The U.S. Senate is turning its attention to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY) as an anticipated Thursday markup approaches, with lawmakers weighing a text that broadens the framework for crypto market structure while surfacing questions about unrelated policy provisions. The version released by three Republican senators—marking what they say is a product of ongoing negotiations with Democratic colleagues—follows earlier drafts from mid-2025 and represents a step in recent intensive discussions over stablecoin yield and market structure governance.

According to the U.S. Senate Banking Committee release, the text will guide committee deliberations on how digital assets are supervised and regulated in the broader financial system. The bill’s release came after negotiations that extended into fall 2025, with lawmakers signaling bipartisan momentum for a markup on the measure. In parallel, some Democrats have pressed for accompanying ethics provisions to address conflicts of interest, linking the crypto policy debate to wider concerns about governance and integrity in financial legislation. As reported, the dynamics remain delicate, with discussions framed by a balance between industry structure, investor protections, and legislative oversight.

Notably, the final pages of the draft contain a housing policy element—the Build Now Act—that would create a pilot program intended to incentivize housing development within select Community Development Block Grant participating jurisdictions. This inclusion has surprised some observers, given that the core text centers on market structure for digital assets rather than housing, and has sparked questions about Senate Democrats’ appetite for attaching broader policy measures to crypto legislation. The section-by-section summary indicates the housing provisions are designed to pilot development initiatives, which could influence the overall legislative package and its political reception.

Senators Tim Scott, Cynthia Lummis, and Thom Tillis have portrayed the text as a product of ongoing bipartisan talks with their Democratic colleagues, signaling a readiness to move toward a markup on Thursday. Yet, in public comment, some Senate Democrats, including Kirsten Gillibrand, have urged that the bill not reach the floor without explicit ethics language addressing potential conflicts of interest. The tension was summarized by party-line perspectives and positioned to shape the upcoming procedural path for CLARITY.

“We have worked too hard on this bill to give up now,” said Senator Angela Alsobrooks, who sits on the banking committee and helped broker a stablecoin yield compromise with Tillis. “My hope is to get to a bipartisan markup on Thursday with a compromise on ethics.”

In the broader policy conversation, the CLARITY Act is frequently described as a vehicle to clarify and potentially expand the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) oversight role in the digital-asset space, a shift often discussed in relation to where the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would or would not have jurisdiction. The legislative journey has included prior committee activity—most notably, the Senate Agriculture Committee’s January markup advancing its version of the bill—but full passage remains contingent on Banking Committee action, Senate floor votes, and eventual reconciliation with the House of Representatives. The cross-chamber process mirrors the complexity of other crypto-related legislation, including past bipartisan outcomes on related measures such as stablecoin infrastructure and cross-border policy alignment.

Key takeaways

• The CLARITY Act text has been released ahead of a scheduled Senate Banking Committee markup, signaling renewed bipartisan engagement on digital-asset market structure and regulatory oversight.
• A housing-related provision—the Build Now Act—appears in the later pages of the draft, introducing a pilot program to incentivize housing development in certain Community Development Block Grant jurisdictions. The policy’s inclusion in a crypto bill raises questions about legislative scope and sequencing.
• The bill explicitly prohibits paying interest or yield on payment-stablecoins, with narrow exceptions for bona fide activities or transactions that are not economically or functionally equivalent to interest-bearing deposits. This provision directly shapes how stablecoin models may be structured or marketed in the United States.
• Provisions drawn from the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act aim to shield software developers from traditional money-transmitter requirements, a topic closely watched by DeFi and open-source development advocates.
• Advocacy and enforcement dynamics center on the balance between empowering the CFTC and maintaining appropriate guardrails. Ethic provisions remain a point of contention among lawmakers, with some Democrats insisting on clear ethics language before advancing.
• The overall legislative path remains complex: Agriculture Committee approval has occurred, but the Banking Committee, Senate floor, and House reconciliation are still prerequisites for any final enactment. Previous crypto measures have demonstrated that bipartisan support can be achievable but not guaranteed on procedural or policy grounds.

CLARITY Act: structure, scope, and regulatory intent

At its core, the CLARITY Act seeks to redefine regulatory posture for digital assets by clarifying which agency takes primary supervisory responsibility and by spelling out market-structure rules that would govern issuance, trading, and settlement of crypto instruments. A central element, as outlined in the text, is a prohibition on paying interest or yield on payment stablecoins. The prohibition is not absolute, however; the text allows incentives or rewards that are based on bona fide activities or bona fide transactions and that are not economically or functionally equivalent to paying interest on an interest-bearing bank deposit. The structure of this prohibition will influence how stablecoins are designed and marketed, potentially shaping issuer strategies and user expectations for on-chain payments and settlements.

In addition, the bill incorporates language from the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, a provision designed to shield developers of blockchain software from being treated as money transmitters under existing statutes. This element is of particular interest to DeFi ecosystems and other open-source projects, which have long argued that broad money-transmitter designations could chill innovation. Proponents argue that such protection helps maintain near-term operational viability for developers while still enabling appropriate regulatory oversight over the broader ecosystem.

Regulatory and enforcement implications extend beyond the CFTC’s jurisdictional purview. The measure is framed in a way that could influence how responsible actors—exchanges, issuers, and liquidity providers—structure products, comply with AML/KYC requirements, and interact with banking partners. The plan to tilt certain supervisory responsibilities toward the CFTC reflects ongoing debates about investor protection versus innovation, a dynamic that has repeatedly surfaced in discussions around MiCA-equivalent regimes and U.S. market architecture.

As part of the broader policy conversation, a number of lawmakers and advocacy groups have highlighted the need for practical guardrails. The DeFi Education Fund, for example, pointed to the software-developer protections as a meaningful step toward reducing friction for compliant developers. In public commentary, the organization noted that the protections align with a pragmatic approach to innovation while maintaining a clear regulatory boundary. The latest bill text and public discussion suggest a cautious but constructive path toward balancing innovation with supervisory clarity.

Ethics, governance, and the partisan friction

The ethics dimension remains a live issue in the currency of policy negotiations. Democrats have pressed for explicit ethics provisions to address potential conflicts of interest, a concern intensified by high-profile political discussions around cryptocurrency ventures connected to public figures and their families. The absence of ethics language in the released draft has drawn criticism from some quarters. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren publicly criticized the bill, arguing that it could undermine investor protection and national financial security by not addressing ethics standards. The exchange highlighted how the crypto policy debate intersects with broader governance concerns and national policy priorities.

On the other hand, proponents emphasize a pragmatic, bipartisan approach to market structure. Senator Scott, Senator Lummis, and Senator Tillis have framed the text as a product of ongoing negotiations with Democratic colleagues, signaling a potential path to bipartisan markup. As one takeaway, the willingness to consider a stablecoin-yield compromise with Senate Democratic leadership suggests a broader readiness to reconcile technical governance with concerns about conflicts of interest. The ongoing discussion underscores the delicate balance between advancing a cohesive regulatory framework and accommodating divergent views on ethics and governance.

In the political dynamics of the process, the Agriculture Committee’s January approval and the potential for a 60-vote threshold in a full Senate passage scenario are key procedural realities. The experience of earlier crypto legislation—such as the GENIUS Act, which passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support—demonstrates that consensus is possible but not guaranteed, especially when ethics and governance topics are front and center. Observers will be watching how Thursday’s markup addresses these policy tensions and whether a bipartisan compromise can survive to final passage.

For institutions and market participants, the evolving regulatory posture around CLARITY has practical implications. Compliance teams must monitor potential shifts in supervisory expectations—particularly any transition of primary oversight responsibilities to the CFTC—and assess how these changes could affect licensing, registration, and ongoing reporting requirements. Banks and payment networks, in turn, will need to align risk management and customer due diligence with a regime that may differentiate between stablecoin models and other digital assets, while also contemplating cross-border regulatory differences that may arise in analogous regimes abroad, such as MiCA in the European Union.

As observed, the text also implies ongoing considerations about stablecoin design, product rhetoric, and the permissible nature of yield-like features. The prohibition on paying yield on stablecoins, coupled with permitted bona fide activity-based rewards, may influence issuer business models, token utility, and marketing practices. These design constraints have direct consequences for liquidity providers, custodians, and wallet providers, all of whom must maintain alignment with evolving regulatory interpretations and enforcement expectations.

Regulatory context and what comes next

The CLARITY Act sits at the intersection of U.S. regulatory modernization efforts and evolving global frameworks for digital assets. Its progression touches on issues central to MiCA-like regimes, potential SEC/CFTC jurisdiction delineations, and the broader policy objective of preventing illicit finance while enabling legitimate financial innovation. Regulators and market participants alike are watching closely for how the bill’s structure could influence cross-border activity, licensing regimes, and the calculus of risk for institutions seeking to participate in regulated digital-asset markets.

To move from proposal to law, the bill must pass through the Banking Committee, clear the full Senate, and be reconciled with a version from the House of Representatives before any presidential sign-off. The legislative timeline remains uncertain, with procedural hurdles and political considerations continuing to shape the pace and substance of crypto regulation.

For now, the latest draft represents a meaningful consolidation of several policy threads: a clearer regulatory boundary for stablecoins, enhanced protections for developers, and a continued emphasis on market structure oversight. As coverage and commentary continue, observers should monitor not only the substantive provisions but also the ethics framework that many policymakers view as essential to a credible, sustainable regulatory regime. This frame is critical for institutions seeking to align operations with evolving rules and for analysts assessing the potential long-term impact on innovation, risk management, and financial stability.

As Cointelegraph observed in coverage surrounding the markup discussions, the ethics dimension and bipartisan dynamics will likely shape Thursday’s proceedings and the ultimate trajectory of CLARITY. The ongoing debate reflects a broader inquiry into how best to harmonize investor protection, regulatory clarity, and innovation in the United States’ rapidly evolving digital-asset landscape. See the committee’s posted text and related materials for the latest details and official documentation.

Related reporting and commentary continue to illustrate the evolving stance of lawmakers toward crypto market structure, ethics governance, and the role of regulators in a shifting financial ecosystem. For context, coverage of reactions, amendments, and subsequent developments remains essential for compliance and policy teams tracking regulatory risk and strategic planning in this space. Additionally, institutional readers may find it useful to benchmark these developments against existing or proposed international standards and cross-border policy initiatives.

Source notes and further reading: the text and summary materials linked by the Senate Banking Committee; press commentary on bipartisan negotiations and ethics considerations; coverage of related legislation and committee actions; and industry commentary on software developer protections and market structure considerations. For broader context, analyses and updates from specialized outlets continue to shape the interpretation of CLARITY’s regulatory implications.

TLDR:

• Polygon CDK’s validium config keeps raw transaction data sealed within institution-owned infrastructure.
• Settlement on Ethereum uses only a cryptographic commitment and a ZK proof, never exposing transactions.
• Five composable privacy levels let institutions scale confidentiality without migrating between configurations.
• Private CDK chains connect to Agglayer, preserving access to Ethereum, multi-chain liquidity, and fiat ramps. 

Polygon CDK has announced a new privacy configuration for institutions building custom blockchains on its technology stack.

The upgrade keeps raw transaction data inside institution-owned infrastructure. At the same time, chains built on the configuration retain open access to global liquidity networks.

Powered by Succinct Labs’ SP1 Hypercube proving system, only a cryptographic commitment and a zero-knowledge proof settle to Ethereum.

The configuration primarily targets banks, payments companies, and asset managers that are moving onchain.

How the Privacy Configuration Works

Polygon CDK now offers a validium configuration developed in partnership with Succinct Labs. Transaction data stays within an institution-operated data availability environment.

Raw transaction data never reaches a public network. Ethereum receives only a cryptographic fingerprint and a validity proof for settlement.

The SP1 Hypercube proving system is already live in production on Katana Network. Settlement relies on validity proofs rather than a trusted operator with data access.

This approach means no single party holds visibility into the institution’s transaction data. The chain is verified publicly, but its transaction contents remain confidential.

@0xPolygon stated: “Ethereum confirms the chain is operating correctly. It never sees the transactions.” Role-based controls gate RPC endpoints and block explorers through enterprise systems like Okta and Azure AD. Policies apply at the contract and function level. Counterparties view only their own transactions.

Auditors receive scoped read access, while regulators get selective disclosure capabilities. Chain operators, by contrast, retain full visibility over all chain activity.

Even operational metadata — block contents, transaction counts, gas usage — can stay private. Institutions ultimately control what information is shared and with whom.

Five Privacy Levels and Cross-Chain Liquidity

Polygon CDK gives institutions five composable privacy levels with no migration required. The base level covers permissioned access through role-based RPC and private block explorers.

The newest tier is the confidential chain, keeping data within institution-owned infrastructure. A third level adds trusted execution environments for sealed workloads like dark-pool matching and sealed-bid auctions.

The fourth level applies fully homomorphic encryption to permissioned token rails. Balances and transfer amounts stay encrypted onchain throughout.

Apex Group’s T-REX Ledger with Zama on ERC-3643 already demonstrates this in production. The fifth level uses client-side zero-knowledge proofs through Hinkal to shield wallet-layer transactions from onchain visibility.

Despite the privacy architecture, Polygon CDK chains stay connected to Agglayer. Through this layer, private chains can access Ethereum, other L1s and L2s, and non-EVM networks like Miden.

A regional bank can settle with counterparties on other chains. Fiat ramps and stablecoin liquidity remain accessible through the Open Money Stack.

Target institutions include banks launching tokenized deposits and payments companies building stablecoin corridors. Asset managers issuing tokenized funds and crypto-native teams requiring enterprise SLAs also qualify.

Each deployment remains subject to applicable laws and regulations. Institutions can start at one privacy level and expand from there.

TLDR:

• Dalio warns Bitcoin’s publicly visible transactions make it an unsuitable reserve for central banks.
• Bitcoin’s high correlation with tech stocks weakens its role as a hedge during market downturns.
• Investors tend to sell Bitcoin first when under portfolio pressure, reducing its safe-haven appeal.
• Gold’s centuries-old track record and broad institutional ownership keep it ahead of Bitcoin globally.

Bitcoin has yet to establish itself as a genuine safe-haven asset, according to Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio. The veteran investor pointed to the cryptocurrency’s lack of privacy and the potential for transaction monitoring.

He also cited its high correlation with technology stocks during periods of market stress. Dalio argued that gold holds a more central and trusted role in the global financial system. His remarks come as debate over Bitcoin’s place in global portfolios continues among institutional investors.

Bitcoin’s Privacy Gap and Tech Stock Correlation Draw Scrutiny

One of Dalio’s primary concerns about Bitcoin centers on its transparency across the blockchain. Unlike gold or cash, every Bitcoin transaction is publicly recorded and traceable by outside parties.

Dalio noted that this visibility makes the cryptocurrency unattractive as a reserve holding for central banks. Governments and financial institutions tend to prefer assets that do not expose all transaction activity.

In a post on X, Dalio stated that Bitcoin lacks privacy and that transactions can be monitored. He added that this is why central banks are not looking to hold it as a reserve.

That reasoning aligns with longstanding hesitancy among major financial institutions toward cryptocurrency adoption.

Beyond privacy, Dalio noted that the cryptocurrency carries a relatively high correlation with technology stocks. When investors face pressure elsewhere in their portfolios, they often sell it first to raise liquidity. This behavior reduces its effectiveness as a buffer during broader market downturns.

This pattern of liquidating the digital asset under pressure has repeated across multiple market cycles. At the moments a safe-haven is needed most, it often declines alongside other risk assets. That dynamic makes it a less reliable hedge compared to instruments traditionally used to protect wealth.

Gold Holds Its Ground as the Preferred Safe-Haven Asset

Dalio also raised concerns about Bitcoin’s relatively small market size compared to gold. He described it as a market more susceptible to influence by large participants.

That susceptibility weakens its case as an independent and stable store of value. In contrast, gold’s market is far deeper and more resistant to such concentrated influence.

Gold has been held by governments, central banks, and individuals across centuries of financial history. That long track record gives it a level of institutional trust that Bitcoin has not yet earned.

Dalio pointed out that gold’s broad ownership sets it apart from any competing asset. No other asset class has replicated gold’s deeply established place in the global financial system.

Dalio’s position reflects a broader view that the digital currency still needs time to mature. Gold’s centuries-old history as a monetary metal gives it a structural advantage over newer alternatives. Central banks continue to accumulate gold as part of their official reserves worldwide.

As uncertainty continues to shape financial markets, the comparison between Bitcoin and gold remains active. Dalio’s stance represents a cautious view shared by many in traditional finance and institutional circles. Gold, for now, retains its standing as the benchmark safe-haven asset globally.

FalconX has expanded its tokenized structured credit facility to the Monad network, allowing institutional credit vault deposits to be used as collateral in decentralized finance protocols such as Morpho. 

Tokenization takes traditional credit facilities and represents them as digital tokens on a blockchain. In this case, the facility packages loans originated through FalconX’s lending business into tokenized credit products accessible through Pareto vaults curated by M11 Credit.

RWA.xyz data shows real-world assets issued onchain have grown to more than $31 billion, including Treasurys, credit products and other financial assets. Credit-related assets alone account for more than $5 billion in distributed value across blockchain networks.

The FalconX deployment adds support for using AA_FalconXUSDC vault tokens in onchain lending markets, enabling investors to borrow against institutional credit exposure while maintaining yield-bearing positions. Data from RWA.xyz shows FalconX Credit Vault currently holds about $127 million in distributed value.

FalconX Credit Vault. Source: RWA.xyz

According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph, the system also includes automated margin controls, real-time collateral monitoring and onchain settlement features.

Monad Foundation director of marketing Nathan Cha told Cointelegraph that the broader opportunity for tokenized credit products lies in their composability across DeFi markets, allowing institutional assets to be reused across lending, trading and other onchain financial activity.

FalconX is a crypto prime brokerage and institutional lending company, while Monad is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain designed for high-performance financial applications.

Related: OKX lets institutions use BlackRock’s BUIDL fund as trading collateral

Institutional credit moves onchain

Today’s announcement is representative of a broader push to bring traditional financial products onto blockchain networks.

Maple Protocol ranks as the largest manager in the tokenized credit sector with around $1.7 billion in distributed value, followed by SICOS Securities with about $902 million and Anemoy with roughly $476 million.

Tokenized credit snapshot. Source: RWA.xyz

Earlier this year, Maple Finance expanded its yield-bearing syrupUSDC token to Coinbase’s Base network and pursued a proposal to allow the asset to be used as collateral on Aave. Like FalconX’s credit vault product, syrupUSDC is backed by institutional lending activity and designed for use across decentralized finance markets.

The push to bring financial assets onchain has also gone beyond credit markets into tokenized securities and exchange infrastructure.

In March, the New York Stock Exchange signed an agreement with Securitize to support a securities platform for blockchain-based share issuance, trading and settlement.

That same month, Nasdaq partnered with Kraken and tokenization company Backed to develop infrastructure for blockchain-based equities designed to move between traditional and onchain markets.

Magazine: XRP ‘probably going to $12,’ Bitcoin ETFs add $1B: Market Moves

Grayscale Investments revised its Hyperliquid ETF filing and added staking yield features for HYPE exposure. The filing updates aim to enhance returns while keeping the trust structure compliant with U.S. regulations. The ETF will list on Nasdaq under HYPG after registration approval becomes effective.

Grayscale integrated staking consideration into the fund to capture HYPE network rewards. This structure mirrors Ethereum ETF models that distribute staking yield through regulated products. The proposal states compliance checks must confirm grantor trust status before activation.

Hyperliquid operates as a decentralized perpetual trading blockchain, gaining rapid market traction. HYPE token supports ecosystem activity and serves as the primary network asset. Grayscale appointed Anchorage Digital as custodian and Bank of New York Mellon as administrator.

Ethereum ETF Staking Models Expand Across Issuers

Ethereum staking ETF structures expand as issuers integrate yield generation into regulated funds. Grayscale and peers use ETH staking to create additional income streams for fund holdings. These products aim to reflect blockchain rewards while maintaining traditional exchange-traded fund rules.

Ethereum staking integration follows regulatory discussions around yield classification in crypto assets. Asset managers design staking systems to distribute rewards proportionally to ETF unit holders. Custodial frameworks ensure staking operations remain separated from trading and liquidity functions.

Ethereum ETF staking models influence broader crypto fund innovation across multiple networks. Yield distribution mechanisms vary depending on validator participation and network performance metrics. Regulatory compliance remains central as issuers align staking rewards with financial rules.

Solana ETFs Integrate Staking Rewards Into Fund Design

Solana staking ETFs gain attention as issuers explore high-throughput network rewards. Funds tracking SOL aim to capture staking yield from validator participation across the network. Solana network design supports rapid transaction processing and consistent reward distribution models.

ETF issuers evaluate staking risks and operational requirements before launching SOL-based products. Custody providers manage validator delegation to ensure secure staking participation for funds. Market structures adapt as Solana staking becomes integrated into regulated financial vehicles.

Reward calculations depend on validator uptime and network consensus performance metrics. Institutions explore SOL exposure through ETF frameworks to simplify digital asset access. Regulatory alignment shapes how Solana staking income flows into fund structures.

Custody Framework and Regulatory Structure Shape ETF Growth

Grayscale trust design relies on regulated custodians to manage digital asset security. Anchorage Digital provides custody services that support institutional-grade blockchain asset handling. Bank of New York Mellon handles administrative and transfer agent responsibilities for the ETF.

The structure aims to maintain compliance with grantor trust tax classification requirements. Regulatory approval depends on alignment between staking rewards and securities law frameworks. Issuers expand crypto ETF offerings as staking features become integrated across assets.

Fund administrators monitor reward flows to ensure accurate distribution to share units. Crypto ETF evolution reflects the growing integration of blockchain yield mechanisms into finance. Grayscale adjusts filings to match evolving regulatory standards for digital asset products.

Ethereum whale Garrett Jin moved 577,896 ETH worth $1.35 billion to Binance over four days, per Lookonchain.

An Ethereum whale identified as Garrett Jin deposited all 577,896 ETH worth roughly $1.35 billion into Binance over four consecutive days, raising concerns about potential selling pressure. Lookonchain flagged the transfers on May 10 and 11.

Jin originally converted Bitcoin to Ethereum eight months ago when ETH was trading at approximately $4,591. With ETH now holding near $2,300, Lookonchain noted he is sitting on roughly $1.3 billion in unrealized losses. His position represents one of the largest single-wallet inflows to a centralised exchange in Ethereum’s recent trading history.

Why this move is triggering concern

A transfer to an exchange does not guarantee an immediate sale. Whales sometimes move funds for collateral posting, liquidity management, or OTC desk activity. The scale and the fact that Jin moved his entire position, however, has concentrated market attention.

CryptoQuant data shows total Ethereum exchange reserves climbed from 14.36 million ETH on May 5 to 14.95 million ETH in the days that followed, a sustained increase that signals broader accumulation on exchanges. Binance now holds approximately 3.62 million ETH, equivalent to 24.6% of all ETH held on centralised exchanges.

The broader supply picture has also been compounded by institutional activity. BlackRock and Fidelity deposited more than 35,000 ETH into Coinbase Prime in the same week, adding further short-term supply. US spot Ethereum ETFs saw $103.6 million in net outflows on May 7, ending a four-day positive flow streak.

What analysts are watching

Market analyst Ted Pillows said ETH must reclaim the $2,400 level to sustain recovery momentum, warning that failure to do so could push the asset back toward $2,100. He also noted a pattern of hourly Binance inflow surges throughout May that are adding supply pressure beyond Garrett Jin’s single position.

Ethereum whale activity has been a recurring market signal throughout 2026, with concentrated exchange inflows consistently drawing scrutiny from on-chain analysts monitoring whether large holders are positioning for exits or simply rotating collateral. ETH held near $2,300 as of May 12 despite the elevated exchange supply, suggesting the market has not yet absorbed the move as a confirmed sell signal.

SKYAI jumps 44% to top the day’s top‑100 gainers as ONDO sinks 10%, highlighting a rotation from RWA and yield infra into AI‑adjacent tokens riding the agentic AI narrative.

According to CoinMarketCap data, SKYAI is Tuesday’s standout performer among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, jumping 44.45% to a current price of $0.5792 as AI-themed tokens continue to attract disproportionate speculative interest in a market where the agentic AI narrative is building momentum. BUILDon followed with a 15.32% gain to $0.6454, and Humanity added 13.06% to reach $0.2646, rounding out a top three that is heavily skewed toward newer, narrative-driven tokens rather than established large-caps.

SKYAI’s 44% surge leads an AI-driven top-100 sweep

Injective posted a more measured 7.06% gain to $4.66, while JUST rounded out the top five with a 2.95% rise to $0.08974. The breadth of the gainers list — spanning AI infrastructure, DeFi tooling and cross-chain protocols — is consistent with the early-altseason rotation pattern that analysts have been flagging this week, as capital moves down the risk curve from Bitcoin and Ethereum into mid and small-cap tokens with higher beta and more compressed float. A previous crypto.news story on SUI’s 31% single-session surge noted how open interest across derivatives venues jumped from $450 million to over $620 million in a single day as short squeezes and supply shocks amplified directional moves, a dynamic that appears to be repeating in Tuesday’s AI-token winners.

SKYAI’s move in particular reflects the broader agentic AI rally that has drawn institutional attention this week. As covered in a recent crypto.news story on Gemini, Bitget and Neyro’s push into AI-driven trading, the global agentic AI market is projected to grow from $7.29 billion in 2025 to $139.19 billion by 2034 at a 40.5% CAGR, and tokens with credible exposure to that thesis are attracting flows that look less like speculation and more like early infrastructure positioning.

ONDO’s 10% drop as RWA tokens face profit-taking

The losses side of Tuesday’s ledger tells an equally revealing story. ONDO is down 10.28% to $0.3908, making it the top loser among the top 100 despite — or perhaps because of — a string of positive fundamental announcements this week. Ondo Finance bridged 35 tokenized assets including SPY, QQQ, NVDA, TSLA and BABA to Hyperliquid’s HyperEVM via a LayerZero bridge, as detailed in a crypto.news story, and participated in Ripple’s tokenized Treasury settlement test with JPMorgan and Mastercard. The sell-off on a day of positive news is a textbook “buy the rumor, sell the news” dynamic, with traders who accumulated ONDO ahead of the Hyperliquid and XRP Ledger announcements now rotating proceeds into higher-momentum plays like SKYAI.

Aerodrome Finance shed 10.16% to $0.4725, Ethena lost 7.57% to $0.1204, Sei fell 7.03% to $0.0695 and Virtuals Protocol dropped 6.99% to $0.8131, painting a picture of broad profit-taking across Base ecosystem tokens, yield infrastructure and AI-agent platforms that had run hard in recent weeks. The Virtuals Protocol decline is particularly notable given that AI-agent tokens are simultaneously among Tuesday’s biggest winners and losers, suggesting the market is differentiating sharply between projects it views as having durable infrastructure narratives and those it treats as pure momentum plays. For ONDO specifically, the 10% pullback after a week of landmark partnership announcements — Franklin Templeton’s Kraken integration, Ripple’s Treasury settlement test, and the broader RWA tokenization push covered across multiple recent crypto.news stories — may ultimately read as a healthy consolidation in a token whose fundamental case is arguably stronger today than it was when it was trading 25% higher.

Key Insights

• The Cardano cryptocurrency made another rebound from the key $0.25 support level, with analysts focusing on the possibility of reaching $0.53.
• The previous recoveries of the Cardano coin from the current support area resulted in gains of 88 percent and 243 percent.
• The Van Rossem hard fork is progressing successfully on the Preview testnet.

Bullish Momentum Returns for Cardano After Breaking Out of the Support Level

The Cardano price returned to a bullish trend after buyers defended the important support level of $0.25, which continues to draw a lot of attention in the crypto market. As per Ali Martinez, a cryptocurrency market expert, Cardano has previously been able to generate major uptrends after breaking out of the support region at different points in time.

According to him, Cardano rallied by more than 88% in January 2023 following a breakout above the mentioned support level. The cryptocurrency also witnessed a similar strong rally in September 2023 after defending itself against heavy sell-off pressure from the $0.25 level.

Cardano Recovery Gathers Pace Amid ADA’s Move Towards $0.53

The Cardano cryptocurrency ADA saw more buying interest due to its continued performance, particularly after seeing a resurgence in the entire crypto market sector. Based on cryptocurrency analyst Ali Martinez, the ADA price might go up towards the $0.53 mark if it manages to sustain its momentum at the $0.36 resistance zone.

Analysts have observed that prior recoveries from support levels led to massive gains in the prices of the cryptocurrencies. ADA managed a 5.02% gain during the last 24 hours, with a weekly increase of nearly 11%. The rise in the value of crypto is due to increased investor confidence amid high appetite for risky asset classes.

The Bitcoin price went higher amid other altcoins with a surge in the general market sentiment after seeing better-than-expected economic data in the United States. Encouraging April employment numbers indicated a stable economic outlook in the country amid inflationary pressures.

Key Support Levels Continue to Be Important

While the positive outlook was provided by analysts, they added that ADA is still vulnerable to a downside correction if the market loses its momentum. Ali stressed that the $0.25 region continues to be an important level of support for Cardano. Any breakdown below this level will make ADA more vulnerable to bearish pressure, thus preventing a potential breakout above key resistance zones.

Investors will continue to keep their eye on the overall state of the cryptocurrency markets, since the future direction of Cardano might be dependent on how Bitcoin performs. In the event of continued bullish momentum, ADA will have a chance to try and reclaim higher resistance zones during the upcoming trading days.

Van Rossem Hard Fork Upgrade Progresses on Preview Testnet

Another noteworthy development related to Cardano was the progression of the network with regards to the Van Rossem hard fork upgrade on the Preview testnet.

According to Samuel Leathers, the Daedalus wallet transitioned smoothly through the upgrade phase with no problems reported during the process. The developers are now ready to push an upgraded version of the wallet to the Cardano mainnet next week.