will be very beneficial for wealthy investors because the platform has already undergone the CertiK audit, been listed on CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko, and has plans to list on centralized exchanges. Rumors have started emerging about getting listed on one of the most famous cryptocurrency exchange platforms after the listing.
Another factor creating buzz is the involvement of anonymous crypto experts reportedly connected to some of the market’s top-performing meme projects.
Bitcoin (BTC)
The Bitcoin currency continues to hold the pole position, as even though there has been consolidation, the rich continue buying heavily into BTC. Bitcoin’s price is $81,700, with the total market value above $1.6 trillion. The exchange reserves are expected to be at multi-year lows, while ETF flows remain strong. However, Bitcoin is also likely to rally, despite its technical chart looking similar to what happened during past rallies. Nonetheless, BTC won’t surge 50 times as before.
Ethereum (ETH)
ETH is currently trading around $2,330, signaling a bullish move to break above $3,000 soon.
ETH current performance | Source: CoinMarketCap
Some experts predict that Ethereum may outpace Bitcoin this year if ETF flows remain positive. Network improvements, along with increased tokenized asset trading, are fueling bullish sentiment. The reason Ethereum is attractive to high-net-worth individuals at present lies in its combination of stability and growth potential. It continues to lead the way in smart contract applications, and for most funds, the current level is an accumulation area.
Solana (SOL)
SOL recently traded near $97, with trading volume and network activity picking up again.
Many investors still remember Solana’s explosive rallies from previous cycles, and some traders believe another strong run could happen if overall market sentiment improves. Compared to Ethereum, it still looks relatively undervalued to some institutional buyers.
Conclusion
For traders hunting asymmetric upside ahead of the next meme coin wave, LILPEPE is becoming one of the most talked-about presales right now.
For more information, visit Little Pepe’s official website, Telegram Community, Twitter/X Page, and the $777K Giveaway Page.
For more information about Little Pepe (LILPEPE) visit the links below:
Website: https://littlepepe.com
Whitepaper: https://littlepepe.com/whitepaper.pdf
Telegram: https://t.me/littlepepetoken
Twitter/X: https://x.com/littlepepetoken
$777k Giveaway: https://littlepepe.com/777k-giveaway/
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Crypto World
Bitcoin Reclaims $74,000 as Trump and Iran Pitch 2 Very Different Deal Terms
Bitcoin (BTC) climbed back above $74,000 on Friday as traders priced in renewed hope that Washington and Tehran are inching toward a ceasefire, even while the two sides publicly disagreed on what the actual deal contains.
The pioneer traded near $74,161, up roughly 1.1% over 24 hours, after President Donald Trump signaled a draft framework was on the table. Conflicting accounts from each capital, however, kept a final agreement out of reach.
Trump and Iran Outline Different Versions of the Same Draft
Trump said Iran “must agree” to permanently abandon nuclear weapons, reopen the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls, and allow the United States to remove buried enriched uranium left after a B-2 bomber strike last year.
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He added that no money would change hands “until further notice” and that he was heading to the Situation Room for a final determination.
Iranian officials responded within hours through Fars News, rejecting several core claims. In their rebuttal, Tehran wants $12 billion in frozen assets released up front, a Lebanon ceasefire as a precondition, and no clause requiring toll-free Hormuz passage or US-led uranium destruction.
The split echoes earlier Hormuz deal speculation that lifted crypto markets only to fade once disputed terms surfaced publicly.
The $300 Billion Question Trump Did Not Mention
The New York Times reported a draft framework that includes a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran, rebranded by US negotiators as an international “investment fund.”
Iran has framed the package as war reparations, while Washington has avoided that label.
“The program is being called an international “investment fund,” which the US would facilitate in the final deal. This comes as Iran demands “reparations” to end the war,” the Kobeissi Letter indicated.
Trump’s post made no reference to the fund, which clashes with his “no money exchanged” framing.
Similar secret Iran deal rumors lifted equity futures earlier this month.
Iranian officials reportedly warned that Trump would mischaracterize privately discussed terms to support a “victor” narrative.
Markets Bet on De-escalation, but Trust Stays Thin
Crypto markets rallied on the prospect of a Hormuz reopening, which would lower oil prices and ease inflation pressure.
Analysts have flagged the Hormuz oil price impact as the main bridge between Middle East headlines and Bitcoin liquidity.
Bitcoin’s seven-day chart still shows a 3.6% loss, mirroring sentiment swings tracked during Trump’s Iran strike pause earlier this cycle.
The draft memorandum holding depends on how the next 60 days handle asset releases, ceasefire scope, and any disclosure around the reconstruction fund.
The post Bitcoin Reclaims $74,000 as Trump and Iran Pitch 2 Very Different Deal Terms appeared first on BeInCrypto.
Crypto World
Crypto VC Funding Falls 50% After Massive Q4 2025 Surge: Galaxy
Crypto venture capital activity slowed in Q1 2026 following the exceptionally strong pace recorded in Q4 2025, according to a new report from Galaxy Digital.
Venture firms invested roughly $4 billion across 355 crypto and blockchain-focused deals during the quarter, which is a 50% decline in capital invested quarter-over-quarter and a 16% drop in deal count.
VC Market Loses Steam
Despite the pullback, activity remained well above many of the quarterly levels seen during the 2023-2024 market downturn. Galaxy Research found that the decline was driven mainly by the absence of the very large later-stage financings seen in Q4 2025, while smaller seed and early-stage rounds continued to close at a relatively steady pace.
If annualized, Q1’s pace would imply approximately $16 billion invested during 2026, below 2025’s nearly $20 billion total but still stronger than much of the previous two years. The historical relationship between Bitcoin prices and crypto venture investing has weakened compared with earlier cycles in 2017 and 2021. While Bitcoin reached new highs in late 2025, venture activity remained uneven, and both Bitcoin prices and venture funding declined in Q1 2026, though the drop in invested capital was more severe than the decline in deal activity.
Later-stage startups accounted for the majority of funding during the quarter, as this cohort captured roughly 57% of all invested capital, while earlier-stage companies received the remaining 43%. By deal count, however, early-stage activity remained significant, even as the share of pre-seed deals declined to 19% and later-stage transactions rose to one-quarter of completed deals.
Galaxy said that this trend indicates the growing maturity of the crypto industry and the increasing presence of larger, revenue-generating companies.
Meanwhile, median crypto deal sizes also reached new all-time highs above $4.5 million in Q1 2026, even as valuations pulled back slightly from the record levels reached in Q4 2025.
Among the sectors tracked by Galaxy Research, the Trading/Exchange/Investing/Lending category attracted the most venture funding by a wide margin after raising roughly $2.6 billion, or nearly three-fifths of all capital invested during the quarter. The same category also led in deal count with 74 transactions.
Wallet startups ranked second in capital raised with roughly $270 million. Galaxy also found that startups founded in 2018 received the largest amount of capital in Q1 at $1.3 billion, while younger startups founded in 2024 and 2025 dominated overall deal count.
US Leads Crypto Deals
Geographically, the United States continued to dominate crypto venture activity, as it accounted for over 70% of all invested capital and 43.5% of total deals completed during the quarter. Bahrain and Singapore followed the US in capital share, while the United Kingdom ranked second by deal count.
On the fundraising side, investors allocated nearly $1.1 billion to eight new crypto-focused venture funds, the fewest new funds launched in a quarter since Q3 2020.
Galaxy said fundraising conditions remain difficult due to macroeconomic pressures, lingering effects from the 2022-2023 crypto market turmoil, growing institutional interest in artificial intelligence, and competition from spot crypto ETFs and digital asset treasury companies for investor capital.
The post Crypto VC Funding Falls 50% After Massive Q4 2025 Surge: Galaxy appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
Texas Bitcoin reserve plan advances as federal push faces delays
Texas has moved closer to holding Bitcoin directly after naming a new advisory committee to guide the state’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Summary
- Texas has named a five-member advisory committee to guide the management, custody, and valuation of its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
- The state is seeking a qualified crypto custodian as it prepares to move from IBIT-based exposure to directly held Bitcoin.
- The reserve currently holds about $10 million in Bitcoin exposure through BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust.
The Texas Comptroller’s office said Thursday that Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock will serve on the five-member Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Advisory Committee, which will advise the state on custody, valuation, and management of Bitcoin holdings.
The committee was created under Senate Bill 21, which the 89th Texas Legislature passed and signed into law on June 22, 2025. The law gave the Comptroller’s office authority to administer the reserve and set up a framework for state-level Bitcoin exposure.
Hancock said in a statement that lawmakers gave his office a clear duty to manage the reserve with transparency, security, and strong financial controls. He added that the committee brings the expertise needed to carry out that work carefully and in the interest of Texas taxpayers.
Texas names Bitcoin reserve advisers
Alongside Hancock, the panel includes Laurie Dotter, chair of the Investment Advisory Board for the Employees’ Retirement System of Texas. According to the Comptroller’s office, Dotter brings more than 35 years of experience in investment oversight and governance.
Jamie McAvity, founder and CEO of Cormint Data Systems, also joined the committee. Cormint operates a 130-megawatt Bitcoin mining facility in Fort Stockton, which the company has described as one of the most efficient mining sites in the country.
The committee also includes Carla Reyes, a Southern Methodist University law professor who serves on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Innovation Advisory Committee. Reyes has also testified before Congress on blockchain policy.
Gary A. Vecchiarelli, CPA, president and CFO of CleanSpark, completes the panel. The Comptroller’s office cited his work building CleanSpark’s Bitcoin trading desk, yield strategies, and digital asset governance systems.
State seeks Crypto Custodian
At the same time, the Comptroller’s office issued a request for proposals for a qualified crypto custodian to support the reserve. The RFP covers secure custody, liquidity services, and asset management.
According to the office, the reserve currently has about $10 million of exposure through BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust. The RFP outlines a plan to transition from ETF-based exposure to direct Bitcoin holdings within 60 days of contract signing.
The custodian search places Texas among the most active U.S. states pursuing a formal Bitcoin reserve structure. The state’s approach centers on direct custody, financial controls, and support for additional digital assets over time, according to the RFP.
Federal Reserve plan is still developing
Meanwhile, the federal government has continued work on its own Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 6, 2025, directing the Treasury Department to create a reserve using Bitcoin already held through criminal and civil forfeitures.
The order barred the Treasury from selling those holdings. The U.S. government’s forfeiture-linked holdings were estimated at 328,372 BTC, making it the largest known state holder of Bitcoin.
In January 2026, Patrick Witt, executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, said legal issues still needed to be resolved before the Federal Reserve could be completed. By May 2026, Witt said a major legal breakthrough had been reached and that an announcement was close.
On Capitol Hill, Senator Cynthia Lummis and Representative Nick Begich have backed the American Reserves Modernization Act. The bill would allow the Treasury to buy up to 200,000 BTC each year for five years.
Under the proposal, the Treasury would hold the Bitcoin for at least 20 years. If Congress passes the bill, the first open-market Treasury Bitcoin purchase is projected for the fourth quarter of 2026.
Crypto World
CFTC Backs Crypto Perpetual Contracts, Issues Advisory on 24/7 Trading
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) took positions on cryptocurrency perpetual futures contracts and how the industry may be more suited for “24/7 trading, clearing, and settlement.”
In a Friday notice, the CFTC said it had approved perpetual futures contracts tied to the spot price of Bitcoin for prediction markets platform Kalshi. The company announced at about the same time that it would launch the perpetual futures contracts on its platform in a move closer to a derivatives exchange.
“The Order was based on representations and submissions made by Kalshi in support of its request for Commission approval, including its explanation and analysis of the BTCPERP Contract’s terms and conditions, the nature of the underlying commodity market, and the BTCPERP Contract’s compliance with applicable provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act and the Commission’s regulations thereunder, including the Core Principles applicable to [Designated Contract Markets],” said the CFTC.

Source: CFTC
The perpetual futures contracts, or “perp” products, would allow Coinbase and Kalshi users to speculate on crypto prices without owning the underlying assets. The CFTC no-action position for Coinbase and approval for Kalshi represented the US agency being more open to crypto derivatives.
Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal called the CFTC decision a “massive first for the industry” in a Friday X post. The exchange launched stock perpetual futures for non-US traders in March.
Related: CFTC seeks to reverse settlement deal with Gemini
In a separate notice, the CFTC distinguished between the suitability of traditional markets and crypto markets for 24/7 trading. According to the agency, “derivatives referencing crypto assets may be well-suited for 24/7 trading due to their digital infrastructure and global reach” while others, like agricultural markets, may not be based on their “unique customer bases, regional nature” and other factors.

CME Group also announces 24/7 crypto futures trading, pending regulatory review. Source: CME Group
Trump touts CFTC’s authority, with no additional commissioner nominations
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump posted to social media, in a statement supporting Michael Selig and the CFTC in their fight for jurisdiction over prediction markets. The post came amid several state-level lawsuits attempting to restrict or ban the platforms, while Selig claims the agency has “exclusive jurisdiction” under the Commodity Exchange Act.
Selig remains the chair and sole commissioner at the federal commodities regulator in a panel intended to consist of a bipartisan group of five people. As of Friday, Trump had not announced any nominations to fill the seats.
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