The US Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed the expected launch of the first exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to prediction markets after requesting more information about their structure and disclosures, Reuters reported Monday.

The delay affects more than two dozen proposed ETFs from Roundhill Investments, GraniteShares and Bitwise, according to Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter. The issuers filed for the products in February, and launches had been expected this week after a 75-day review period.

The proposed funds would give investors exposure to event contracts tied to binary outcomes, including elections, economic data and market prices, without requiring them to trade directly on prediction market venues such as Kalshi.

The delay marks another development in the US approach to regulating prediction markets, which have attracted scrutiny over insider trading, ethics and market manipulation concerns.

“Delay is likely temporary”

According to the sources cited by Reuters, the delay is likely temporary, suggesting that progress with the filings could resume once the SEC receives and reviews additional details from issuers on product structure and disclosures.

According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, the ETFs were expected to launch on Thursday. His colleague James Seyffart last week said Roundhill’s filing had an effective date of May 5, with the first prediction market ETFs linked to event-contract outcomes such as whether Democrats or Republicans control the House or Senate.

Source: James Seyffart

How prediction market ETFs would work

Prediction market ETFs are designed to give investors exposure to binary event contracts without requiring them to trade on specialized prediction markets platforms.

Specific features differ across more than 20 of the proposed ETFs, but the products generally use derivatives to track the odds of binary “yes” or “no” outcomes in underlying contracts traded on CFTC-regulated platforms such as Kalshi. These contracts settle at $1 if an event occurs and $0 if it does not.

Roundhill previously highlighted significant risks associated with the proposed ETFs in its February filings, stating that investments in event contracts involve “unique risks that differ from those associated with traditional futures, options or securities.”

Related: A16z sides with CFTC against states seeking to ban prediction markets

The company said such investments could result in significant losses, valuation uncertainty and deviations from the fund’s investment objective.

It also pointed to potential settlement issues tied to how event outcomes are interpreted, including errors, ambiguities or disputes over the definition of the underlying event, the data sources used or the timing of determination.

Magazine: How to fix suspected insider trading on Polymarket and Kalshi

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Key Highlights

• Mastercard joins Rain’s stablecoin-powered payment ecosystem
• Partnership follows Rain’s recent $250M Series C fundraise
• Credit and prepaid card capabilities now available through Mastercard rails
• Rain diversifies beyond Visa-exclusive infrastructure
• Integration strengthens institutional on-chain settlement options

Rain has secured a strategic alliance with Mastercard, broadening its stablecoin payment infrastructure beyond its initial Visa-focused approach. This collaboration introduces credit and prepaid card functionality while enabling stablecoin-based settlements across Mastercard’s extensive network. The partnership positions Rain to capture growing institutional demand for blockchain-integrated payment solutions.

Mastercard Integration Expands Rain’s Payment Capabilities

Through this collaboration, Rain will launch Mastercard-branded credit and prepaid cards designed for institutional payment applications. This development diversifies Rain’s Stablecoin Card offering, which previously concentrated on Visa network integrations. Organizations can now implement stablecoin settlement infrastructure without overhauling their established payment workflows.

According to Rain, the Mastercard collaboration addresses needs of enterprises committed to specific payment networks. Rain manages on-chain treasury operations, currency conversion, and settlement processes invisibly. This architecture maintains familiar card usage patterns while leveraging stablecoins for backend payment processing.

The fintech startup secured $250 million through its Series C round at a $1.95 billion valuation recently. This capital injection provides resources to expand Stablecoin Card infrastructure significantly. The Mastercard arrangement represents a concrete application of that growth capital.

Blockchain Payments Gain Institutional Traction

Rain initially developed its platform around Visa programs utilizing on-chain stablecoin settlement. The Mastercard collaboration marks a strategic evolution toward multi-network capabilities. This expansion enhances Stablecoin Card accessibility for diverse corporate and institutional audiences.

Mastercard has accelerated its blockchain payment initiatives, including stablecoin settlement experiments. The payments giant has collaborated with organizations including Circle and Paxos on tokenized settlement trials. Additionally, its Multi-Token Network has facilitated broader blockchain payment applications.

These developments illustrate stablecoins’ evolution beyond cryptocurrency speculation. Today they facilitate settlement operations, treasury transfers, merchant transactions, and card-based spending. The Stablecoin Card framework bridges blockchain infrastructure with conventional payment experiences.

Enterprise Payment Solutions Drive Rain’s Strategy

Rain aims to provide enterprises with turnkey compliant card program solutions. The Stablecoin Card framework enables users to spend digital balances through established card networks. Rain orchestrates stablecoin conversion and settlement behind the user interface.

The Mastercard collaboration could attract enterprises hesitant to abandon existing card infrastructure. It offers these organizations a pathway toward stablecoin settlement without complex migrations. Additionally, it connects Rain with businesses already invested in Mastercard ecosystems.

Stripe and Coinbase have similarly integrated stablecoins into payment, commerce, and disbursement products. Rain therefore operates in an expanding market where stablecoins address tangible business requirements. Its Stablecoin Card offering now competes in a payment landscape gravitating toward accelerated settlement.

Rain’s Mastercard integration signals meaningful progress in stablecoin payment mainstream adoption. The platform now connects both Visa and Mastercard infrastructures with blockchain settlement capabilities. This dual-network strategy positions the Stablecoin Card as fundamental to Rain’s vision for next-generation payment infrastructure.

 

Ranking 10th globally in crypto casino while still in Beta is a number worth pausing on. Spartans.com produced $1 billion in wagers, $40 million in Gross Gaming Revenue, and 27,000 first-time depositors in 60 days, then signed a multi-million dollar exclusive iGaming partnership with Real American Freestyle.

In the broader crypto market, Monero’s XMR is trading around $346 to $375, with a THORChain integration targeting mainnet within one to two months of April 10. ZCash’s ZEC surged 47% in a week before pulling back, with developers patching four critical node vulnerabilities on April 17. The top crypto casinos conversation looks very different when you place Beta metrics alongside privacy coin movements.

Monero: XMR Around $346 as THORChain Integration Approaches

Monero’s XMR is trading at approximately $346 to $375 in April 2026, with a 1.73% daily gain as of the most recent data. The most significant near-term development is the planned THORChain integration, with simulation tests having passed and mainnet deployment targeted within one to two months of April 10, 2026. The integration will enable cross-chain swaps and liquidity for XMR without centralized intermediaries, directly countering the impact of exchange delistings that have pressured Monero’s accessibility.

On April 16, the Qubic network began phase two of its planned migration away from Monero mining toward Dogecoin, with computers required to choose between legacy XMR mode or new DOGE mode starting from epoch 209. The migration raises network security questions around the hash rate distribution. On April 14, trading platform Margex added XMR as a collateral asset, signaling continued institutional utility for the privacy coin. Analysts are targeting a bullish breakout above $360, with longer-term projections toward $820 by late 2026.

ZCash: ZEC Up 30% in a Month Before Pulling Back

ZCash’s ZEC is trading between approximately $310 and $335 in April 2026, having surged 47% in a single week earlier in the month before pulling back. On April 17, developers urgently patched four critical vulnerabilities in zcashd and Zebra nodes, including one in Orchard action-encoding where a crafted transaction with an all-zeros key could instantly crash any reachable full node. The coordinated disclosure and rapid deployment by major mining pools before public release were noted by analysts as effective crisis management.

On April 21, ZEC fell below $335 as open interest dropped sharply from $763 million to $560 million, indicating longs being closed. A 406% increase in ZEC spot volume on Coinbase earlier in the month had signaled intense buyer interest. The broader Zcash roadmap published in April 2026 focuses on post-quantum security, a new cashZ wallet, and consensus protocol upgrades. Analysts note ZEC is up 30% over a month, driven by privacy demand, though EU regulatory ban risks loom.

Spartans.com: the Exclusive RAF Partnership That Tells You Where This Is Going

Spartans Casino is currently ranked 10th globally in crypto casino, achieved entirely during its Beta phase and before any global marketing push. The platform recorded $1 billion in wagers and $40 million in Gross Gaming Revenue across just 60 days in Beta. Those are not metrics typically associated with platforms that have not yet officially launched. They are operating metrics produced before August 1, 2026, the date when Spartans Casino opens to a worldwide audience with a stated goal of reaching the number one position in global crypto casino rankings by year’s end.

The RAF exclusive iGaming partnership announced in April 2026 adds the brand visibility layer that Beta performance alone cannot deliver. The 12-month, multi-million dollar deal names Spartans.com the exclusive iGaming partner of Real American Freestyle, giving it mat presence and main event ownership across every event, including RAF09 on May 30 in Dallas. RAF generates over 250 million social views per event and streams exclusively on FOX Nation. The runway from 10th to first runs directly through the most significant growth period for both brands.

The product supporting that ambition is fully competitive. Spartans Casino’s $7 million monthly leaderboard is the largest in the world, distributing $25,000 daily with zero wagering requirements. The 33% CashRake system delivers up to 33% rakeback plus 3% cashback as real cash. Spartans Casino supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and multiple additional cryptocurrencies, with instant withdrawal infrastructure. For the top crypto casinos conversation, no other platform is combining a 10th global ranking in Beta with an exclusive professional sports partnership and a global launch four months away.

Conclusion

Monero’s THORChain integration is a credible liquidity and accessibility play for a privacy coin facing exchange headwinds. ZCash’s security response and post-quantum roadmap reflect a technically serious project, though price volatility and regulatory risk remain real.

Spartans.com enters this comparison ranked 10th globally without a global launch, backed by $40 million in Beta GGR, an exclusive multi-million dollar RAF deal, and a product built to reach number one by December 2026. Among the top crypto casinos, that pre-launch position is without precedent.

Find Out More About Spartans:

Website: https://spartans.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spartans/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/SpartansBet

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpartansBet

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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.

Key Highlights

• BMNR shares surge 4.16% following disclosure of 5.18M ETH treasury position

• Company’s total assets reach $13.1B including cryptocurrency and cash reserves

• Staking operations now generate $297M in annualized revenue from 4.36M ETH

• Weekly acquisition of 101,745 ETH marks fourth consecutive week of accelerated buying

• Bitmine now controls approximately 4.29% of Ethereum’s circulating supply

Shares of Bitmine Immersion Technologies advanced during Monday’s trading session following the company’s announcement of expanded Ethereum treasury holdings and substantial staking revenue. BMNR stock closed at $22.79, reflecting a gain of $0.91, or 4.16%, after bouncing back from an early session low around $21.88. The equity climbed above the $23.00 threshold later in the day as investors responded positively to the strategic ETH accumulation.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc., BMNR

Company Accelerates Ethereum Accumulation Strategy

Bitmine disclosed that its Ethereum treasury position stood at 5,180,131 ETH as of May 3. Management calculated the position’s value using $2,336 per ETH. The firm confirmed this holding now accounts for roughly 4.29% of Ethereum’s entire circulating supply.

This disclosure brings the company significantly closer to its publicly announced goal of controlling 5% of all ETH in circulation. During the previous seven-day period, Bitmine added 101,745 ETH to its reserves. Leadership noted this purchase continued an accelerated acquisition pattern that has persisted for four consecutive weeks.

Management positioned this accumulation strategy within the context of Ethereum’s expanding role in asset tokenization and public blockchain infrastructure. The firm also highlighted ETH’s growing importance in AI-integrated commerce platforms. These strategic justifications provided additional support for BMNR stock’s positive price movement during the session.

Staking Operations Generate Substantial Revenue Stream

Bitmine reported that 4,362,757 ETH had been deployed in staking activities as of May 3. The company assessed this staked allocation at approximately $10.2 billion. This represents over 84% of the firm’s complete Ethereum holdings.

According to the announcement, current staking activities generate $297 million in annualized revenue. Furthermore, management indicated that full deployment through MAVAN and associated partner networks could increase annual rewards to $352 million. MAVAN refers to the Made in America Validator Network.

The company developed MAVAN primarily to facilitate its internal Ethereum treasury staking requirements. However, management revealed plans to extend MAVAN services to institutional investors, digital asset custodians, and blockchain ecosystem collaborators. This expansion positions the staking infrastructure as a revenue-generating service beyond internal operations.

Diversified Asset Base and Recent Transaction Activity

Bitmine disclosed combined holdings of approximately $13.1 billion across cryptocurrency, cash equivalents, and other publicly traded securities. This portfolio encompasses 5.18 million ETH, 200 BTC, and $700 million in cash reserves. Additionally, the company maintains a $200 million equity position in Beast Industries.

The firm also disclosed an $83 million investment in Eightco Holdings, which operates under the ticker symbol ORBS on the Nasdaq exchange. These diversified holdings demonstrate that Bitmine’s treasury management extends beyond exclusive Ethereum concentration. Nevertheless, ETH accumulation remains the central pillar of the company’s financial strategy.

The treasury update arrived shortly after another over-the-counter transaction between the Ethereum Foundation and Bitmine. The foundation transferred 10,000 ETH to the company at an average execution price of $2,292 per token. This represented the third documented OTC Ethereum sale from the foundation to Bitmine within the past two months.

 

Are stablecoins stable? Come on, it’s in the name!

Of course, the crypto industry has certainly seen categories misnamed. Anyone remember NuBits? Surely you lost money in Terra? Just last year, DeFi stables, including Synthetix and Ethena, lost their peg. And even robust stablecoins like Circle’s USDC and Tether have seen temporary depegging over the years.

It appears basic questions about stablecoins might actually uncover important lines of inquiry, especially as they relate to the structural risks of a nascent technology. As industries look to adopt stablecoins — sometimes even bypassing the much more battle-tested traditional financial system — it’s probably worth revisiting the answers to these basic questions.

During CoinDesk University’s School of Stablecoins, happening at Consensus 2026, May 5-7 in Miami, we’ll dig under the surface of these questions to give you a strong understanding of why stablecoins are the future and how to implement them into your business to reap benefits.

What is a stablecoin, and how is it different from Bitcoin?

Sam Broner, Founder of the Better Money Company, told CoinDesk he still gets these questions regularly. Bottom line, then: we’re still so early in this technology’s lifecycle. Whereas a stablecoin is a cryptocurrency that keeps a consistent price by being pegged to an asset, like the U.S. dollar, bitcoin’s price moves up and down depending on supply and demand.

Why can’t I just use fiat?

This is a deceptively important question. The idea behind stablecoins, and cryptocurrency broadly, is that it was built for this internet age we now live in. Money should be like the internet — global, real-time, programmable and composable. This innovates on the often clunky architecture of the traditional financial system, where decades of band-aids on an archaic core infrastructure have led to high fees, slow settlement, and inflexible services. So you can use fiat, but during our sessions, we think you’ll be persuaded that stablecoins are the future.

What keeps a stablecoin’s price at $1?

Just like fiat (and crypto), there are different types of stablecoins.

Some keep their peg by having the same amount of collateral in dollars (or euros or whatever fiat they choose) in their coffers. This mechanism design is called fiat collateralized, and it’s how stablecoins like USDC work — they’re backed 100% by cash or cash equivalent assets and are actually redeemable 1:1 with those.

Other stablecoins have what is known as overcollateralization, like DAI. MakerDAO’s stablecoin DAI is backed by overcollateralized loans: it keeps its dollar peg by locking other assets in contracts as collateral for DAI creation.

The last, and slightly controversial, type of stablecoins rely on algorithmic stabilization — that is, computer algorithms are built to manage the supply and demand so that a coin stays pegged to $1. While this is certainly an interesting tech that will continue to be innovated upon, it’s also led to huge failures, subsequently wiping out millions of dollars from the ecosystem.

Still confused? Join any of our CoinDesk University’s School of Stablecoins sessions to talk to the people actually building the stablecoin technology for consumers and businesses.

Who actually holds the money?

With fully backed stablecoins, the issuer holds the money. However, that doesn’t mean that a stablecoin issuer has a bank account and deposits $1 at a time when a new stablecoin is minted.

Instead, fiat-backed stablecoin reserves are usually held by custodians like BlackRock or BNY Mellon. And since each stablecoin issuer decides what their collateral looks like — whether it’s cash or other highly liquid assets — the type of custodian they use will vary based on what actually makes up the reserve.

For overcollateralized stables or coins with algorithmic backing, the issuers usually hold their version of reserves in smart contracts or blockchain-based wallets.

How do I get a stablecoin?

“Even established banks, fintechs, and payment companies that move millions of dollars in transactions every day ask this,” says Better Money Company’s Broner. “And it’s a fair question, because the on-ramps aren’t always obvious.”

So don’t feel embarrassed if you have to ask again. In the cryptocurrency industry, there are exchanges, wallet providers, custodians, payment platforms, plus decentralized and centralized versions of all those. The answer depends on what you’re trying to do with the cryptocurrency after acquiring it.

During CoinDesk University’s School of Stablecoins, you’ll hear from experts in the field about the digital storefronts you can patronize to get your hands on stables and what you can do with them afterward.

What happens if everyone redeems their stablecoins at once?

The U.S. dollar was on the gold standard until 1971 — that meant that you could walk into your bank and demand an equal amount of gold in exchange for dollars at any time. If you did that now, you’d be laughed out of the bank. But fiat-based stablecoins actually still work this way.

If you own a USD-backed stable that’s 100% collateralized, you can redeem it for dollars at any time. If every single person that owned that USD-backed stable went to the issuer to get their dollars at the exact same time (a probabilistic nightmare), hypothetically, everyone would get their money back — it just might not be instantaneous.

As the stablecoin market has grown, issuers have moved away from full cash reserves and instead are filling their reserves with Treasury notes and bonds, all of which should be highly liquid. But as the Silicon Valley Bank collapse showed, when people “run on a bank” that holds stablecoins, the dollar peg can get a little shaky.

What if the government bans stablecoins?

This isn’t as far-fetched as it might sound. In the U.S., the long-awaited CLARITY Act has been held up by unresolved issues, such as banning stablecoin yield (a rightfully tetchy issue). Businesses using stablecoins have been wary of keeping on the right side of regulation, even while getting mixed signals from Washington.

Whether CLARITY ends up passing or not, there’s still a lot to be aware of when using stablecoins in the U.S.. It’s why we invited the Blockchain Association and some of its partners to break down exactly what your business needs to know about policy and compliance.

Are stablecoins safe?

You’ve read the headlines of people losing millions of dollars of cryptocurrency, whether by losing their private keys, having invested in a scam or a project that gets hacked. As we mentioned above, depending on what type of stablecoin you’re investing in, there may be more or less risks associated.

According to Broner, though, that’s rapidly changing as legislation, such as the GENIUS Act, is passed, mandating that stablecoin issuers hold safe collateral as reserves and introducing federal oversight and transparency requirements.

“For an industry trying to earn mainstream confidence, that’s exactly the foundation you need,” Broner says.

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Join us live at Consensus 2026 for our School of Stablecoins workshop series to learn more about how you can implement this new payment method for faster, cheaper, more programmable transactions in this new era of business.

Major Wall Street operator Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) said Monday it will begin limited production trades of tokenized securities in July, with a broader launch of its platform set for October.

The service, built within DTCC’s Depository Trust Company, will allow firms to issue digital versions of assets already held in custody, while keeping the same ownership rights and protections, according to the press release.

The system is being shaped with input from more than 50 firms, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and crypto-native companies like Anchorage and Circle, the firm said.

The effort marks one of the most concrete timelines yet from a core piece of market infrastructure moving into blockchain-based settlement. DTCC sits at the center of U.S. markets, processing trillions of trades daily and serving as custodian of more than $114 trillion in securities.

Tokenization — the process of representing assets such as stocks or bonds on a blockchain — has drawn growing interest among traditional financial institutions. Advocates say it can reduce settlement times, cut costs and open markets to new participants.

“We believe tokenization will significantly change how markets work and operate, bringing new levels of liquidity, transparency and efficiency to investors,” said Frank La Salla, DTCC President and CEO.

Wall Street’s tokenization push

DTCC’s move comes as other Wall Street operators are pushing towards tokenization.

Nasdaq is working on a framework for companies to issue blockchain-based shares and is partnering with the parent company of crypto exchange operator Kraken to distribute them globally, with a potential launch as early as 2027. Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange, has also backed plans for tokenized stocks through a deal with crypto platform OKX, aiming to tap into its large user base.

These efforts reflect a wider race to build what some call an “everything exchange,” where stocks, bonds and digital assets trade on shared infrastructure.

DTCC has gradually been building toward this moment. The firm has tested distributed ledger systems for years and has joined projects like the institution-focused Canton Network (CC). In December, it obtained a no-action letter from the SEC, allowing it to offer tokenization services for a defined set of assets, including Russell 1000 stocks, ETFs and U.S. Treasuries.

Read more: Here is why Nasdaq and owner of NYSE are putting the $126 trillion equity market on blockchain

It has cost Michael Saylor-founded Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) 10 figures to flip its 11-figure loss from February back into positive territory this month and eke out a 1% annual rate of return since his company started buying bitcoin (BTC).

On May 1, BTC rallied above the company’s then-$75,537 average cost basis. Last night, it extended that rally above $80,000 per coin.

Strategy’s holdings had an $11.5 billion unrealized loss as of February 6, 2026; with BTC trading at $80,000 last night, Strategy now has an unrealized gain of $3.7 billion.

To service this investment, however, Strategy pays far more than a few basis points of trading commissions. To the contrary, the company has paid over $1 billion to operate its incredibly complex operations that funded these purchases.

Over $1 billion to buy Strategy’s bitcoin

All-in, it has cost Strategy over $1 billion, beyond the cost of the BTC itself, to purchase its BTC treasury.

In the five years since 2020, the first year Strategy bought BTC, the company has reported $259 million in net interest expenses to service its indebtedness, plus $381 million of dividends to its preferred shareholders. Issuance costs associated with compensating the brokerages and investment bankers for raising that capital added another $163 million.

Add $319 million of company-wide equity-based compensation over those five years, most of which went to executives and board members who pivoted the company from software sales to BTC buys, and the tally exceeds $1.1 billion.

Read more: Michael Saylor’s Strategy lost $1.2 billion buying bitcoin in Q1

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Even ignoring the executive compensation involved in directing and managing BTC buys would still yield a figure above $1 billion. Indeed, during the first four months of 2026, the company has also paid over $8 million in additional interest payments to bondholders plus over $300 million in dividends to preferred shareholders.

Paying approximately $1 billion to lose $11.5 billion before an asset luckily rallied to recoup those losses is certainly an obtrusive investing strategy.

Just believe bitcoin will rally more

Of course, Saylor justifies this extravagantly expensive bet on BTC by repeatedly claiming that BTC is supposed to rally at least 30% a year for the next decade. If it does, he argues, all of these expenses will have been worth it.

In fact, he erroneously believes BTC has already exceeded his target over the trailing five years.

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Specifically, on April 30, 2026, Peter McCormack failed to correct Michael Saylor’s claim that the average rate of return (ARR) of BTC over the five prior years was 39% annually. 

“What’s the bitcoin performance for the past 5 years? 39%,” Saylor inaccurately claimed. “Ever since we got in this business, bitcoin has appreciated 39% a year ARR.”

In fact, for the five years prior to April 30, 2026, the ARR of BTC was 6%.

Even extending the timeframe to nearly six years prior — August 10, 2020 to be precise, which is the date of Strategy’s first BTC purchase — the ARR figure rises to a mere 36% and is still shy of Saylor’s loudly proclaimed number.

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Strategy paid $1 billion to generate 1% annually

Moreover, the return of BTC since August 10, 2020, is not the investment return of Strategy’s BTC, which is nowhere close to 36%. Instead, Strategy’s holdings have been negative for many months of Saylor’s trade due to him buying in at high prices.

Hang on a second, if $BTC‘s average return is 39% per year, how are you only up 3% in the last 6 years? 🤔

Your cost average is 76K, you pay 10-11.5% per year on borrowed money. Only 3% return means you’re net negative

Where is the strategy in Strategy Michael Saylor? 🤪$MSTR https://t.co/KxaRddj2sr pic.twitter.com/YFsF9yOUjX

— Financelot (@FinanceLancelot) May 1, 2026

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In total, the company has only earned 5.9% with BTC trading at $80,000 per coin. Worse, it has taken the company 5.7 years to achieve that 5.9%, meaning its actual ARR is just 1%.

In summary, Strategy has paid closing costs, commissions, compliance staff, executive compensation, interest, and dividends exceeding $1 billion to service more than five years of financial engineering to buy BTC. For these 10 figures worth of expenditures, Strategy has achieved annual investing returns of 1% with BTC trading at $80,000.

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Dubai, UAE, May 5, 2026 – ZIGChain, the blockchain built to bring regulated investment products onchain for everyday users, today reflected on its second annual ZIGChain Summit, a defining gathering for the future of onchain finance, held on 28 April at the The Meydan Hotel, Dubai.

Organised in partnership with Disrupt and streamed live on Cointelegraph, the summit brought together institutions, builders, regulators, and capital allocators from across the GCC and global markets under one shared conviction: that the shift from exploration to execution in onchain finance has already begun.

Nothing compounds alone

The summit’s central theme, Nothing Compounds Alone, set the tone for a programme built around coordinated progress. Each session was designed not as another discussion but as a mechanism for alignment: bringing capital, technology, and regulation into the same room so that decisions happen earlier and execution compounds faster.

The eight-session programme moved through the full arc of the ecosystem’s evolution from foundational infrastructure and the UAE’s regulatory advantage, to startup formation, fintech integration, tokenization and capital markets, and the next frontier for onchain finance. Throughout, product launches, strategic partnerships, and ecosystem announcements were unveiled, reflecting the momentum behind ZIGChain’s growing institutional pipeline.

An event built for execution

This year’s speaker roster brought together some of the most consequential voices in institutional digital finance. Participants included Dr. Saeeda Jaffar of Circle, Jez Mohideen, CEO and Co-Founder of Laser Digital, Dino Ibric, Deputy CEO of Swissquote MEA, Christiane El Habre, Regional Managing Director of Apex Group, Ramana Kumar from ADI, Faisal Al Hammadi from Further Ventures, Abhi, and Peter Tavener, CEO and Co-Founder of Beehive, among a broader cohort of operators, founders, and regulators.

What distinguished the room was intent. Every participant was either deploying capital into onchain infrastructure, building the protocols that underpin it, or designing the regulatory environment around it. The UAE’s multi-regulator framework — spanning VARA, the DFSA, and FSRA — provided the backdrop for substantive, compliance-first discussion about what institutional adoption at scale actually looks like.

“ZIGChain exists because wealth at scale doesn’t happen in isolation,” said Abdul Rafay Gadit, Co-Founder, ZIGChain. “The partnerships, the infrastructure, the capital, all of it has to move together. Our progress so far proved that they are. What we showcased, across these sessions and across every announcement made on the day, is a compounding ecosystem that grows stronger with each new connection, where every player has a role in driving the future. That’s what the next chapter of onchain finance looks like.”

Ecosystem momentum on full display

The summit served as a natural culmination of a period of significant ecosystem activity for ZIGChain. In the weeks leading into the event, the network announced a strategic partnership with Beehive — the Middle East’s pioneering DFSA-regulated SME funding platform — to explore the tokenization of private credit in the UAE. Valdora Finance, a non-custodial liquid staking protocol, had also deployed on ZIGChain, bringing liquid, composable access to institutional-grade real-world asset yield strategies through its Liquid RWA Vaults. 

These announcements, combined with the summit’s programme of new partnership and product reveals, underscored ZIGChain’s position as the infrastructure layer through which regulated, institutional-grade investment products are being brought onchain at scale across the GCC and beyond.

ZIGChain’s broader institutional pipeline continues to grow, supported by a regulation-ready architecture, cross-chain interoperability, and a growing roster of ecosystem partners spanning private credit origination, asset management, digital custody, and onchain yield infrastructure.

The UAE as the world’s onchain capital 

A recurring theme across the day was the UAE’s unique position at the convergence of capital, regulation, and digital asset infrastructure. The country’s progressive multi-regulator approach — with VARA, the DFSA, and FSRA providing layered, complementary frameworks — has created the conditions for institutional capital to move onchain with confidence. Dubai, in particular, has emerged as the jurisdiction where that convergence is most visible and most active.

ZIGChain Summit 2026 made that convergence tangible by bringing the builders, the allocators, and the regulators together in one room and demonstrating that the infrastructure is not only ready, but already in use.

ZIGChain thanks all speakers, partners, attendees, and the broader ecosystem for their participation in ZIGChain Summit 2026. Recordings of the main stage programme, streamed live via Cointelegraph, are available to the global community.

About ZIGChain

ZIGChain is a Layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for regulated, institutional-grade investment opportunities onchain. It provides the infrastructure for institutions to launch compliant financial products, enabling retail participants to access them alongside institutional capital.

Learn more at zigchain.com.

This publication is provided by the client. The text below is a paid press release that is not part of Cointelegraph.com independent editorial content. The text has undergone editorial review to ensure quality and relevance, it may not reflect the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.com. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the company. Disclosure.