Crypto World
Bitcoin advances to $71,000 while derivatives signal cautious bullishness: Crypto Markets Today
Bitcoin is currently trading at around $71,000 having risen by 0.25% since midnight UTC, adding to a broader 24 hour rally of 4%.
Asian hours were favorable to AI tokens, with bittensor (TAO) and adding 5.8% and 4.1% apiece. The rise followed comments from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who claimed that artificial general intelligence (AGI) — a term for AI that matches the cognitive abilities of human beings — has already been achieved.
Still, the main market driver continues to be the war in the Middle East following fresh strikes in Tel Aviv and Lebanon on Tuesday. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said a 48-hour ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz had been put on hold following “good and productive” peace talks with Iran, although Iranian officials called it “fake news.”
Oil remains at around $100 per barrel while U.S. equities are in the red, with Nasdaq 100 futures and S&P 500 futures both down by around 0.1% since midnight.
The crypto market has remained relatively resilient during the conflict, with bitcoin outperforming gold, a traditional haven asset, since the start of the war.
Derivatives positioning
- Over $550 million in leveraged crypto futures bets have been liquidated in 24 hours, with shorts or bearish bets taking most of the hit.
- Bitcon’s 4%, 24-hour price gain isn’t backed by increased participation in futures, as open interest (OI) in major USD- and USDT-denominated futures has declined to 228,000 BTC from 229,000 BTC.
- A similar pattern is seen in ETH, XRP and SOL markets.
- DOGE, ADA, SUI, AVAX, LINK, and PAXG futures have seen open interest decline by as much as 10%.
- Most tokens have seen aggressive bidding, as evidenced by their positive 24-hour cumulative volume deltas. CRO, XMR and TON stand out with negative CVDs.
- Perpetual funding rates for majors also paint a bullish picture, with values between 5% to 10%.
- On Deribit, BTC and ETH puts continue to show a net bias for protective put options across all time frames. However, they now trade at 5 to 6 volatility point premium to calls versus 8 to 10 early Monday.
- Block flows featured demand for the BTC put condor, a directionally neutral strategy designed to profit from low volatility. In ETH’s case, risk reversals dominated flows.
Token talk
- Several altcoins have outperformed bitcoin since midnight, with HYPE, OP and CRV all gaining around 3% as traders rotated into more speculative assets in anticipation of a wider market breakout.
- The bitcoin-dominant CoinDesk 20 (CD20) Index is up by 0.3% on Tuesday, while the altcoin-heavy CoinDesk 80 (CD80) has risen by more than 1%, indicating improving sentiment among the altcoin sector.
- The caveat to the improving sentiment is the state of the DeFi industry. One market watcher described the current landscape as a “really dark” period after Balancer Labs shut down operations and the Resolv stablecoin project was hacked Another criticized the lack of yield opportunities coupled the inherent risk that comes with using DeFi protocols.
- The memecoin sector is another feeling the strain. The CoinDesk Memecoin Index (CDMEME) is the worst performing benchmark on Tuesday, rising just 0.1% with several of the index components losing 3%-5%.
Crypto World
Cisco (CSCO) Stock Soars to Record Peak on AI Optimism and Strong Earnings Outlook
TLDR
- Shares of Cisco reached a record intraday peak of $97.02 on Friday, ending the session at $96.57 with a 4.8% gain
- An upcoming earnings report has traders anticipating a potential 5.8% price swing based on options market activity
- UBS maintains a Buy recommendation and forecasts revenue reaching the upper end of company guidance at $15.4B to $15.6B
- Evercore ISI boosted its price objective to $110, highlighting anticipated expansion in AI-driven revenue streams
- The networking giant increased its quarterly dividend payout to $0.42 per share and delivered 9.7% revenue growth in its most recent quarter
Shares of Cisco Systems (CSCO) experienced a powerful rally on Friday, climbing 4.8% during the trading session and touching an intraday peak of $97.02 before settling at $96.57. This marks a fresh record for the networking equipment giant, surpassing its previous closing level of $92.16.
Trading activity was notably robust. Approximately 24.5 million shares traded hands throughout the day, representing roughly 10% more than the typical daily volume of 22.2 million.
The upward momentum arrives as the company prepares to release its quarterly financial results. Analysis of options market activity indicates that investors are positioning for approximately a 5.8% price movement following the earnings announcement.
Cisco’s most recent quarterly performance delivered impressive results that energized investors. The technology firm reported adjusted earnings of $1.04 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate of $1.02. Total revenue reached $15.35 billion, marking a 9.7% year-over-year increase and exceeding Wall Street’s projection of $15.11 billion.
The stock has experienced a remarkable ascent of approximately 58% over the trailing twelve months. Technical indicators show the 50-day moving average positioned at $82.32, while the 200-day moving average stands at $78.56 — both substantially lower than current trading levels.
Wall Street’s Perspective
UBS has reaffirmed its Buy stance heading into the earnings release and anticipates revenue landing at the upper boundary of management’s guidance range, between $15.4B and $15.6B. The investment bank also emphasized robust data center capital expenditure trends as a favorable factor.
Evercore ISI took a more aggressive approach, elevating its price objective to $110 while maintaining an Outperform designation. The firm emphasized projected expansion in artificial intelligence-related revenue streams as a critical catalyst in the years ahead.
The broader analyst community maintains an optimistic outlook. Among firms monitored by MarketBeat, three rate the stock as Strong Buy, fourteen assign a Buy rating, and eight recommend Hold.
The average price target currently stands at $90.29 — a level already surpassed by Friday’s closing price, potentially setting the stage for additional target revisions.
Wall Street Zen did shift its recommendation to Hold from Buy in March, indicating some divergence in analyst sentiment.
Shareholder Returns and Strategic Initiatives
Cisco recently enhanced its quarterly dividend distribution to $0.42 per share, an increase from the previous $0.41. The payment was distributed to shareholders on April 22nd. This adjustment brings the annualized dividend to $1.68, translating to a yield of approximately 1.7%.
Beyond financial results, Cisco has advanced several strategic initiatives. The technology company introduced a research prototype known as the Universal Quantum Switch, designed to enhance the routing capabilities of quantum computing networks.
Additionally, reports suggest the company is engaged in acquisition discussions with Astrix Security, a privately-owned Israeli cybersecurity specialist. UBS estimates the transaction value could range from $250 million to $350 million.
Regarding institutional activity, PNC Financial Services expanded its stake during the first quarter, acquiring an additional 237,187 shares to increase its total holdings beyond 6.6 million. DJE Kapital executed a more substantial purchase, adding 655,240 shares during the same timeframe. Institutional ownership currently represents 73.33% of outstanding shares.
Cisco’s market capitalization currently stands at $381.44 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.88 and a beta coefficient of 0.92.
Wall Street analysts project full-year earnings of $3.42 per share for the ongoing fiscal year.
Crypto World
US Bitcoin ETFs See $3.4 Billion Inflow Since April, Longest in 9 Months
Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded six straight weeks of net inflows through Friday, drawing $3.4 billion combined.
The run marks the longest positive streak since a seven-week stretch ended in July 2025, according to SoSoValue data.
Bitcoin ETFs Extend Inflow Streak to 6 Weeks
The week ending April 17 anchored the streak with $996.38 million in net inflows. That marked the largest weekly haul since mid-January.
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Notably, Bitcoin products outperformed other crypto ETFs over the same window. Ethereum (ETH) ETFs slipped to an $82.47 million outflow in the week ending May 1. They rebounded to $70.49 million the following week.
XRP (XRP) and Solana (SOL) funds also could not match Bitcoin’s straight run. Both recorded weekly outflows in the week ending May 1, breaking their inflow trend.
Six-Week Streak Faces Test as Buyers Step Back
The current run is close to last summer’s streak in length but trails it sharply in scale. Weekly inflows since April 2 have averaged $568 million. By comparison, the seven-week run ending July 25, 2025, averaged $1.51 billion per week and totaled $10.58 billion.
Moreover, daily flows suggest a cooling of momentum. Bitcoin ETFs posted back-to-back outflows on May 7 and May 8. That broke a five-session green run for the funds.
The funds shed $277.50 million on May 7 and another $145.65 million on May 8. Until then, daily inflows had been strong from April 30 through May 6. Net inflows on May 1 alone reached $629.73 million.
Whether the weekly streak extends to a seventh week now hinges on flows in the days ahead. The next sessions will show whether buyers return or the run ends at six.
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Crypto World
Dell (DELL) Stock Soars to Record Peak Following Presidential Endorsement
Key Takeaways
- At a White House gathering on Friday, President Trump encouraged Americans to purchase Dell products
- Dell Technologies (DELL) shares jumped as much as 14.6%, reaching an unprecedented peak of $263.99 before stabilizing near +13%
- The presidential recommendation came after Michael and Susan Dell contributed $6.25 billion to Trump’s children’s wealth program in December 2025
- Wall Street firms Mizuho and Bank of America have recently upgraded their targets for the technology stock
- Competitor Super Micro (SMCI) climbed more than 5% as well, supported by robust quarterly projections
Shares of Dell Technologies (DELL) reached unprecedented levels on Friday following President Donald Trump’s public recommendation that Americans purchase the company’s computing products during a White House gathering.
During his address, Trump expressed gratitude to the “Dell family,” praising their contributions by stating they had “done such a job.” He then added: “Go out and buy a Dell, they’re great.” Following these remarks, shares climbed as much as 14.6%, touching a historic peak of $263.99 per share before moderating to approximately 13% gains.
The presidential endorsement followed a substantial $6.25 billion contribution by Michael and Susan Dell to “Trump Accounts” in December 2025 — a federal initiative aimed at creating wealth opportunities for American children.
By 1:01 PM ET, Dell shares were changing hands at $253.64, representing a 10.15% advance for the session.
The White House backing provided additional momentum to a stock that had already been attracting favorable attention from equity analysts.
Vijay Rakesh of Mizuho elevated his price objective on DELL to $260 from $215 this Wednesday, maintaining an Outperform recommendation. Meanwhile, Bank of America increased its target to $246, with analyst Wamsi Mohan highlighting agentic AI as a significant catalyst for Dell’s equipment sales.
How AI Server Expansion Benefits Dell
Mohan elaborated that agentic AI “transforms a single discrete inferencing event into sequenced workflows, generating multiple inference events per task.” This evolution could substantially increase demand for CPU-intensive equipment — precisely the hardware Dell manufactures.
Bank of America projects Dell is well-positioned to secure a portion of the estimated $496 billion AI server marketplace.
Super Micro (SMCI) also advanced over 5% during Friday’s session. The company experienced gains earlier this week following quarterly guidance that exceeded expectations while alleviating investor concerns regarding a Department of Justice probe. Market observers cited Super Micro’s outlook as evidence of broader strength throughout the AI server industry.
Dell Technologies is scheduled to announce its Q1 FY2027 financial results on May 28.
Wall Street Price Objectives Prior to Friday’s Rally
Before Friday’s surge, Mizuho’s upgraded $260 target already represented a premium to the stock’s trading range. The new record high of $263.99 temporarily surpassed even that elevated projection.
Bank of America established its $246 price objective in late May, prior to the presidential remarks that propelled shares to even loftier levels.
Dell’s upcoming earnings announcement on May 28 represents the next major event, with market participants eager to assess AI server revenue performance.
Crypto World
Ethereum Price Prediction Eyes $7,500 as Bitmine Stacks 5.18 Million ETH While Pepeto Sails Past $9.86M
The Ethereum price prediction looks the strongest it has been all year after Bitmine Immersion Technologies revealed a 5.18 million ETH treasury worth $12.1 billion on May 4, the largest Ethereum stockpile any company holds in the world per PRNewswire.
When one firm pulls more ETH off the market than the entire daily mint produces, the supply side of the Ethereum price prediction shifts in a single direction.
While Bitmine locks ETH off the market, another Ethereum-based project is drawing smart money before listing, the Pepeto presale, which just sailed past $9.86 million at $0.0000001869 with a Binance listing approaching.
Bitmine MAVAN Staking Locks 4.36 Million ETH and Lifts the Ethereum Price Prediction
Bitmine confirmed it now has 4,362,757 ETH worth roughly $10.2 billion staked through its MAVAN platform, the institutional-grade rail it built for its own treasury and is now opening to outside investors per PRNewswire.
Tom Lee, the company’s chairman, projected $352 million in annual rewards once the full ETH balance runs through MAVAN. With one-third of all ETH already locked across the network and Ark Invest forecasting smart contract platforms above $6 trillion by 2030 per CoinMarketCap, the Ethereum price prediction lines up with a setup the market has not held at this scale before.
Pepeto Sails Past $9.86M as the Ethereum-Based Project Built for the Next Cycle
Pepeto runs on Ethereum exactly because every fresh dollar of institutional capital flows to assets on this chain, and Bitmine’s $12.1 billion treasury proves it. PepetoSwap settles every swap at zero fee while Uniswap and PancakeSwap still skim 0.3% per trade, and across a year of routing that gap saves thousands on the same volume.
That same exchange routes tokens across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana at no gas charge, so size moves between networks without bleeding into bridge costs, while the contract scanner runs a risk score on every token before any swap goes through, catching the rug before money leaves the wallet. SolidProof verified the full code base, and the cofounder who scaled the original Pepe coin to $11 billion runs Pepeto with a senior Binance executive on the team.
The presale crossed $9.86 million at $0.0000001869 with 175% APY staking compounding daily, so a $5,000 entry produces around $8,750 in rewards over twelve months while holders wait for the listing.
The Ethereum price prediction targets a 100% climb into year end, yet ETH at a $283 billion cap doubling to $5,000 is the math of a top-two asset, not the math that turns small money into life-changing capital. Pepeto carries the same listing-day setup that lifted Shiba Inu from fractions of a cent to $0.00008 in one cycle, and the wallets stacking presale rounds today already see the same shape forming on this chart.
Ethereum (ETH) Price at $2,288 as Institutional Treasuries Compress Supply
Ethereum (ETH) trades at $2,288 on May 7 per CoinMarketCap, down 2.5% over 24 hours but up 4.5% on the week as institutional flows return. ETH support sits at $2,256 with resistance at $2,460, and a daily close above that level opens the path toward the April 17 high.
Bitmine alone holds 5.18 million ETH, more than the network mints in a full year. Standard Chartered keeps a $7,500 year-end target on Ethereum, and Ark Invest sees smart contract platforms above $6 trillion by 2030.
The Ethereum price prediction reads healthy for steady accumulation, but a presale at $0.0000001869 carries listing math that ETH at this cap cannot deliver in one event.
Conclusion
Every Ethereum that Bitmine pulls into its treasury tightens the supply behind the Ethereum price prediction, and no Ethereum-based presale sits in a cleaner spot than Pepeto right now with $9.86 million raised, the SolidProof audit verified, and the Binance listing approaching.
Traders who watched Shiba Inu climb from fractions of a cent to $0.00008 and told themselves they would catch the next one, who saw Solana under a dollar and waited a few weeks for a better entry that never came, who passed on the original Pepe at $0.0000005 because the chart looked too quiet, are looking at the same exact setup today.
Pepeto at $0.0000001869 is that entry, the presale stays open while the listing approaches, staking pays 175% APY compounding daily, and once trading goes live the price closes for good and the only door left becomes buying from holders who paid presale and have no reason to sell anywhere near cost.
Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale
FAQs
What is the Ethereum price prediction for 2026 after Bitmine’s 5.18 million ETH treasury announcement?
The Ethereum price prediction for 2026 targets $5,000 to $7,500 based on Standard Chartered’s year-end call and Ark Invest’s smart contract platform forecast. ETH trades at $2,288 with Bitmine confirming 5,180,131 ETH worth $12.1 billion as the largest Ethereum treasury globally per PRNewswire.
Why is Pepeto the best Ethereum-based presale in May 2026?
Pepeto is the best Ethereum-based presale because the project ships a live zero-fee exchange, cross-chain bridge, SolidProof audit, and a Binance listing on the calendar. The presale has raised $9.86 million at $0.0000001869 with 175% APY staking compounding daily.
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
Pentagon publishes 162 UAP files including Apollo photos
The Pentagon released 162 UAP files on May 8, including NASA Apollo moon photos and 1965 astronaut audio
Summary
- The Department of War posted 162 UAP files on May 8 at war.gov/ufo, covering sightings from 1942 to 2025, with 108 of the files containing some redactions.
- The most notable documents include NASA transcripts and photographs from the Apollo 12 and 17 moon missions, with three unexplained lights visible above the lunar surface in the Apollo 17 image.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed more files will follow in rolling tranches, with the Pentagon opening a formal investigation into the Apollo 17 photograph.
The Pentagon released 162 UAP files on May 8, including NASA Apollo moon photos and 1965 astronaut audio. The files were posted at war.gov/ufo under the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, or PURSUE, carrying out a directive from President Trump to declassify government records on unidentified anomalous phenomena.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement: “These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves.” The release includes documents from the FBI, State Department, NASA, and the Department of Defense, spanning incidents from 1942 through 2025.
What the files contain
The highest-profile documents are NASA transcripts and photographs from the Apollo 12 and 17 moon missions. An Apollo 17 image shows three lights in a triangular formation above the lunar surface. New US government analysis suggests the feature may represent a physical object, and the Pentagon has opened a formal investigation, obtaining the original Apollo 17 film for full analysis.
Audio from 1965 includes astronaut Frank Borman reporting a “bogey at 10 o’clock high” from his Gemini VII capsule, and Apollo 17 Mission Commander Eugene Cernan describing a “flashing” object rotating in a rhythmic pattern several miles from his capsule. Both audio clips had circulated online for years. The original NASA transcripts appear to be new public releases.
The roughly 24 videos run 41 minutes total, showing infrared footage of objects making 90-degree turns at 80 mph over Greece in 2023, a football-shaped object near Japan, and semi-transparent shapes over Syria. Most show small white objects tracked by military cameras, with no explanatory conclusions drawn.
What the Pentagon says it is withholding
Of the 162 files, 108 contain redactions. The Pentagon confirmed no redactions were made to information about the nature or existence of any reported UAP encounter. Information withheld covers witness identities, government facility locations, and military site data unrelated to UAP.
New files will be released every few weeks on a rolling basis as materials are discovered and declassified. Former President Obama said earlier this week that the government is not hiding proof of aliens, clarifying prior comments that had circulated widely online.
Crypto World
Court Allows Arbitrum DAO to Shift $71M North Korea-Linked ETH to Aave
A Manhattan federal judge has cleared a path for Arbitrum DAO to move $71 million worth of frozen Ether to Aave LLC as part of a broader DeFi recovery effort tied to a North Korea–linked exploit. The decision, while a procedural milestone, leaves intact the terrorism victims’ claims on the funds and requires careful navigation between off-chain governance and on-chain formalities before any transfer can be completed.
Judge Margaret Garnett of the Southern District of New York issued the order on Friday, modifying a restraining notice that had locked the assets inside Arbitrum DAO. The modification enables an on-chain governance vote to authorize transferring the funds to a wallet controlled by Aave LLC and explicitly protects participants in the transfer from violating the freeze.
Importantly, the court’s ruling does not grant unfettered access to the money. The terrorism victims’ legal claim remains, meaning Aave could still be forced to hand the funds over if the court ultimately rules in the victims’ favor. The decision thus splits the path between enabling a recovery mechanism and preserving the ongoing litigation that underpins the freeze.
Key takeaways
- The SDNY order allows a transfer of $71 million in frozen ETH from Arbitrum DAO to Aave LLC, by modifying the restraining notice governing the funds.
- An on-chain Arbitrum governance vote is still required to finalize any transfer, with the off-chain Snapshot vote serving as a signaling mechanism for broad support.
- Despite the green light for the transfer process, the court retains the terrorism victims’ claim on the funds, keeping a potential return of the assets on the table depending on future rulings.
- The development sits within the broader context of Aave’s recovery plan after the Kelp DAO exploit, a saga that has dragged on across court actions and DeFi governance debates.
- The Kelp exploit left rsETH backing materially strained, raising questions about how recovery assets affect pegged stablecoins and cross-chain collateral in DeFi ecosystems.
Judicial signal as DeFi recovers a frozen stake
The ruling marks a notable juncture in the ongoing effort to unwind the aftermath of the Kelp DAO event. By permitting a governance-led move of the frozen ETH, the court acknowledges a path for asset recovery that could help compensate victims while preserving the legal framework that attributes liability to the North Korea–linked actors in the case. The decision aligns with a broader trend of courts weighing asset freezes against the practical needs of victims and lenders seeking to salvage value from compromised protocols.
The order references an off-chain governance process that had demonstrated strong support for releasing the funds to support victims and recovery efforts. In particular, Arbitrum delegates engaged in a Snapshot vote that yielded a decisive endorsement for the move, even as a binding on-chain vote remains a prerequisite for actual transfers. For readers tracking governance mechanics, this distinction—off-chain consent versus on-chain execution—remains pivotal to whether the funds can ever leave the Arbitrum DAO treasury.
For context, the on-chain step is essential to authorize the movement of assets under the protocol’s formal governance framework. In parallel, the on-chain vote would bind participants to the outcome, reducing the risk of unilateral action outside the established process. Recent reporting noted the off-chain vote’s strong majority, but emphasized that the transfer would still require a subsequent on-chain vote to take effect. See earlier coverage outlining the off-chain approval trajectory and its implications for Aave’s recovery plan. Arbitrum vote to release $71M in frozen Kelp exploit ETH set to pass
Aave’s legal pivot and the recovery roadmap
Aave’s legal push to lift the restraining notice intensified last week with an emergency motion in New York seeking to vacate the freeze and allow transfers to proceed for victims of the Kelp DAO hack. The filing contends that while North Korea-linked actors are a potential source of attribution, using that as a basis for ownership of stolen property is legally tenuous and could chill future DeFi recovery efforts if upheld.
The motion, described in filings and subsequent reporting, suggests that a broad interpretive frame—one that recognizes theft as not equating to ownership—would be essential to prevent a chilling effect on future sanctioned recoveries across DeFi protocols. The filing underscores a tension between enforcing liability for sanctioned victims and maintaining a flexible, restorative approach that enables protocols to map recoveries in real time. Aave asks court to lift restraining notice on frozen Kelp exploit ether
In related context, the legal narrative includes activity from Gerstein Harrow LLP, representing families holding substantial terrorism judgments and arguing the funds belong to their clients because of the alleged theft during the April 18 attack. The firm previously pursued claims against other DeFi entities tied to North Korea–related hacks, illustrating the broader legal front on how to handle hacked or misappropriated assets when court-ordered freezes intersect with recovery efforts. Aave deposits fall by $15B as Kelp exploit sparks flight from DeFi lender
Kelp exploit and the stubborn rsETH shortfall
The Kelp DAO incident left a notable hole in rsETH backing. The event freed 116,500 rsETH on Ethereum without a corresponding burn on the supply side, leaving 40,373 rsETH backed against 152,577 rsETH in existence, a shortfall of roughly 76,127 rsETH. At current valuations, that gap equates to about $174.5 million. The freeze of 30,765 ETH by Arbitrum represents a meaningful step toward narrowing this gap and restoring confidence in rsETH’s collateral structure, according to proponents who argue that even partial restoration can stabilize conditions for users across Arbitrum and the broader DeFi ecosystem. Joint proposal to release 71m frozen by Arbitrum moves to first vote
The unfolding sequence underscores a broader tension in DeFi: recovering value after a breach while preserving the incentives and governance mechanisms that allow protocols to adapt quickly to post-attack realities. If the current effort—partially funded by escrowed assets—helps restore rsETH’s backing, it could provide a model for coordinated recoveries that other protocols may aspire to in the future.
What to watch next in Arbitrum’s recovery playbook
The immediate next milestone is the on-chain governance vote that would authorize transferring the frozen ETH to Aave’s controlled wallet. If the on-chain vote approves, the funds would move only under the safeguards that the SDNY order imposes and subject to any lasting court determinations about the terrorism claims. Investors and users will be watching not only the vote tally but also how the court handles the ongoing claims, which could shape future DeFi recovery operations and the legal risk calculus for similar rescue efforts.
Beyond the immediate dispute, the case highlights the evolving interface between courts, DeFi governance, and recovery planning. As the industry continues to navigate hacks, sanctions, and attribution debates, observers will look for clearer frameworks that balance remedial action with accountability. The coming weeks should clarify whether the on-chain vote can proceed as envisioned and whether the court will set further boundaries on how recovered assets are allocated during protracted litigation.
For readers following the arc of DeFi recovery, the key variable remains how swiftly the on-chain governance step can be completed and how the court interprets the terrorism-claims overlay on the released funds. The next developments will reveal how flexible enforcement can be in practice when an ecosystem seeks to recover value while honoring legal claims.
In the meantime, market observers will monitor the broader implications for DeFi asset recovery, governance signaling, and cross-protocol cooperation as a template for handling similar incidents in the future.
What to watch next: the on-chain vote outcome and any subsequent court ruling that could influence the fate of the frozen funds and the framework for DeFi-based recoveries.
Crypto World
Connecticut passes sweeping AI regulation law SB5
Connecticut SB5 passed both chambers on May 1 and heads to the governor, making it one of the most comprehensive state AI laws in the US.
Summary
- Connecticut SB5 passed 131-17 in the House and 32-4 in the Senate on May 1, with Governor Lamont confirming he will sign the bill.
- The law covers AI companions, synthetic media transparency, automated employment decision tools, and frontier model developers, with staggered effective dates from October 2026.
- The law takes effect despite the Trump administration’s executive order urging states to avoid burdensome AI regulation, making Connecticut the latest state to defy federal pressure.
Connecticut SB5 passed on May 1, becoming one of the broadest state AI laws in the US. The House voted 131-17 in favor and the Senate passed it 32-4, with bipartisan support in both chambers. Governor Ned Lamont confirmed he will sign the bill, which is now formally titled the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act.
The law covers AI companions, automated employment decision tools, synthetic media provenance, and frontier model developers above defined thresholds.
First effective date is October 1, 2026. Most provisions become enforceable exclusively by the state Attorney General as unfair or deceptive trade practices, with no private right of action.
What the law requires
For employers, SB5 requires disclosure when automated tools are used in recruiting or hiring decisions and bars companies from using such tools as a defense against discrimination claims. Employment provisions take effect October 1, 2026.
AI companion rules, covering chatbots that foster emotional attachment, take effect January 2027. Generative AI systems above one million users must adopt C2PA-aligned provenance data standards.
Frontier developers must establish internal AI safety programs and protect employees who report safety concerns. As crypto.news reported, companion AI regulation has accelerated across US states in 2026 following lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Kentucky over chatbot harm.
Federal collision course
Connecticut joins California, Colorado, and others in passing AI-specific laws despite Trump’s executive order, which the White House says is intended to preempt state rules deemed burdensome.
SB5 includes a regulatory sandbox and working group, with the first meeting required by August 31, 2026, to shape implementation. As crypto.news tracked, federal agencies are simultaneously deploying AI tools to fill regulatory gaps, creating a layered enforcement environment for companies operating across state lines.
Attorney General William Tong said his February 2026 advisory to businesses signaled his office already views AI squarely within its remit. SB5 gives his office significantly expanded, purpose-built tools to act on that posture.
Crypto World
BTC falls under $80K as Bitcoin ETFs record first May outflows
U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $277.5 million in net outflows on Thursday.
Summary
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $277.5 million in outflows, ending five days of strong inflows Thursday.
- Fidelity and BlackRock led redemptions as Bitcoin slipped below $80,000 during volatile intraday trading sessions.
- Morgan Stanley’s MSBT still attracted inflows, showing uneven demand across U.S. Bitcoin ETF products Thursday.
The move ended a five-day inflow streak worth nearly $1.7 billion, according to SoSoValue data.
The reversal came as Bitcoin fell below $80,000 after trading above $82,000 a day earlier. Current market data showed Bitcoin (BTC) near $80,000, after an intraday low of $79,250.
Fidelity and BlackRock lead outflows
Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund led the daily redemptions with $129 million in outflows. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust followed with $98 million in outflows, based on Farside figures.
The outflows showed a sharp change from the early May trend. Bitcoin ETFs had drawn strong demand as Bitcoin reclaimed the $80,000 area and investors returned to spot funds after April’s recovery.
Moreover, Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin Trust ETF was one of the few funds to record inflows on the day. MSBT added $7.3 million and has not logged a daily outflow since launching on April 8, 2026.
The fund has accumulated 2,920 BTC, worth about $232.6 million. Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust was the only other Bitcoin fund to post inflows during the broader outflow day.
Ethereum ETFs and TCAN add context
Spot Ethereum ETFs also turned negative on May 7, with $104 million in net outflows. None of the ten Ethereum ETFs recorded inflows that day, according to SoSoValue data.
The ETF pullback came as 21Shares launched TCAN, the first U.S. ETF tied to Canton Coin. As previously reported by crypto.news, TCAN gives investors exposure to the Canton Network through a Nasdaq-listed product with a 0.50% gross expense ratio.
ETF demand cools after April rebound
The latest outflows followed a strong April for Bitcoin funds. Crypto.news recently reported that April closed with $2.44 billion in spot Bitcoin ETF net inflows, even after late-month outflow pressure.
The latest dip below $80,000 shows that ETF flows remain tied to price swings, profit-taking, and broader risk sentiment.
Market mood also weakened. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index moved back into “Fear” at 38 after briefly returning to “Neutral.” Bitcoin remained higher over the past 30 days, but the ETF outflow day showed that demand can fade quickly when volatility returns.
Crypto World
Bitcoin vs. The Hantavirus: Is BTC Bracing for Another ‘Black Swan’ Event?
It’s like a few wars, rising inflation, and global uncertainty are not enough these days. Now, the world needs to pay attention to another health hazard that made the news in the past few weeks: the Hantavirus, and, more precisely, the Andes virus.
Aside from the potential threats it poses to human life (which we will explore later in the article), the question raised by some analysts is whether it will affect BTC as COVID did six years ago.
Will History Repeat?
For those of our readers who might not have been around the March 2020 developments, here’s a quick recap. BTC was coming out of a long bear market, but it had failed to stage a meaningful recovery in 2019, and all eyes were on 2020 as a halving year, which historically served as a major catalyst for future gains.
However, it all changed when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, especially since it was categorized as a global hazard in March. Over a two-day trading session, BTC plummeted from over $8,000 to a multi-year low of $3,750.
Analysts such as Crypto Rover have now speculated on a similar calamity if the Hantavirus explodes. The analyst with over 1.5 million followers on X noted that the mortality rate for COVID was 1%, while the Hantavirus’s is at 40%, which could spell a lot more trouble for everyone.
WARNING: THE COVID-LIKE $BTC DUMP IS ABOUT TO REPEAT??
COVID mortality rate: ~1%
Hantavirus mortality rate: ~40%The WHO says this likely won’t become the next pandemic.
I don’t think so either.
But they said the same thing about COVID.
Eyes on Bitcoin. pic.twitter.com/F0Dar9gN0n
— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) May 8, 2026
The Differences
The history of this version of the Hantavirus, according to National Geographic, shows that it stemmed from South America and caused significant harm on a Dutch cruise ship, including several deaths so far. It comes from the Hantaviridae family of viruses, carried by rodents. In most of its versions, it cannot be transferred human-to-human. However, this particular one, which the WHO called the Andes virus, is the only known hantavirus that can jump from human to human.
Some experts said its spread is “not particularly efficient,” unlike measles and COVID, which can be transferred by viruses lingering in the air after an infected person has left the room. Andes spreads only by close contact.
“So, when you have people sleeping in the same bed, or sex partners, or people sharing food, the virus can transmit that way. But it doesn’t transmit to huge groups of individuals,” said Steven Bradfute, an immunologist and hantavirus researcher at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
Nevertheless, Bradfute, alongside other experts, such as Dr. Emily Abdoler, believes this virus should not be a main concern for most people as its spread will not be anything like COVID.
“I’m doing these interviews as a public service to try to reassure people that this shouldn’t be on their top 100 list of worries,” said Dr. Abdoler.
Hopefully, that’s true. Because we have heard similar reassurances even with COVID, which was not supposed to become a global pandemic at first. But, even if they are true (again, hopefully it’s not such a big threat), that doesn’t guarantee that markets won’t panic and overblow the potential consequences, leading to another major BTC dip.
The post Bitcoin vs. The Hantavirus: Is BTC Bracing for Another ‘Black Swan’ Event? appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Crypto World
Amazon lets AI bots pay in USDC via Coinbase x402
Coinbase x402 is now native to Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, letting AI agents pay for services in USDC without human input
Summary
- AWS launched Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments on May 7, with Coinbase x402 and wallet infrastructure embedded to give AI agents autonomous USDC payment capability.
- Agents settle transactions on Base in roughly 200 milliseconds at less than a fraction of a cent per transaction, with enterprise spending controls and compliance checks built in.
- The x402 protocol has processed more than 169 million payments across 590,000 buyers in its first year, and both AWS and Coinbase are founding members of the x402 Foundation.
Coinbase x402 is now native to Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, letting AI agents pay for services in USDC without human input. AWS announced Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments on May 7, describing it as the first time a major cloud provider has built crypto micropayments directly into an agent infrastructure platform.
Stripe is also integrated at preview, with agents able to choose between a Coinbase or Stripe wallet funded in stablecoins or fiat.
The system runs on x402, an open HTTP-native payment protocol that uses the “Payment Required” status code to allow machines to transact over standard web infrastructure.
Settlement happens on Base with USDC in about 200 milliseconds at less than a fraction of a cent per transaction. Agents never access private keys. A single API call handles wallet authentication, transaction signing, and payment execution.
What agents can actually pay for
Developers can connect agents to thousands of x402-enabled services through Coinbase’s MCP integration inside AgentCore Gateway. Supported providers at launch include Exa, Messari, and Browserbase, covering search, real-time data, evaluation runs, and backend setup tasks. Agents pay only for what they use, with no subscriptions or checkout flows.
Brian Foster, Head of Infrastructure Growth at Coinbase, said: “There will soon be more AI agents transacting than humans, and they need money that’s built for the internet — programmable, always on, and global.”
As crypto.news reported, BNB Chain surpassed 150,000 autonomous AI agent deployments in April, a 43,750% increase since January, establishing a parallel infrastructure race for AI agent commerce across blockchains.
Why x402 matters for crypto adoption
The x402 protocol has processed more than 169 million payments across 590,000 buyers and 100,000 sellers in its first year. AWS and Coinbase are both founding members of the x402 Foundation, alongside Cloudflare, which joined in September 2025.
As crypto.news tracked, Coinbase AgentKit has been building toward this integration for months, giving developers pre-built tools to equip AI agents with wallets and transaction capability across multiple blockchains.
Warner Bros. Discovery is already testing AgentCore and said it sees potential for agent-driven transactions covering live sports and major entertainment releases.
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