XRP trades near $1.39-$1.47 in late May 2026, down approximately 26% year-to-date and 34% year-on-year despite multiple institutional catalysts that historically would have driven significant price appreciation.

Five-spot (XRP) ETFs are now trading in the US with cumulative inflows of $1.53 billion since the November 2025 launch. Goldman Sachs disclosed a $153.8 million XRP ETF position. The Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the CLARITY Act on May 14, 2026 (15-9 bipartisan). 

Ripple received conditional OCC approval for Ripple National Trust Bank in December 2025 and applied for a Federal Reserve master account. RLUSD stablecoin reached approximately $1.3 billion market cap after expanding to Ethereum Layer 2 networks. Ripple closed approximately 10 institutional deals in early 2026, including a tokenized Treasury pilot with J.P. Morgan, Mastercard, and Ondo Finance on XRPL. Standard Chartered targets $8 by year-end if the CLARITY Act passes the full Senate and ETF inflows reach $10 billion. Bitwise’s Juan Leon projects new all-time highs within 12-18 months. 

Yet XRP price action has been disconnected from these catalysts. The reason matters: XRP price benefits from XRP usage and holding at scale, not from Ripple’s deal pipeline. Most Ripple institutional flow routes through fiat and RLUSD rather than XRP as a bridge currency. The price disconnect is structural rather than temporary. This piece walks through the actual mechanics, the bull case ($8-$15 by 2030), the base case ($3-$6), and the bear case ($1-$2.50), with the specific variables determining outcome.

Why XRP is at $1.42 right now

The current XRP price reflects a structural disconnect between Ripple’s institutional success and XRP token utility that competitor analyses keep missing.

The starting point: XRP reached approximately $3.65 in July 2025, driven by anticipation of CLARITY Act passage, spot XRP ETF launches, and broader institutional adoption. The subsequent decline to current $1.42 levels (60+% drawdown from peak) happened despite Ripple’s continued institutional success across multiple dimensions.

The Ripple institutional wins through 2026: spot XRP ETFs launched in November 2025, with cumulative inflows reaching $1.53 billion by May 2026. Goldman Sachs disclosed a $153.8 million XRP ETF position. Ripple received conditional OCC approval for Ripple National Trust Bank in December 2025. Application filed for Federal Reserve master account. RLUSD stablecoin reached a $1.3 billion market cap. Tokenized Treasury pilot with J.P. Morgan, Mastercard, and Ondo Finance on XRPL. Ripple secured a $200 million financing facility from Neuberger Specialty Finance for institutional brokerage. Approximately 10 institutional deals closed in early 2026.

The structural problem: most of this institutional activity does not generate sustained XRP demand at price-supporting scale. Ripple’s payment corridors largely route through fiat (USD, EUR) and RLUSD stablecoin rather than through XRP as a bridge currency. The institutional ETF flows ($1.53B cumulative) are meaningful, but a fraction of Bitcoin ETF flows ($120B+) that drove BTC’s institutional adoption. The Federal Reserve master account application, if approved, would let Ripple hold RLUSD reserves at the central bank but doesn’t directly create XRP demand.

The XRP utility gap: the original Ripple thesis depended on XRP serving as the universal bridge currency between fiat pairs in cross-border payments. Banks would need XRP to enable transactions, creating sustained institutional demand for the token. The actual deployment has been substantially different.

Banks have largely used Ripple’s payments network through fiat-to-fiat settlement or through stablecoin-mediated transactions rather than XRP-mediated transactions. The demand for XRP that would justify higher prices has not materialized in the way the original thesis required.

The RLUSD competitive dynamic: Ripple’s own RLUSD stablecoin has captured the institutional settlement role that XRP was supposed to serve. RLUSD provides the same cross-border settlement functionality without the volatility risk of XRP. Banks and institutional users prefer stablecoin settlement for accounting and risk management reasons. The result is that Ripple’s own product is fundamentally competing with XRP for the bridge currency use case.

The ETF dynamics: spot XRP ETFs launched with significant initial inflows, but the demand pattern has been more episodic than sustained. Weekly XRP ETF inflows fell from over $200 million in early 2026 to roughly $2 million by the end of March 2026, showing the lumpy and catalyst-dependent nature of institutional XRP demand. Without sustained ETF accumulation, the institutional capital that supports BTC and ETH prices doesn’t reach XRP at comparable scale.

Key Highlights

• A recent report suggests that Trump Media has transferred around 4,600 BTC to wallet addresses connected with Crypto.com
• The drawdowns associated with the company’s Bitcoin treasuries are reported at around $455 million
• Traders are closely watching exchange inflows for any large Bitcoin transfer activity

Trump Media BTC Moves Raise Market Speculations

The fears related to treasuries have risen after news that Trump Media & Technology Group conducted transfers of thousands of BTC within several trading sessions. Blockchain monitoring detected a second move of 2,650 BTC, about $205 million, with destination wallets allegedly connected to Crypto.com.

According to recent data, the number of recent Bitcoin moves linked to Trump Media reached more than 4,600 BTC. Exchange-linked transactions can raise increased interest from institutional investors since such movements may indicate the company’s desire to manage liquidity or conduct other operations.

As soon as news about the transfer became available, market experts debated the general picture. Although blockchain information cannot be considered conclusive evidence of a decision to sell, any transfer of treasury funds to exchange-linked wallets puts market participants on alert during times of heightened volatility.

At the same time, such transactions revived discussion about the dangers of having large BTC holdings on a public company’s balance sheet, especially when acquisitions were made during periods of high valuations.

Bitcoin Losses Not Realized Exceeding $455M

According to reports, Trump Media invested in about 11,542 Bitcoins, paying roughly $1.37 billion to acquire them. On average, the price per Bitcoin is estimated at about $118,522, putting the company in a difficult position as prices have fallen relative to that level.

The unrealized loss on its treasury is said to be near $455 million. The decrease in valuation shows the problems many companies face by holding significant amounts of Bitcoin during periods of macroeconomic and crypto-market volatility.

During a downturn, investors tend to question publicly traded companies’ decisions to hold Bitcoin. Concerns focus on liquidity risk, the soundness of the balance sheet, and treasury exposure, because losses can continue to grow.

The case also highlights the disparity between companies that were early adopters of treasury Bitcoin and firms that entered the market when valuations were relatively high.

Bitcoin Transfers To Exchanges Spark Trading Caution

When large Bitcoin transfers occur into exchanges, they usually affect short-term market psychology, as many people associate such transfers with selling activity or collateral adjustments. For this reason, blockchain trackers remain important for understanding institutional behavior and treasury management.

Trump Media’s Bitcoin treasury topic is also associated with politics: some visual representations of blockchain reports included Donald Trump next to figures of the company’s Bitcoin holdings, which raised further interest.

Institutional Bitcoin strategies now affect shareholders’ confidence, public opinion, and market narratives about corporate involvement with cryptocurrency. Public interest in treasury-based blockchain transactions has increased significantly compared with previous market cycles.

Although speculation has mounted, experts say transfers between wallets are common in corporate treasuries. Companies often move funds for security or operational reasons. Traders will continue to watch corporate wallet activity for confirmation of intent.

Bitcoin Treasury Policies Under Pressure

Recent trends highlight how quickly the bullish narrative around corporate Bitcoin holdings can turn into accounting concerns during turbulent markets. As more listed firms increase cryptocurrency holdings, strategies for managing these positions become more sensitive to investor sentiment and macro risks.

Market participants are watching for any new flows to exchanges in the coming weeks. Future blockchain transactions and any official company announcements will determine whether recent transfers were merely restructuring activities.

Cathie Wood has raised her long-term Bitcoin forecast to as high as $1.25 million, even as the cryptocurrency trades below key resistance levels during another period of macro uncertainty.

Speaking in a recent interview with Fox Business, the ARK Invest chief executive said institutional demand continues to support the firm’s long-term outlook for Bitcoin. Wood stated that ARK Invest now sees a base-case Bitcoin target of $750,000 over the next five years, while its bull-case scenario projects prices climbing to $1.25 million.

According to Wood, pension funds, asset managers, and corporations are still in the early stages of allocating capital to Bitcoin. She described the cryptocurrency as a new asset class that institutional investors can no longer ignore if they want to improve long-term portfolio returns.

At the same time, Bitcoin remains stuck near the $77,000 range after several failed attempts to reclaim the $80,000 psychological level. Data from crypto.news showed Bitcoin (BTC) price was trading at roughly $77,149 on Tuesday, moving sideways over the past 24 hours. Intraday trading ranged between $76,451 and $77,998, while daily volume also slipped slightly.

Meanwhile, Wood argued that Bitcoin could continue taking market share from gold as younger investors inherit wealth over the coming decades. She also said the asset may gain traction in emerging economies where inflation, corruption, and currency instability continue to pressure local financial systems.

ARK Invest ties Bitcoin forecast to institutional adoption

As crypto.news reported earlier, fresh projections from ARK Invest’s Big Ideas 2026 report offer more detail behind the company’s aggressive Bitcoin outlook. According to figures cited by Forbes, the report estimates Bitcoin’s market capitalization could expand from roughly $2 trillion today to nearly $16 trillion by 2030.

The report also projects annual compound growth of about 63% during the remainder of the decade. ARK Invest attributed the forecast to several factors, including spot Bitcoin ETF demand, corporate treasury adoption, nation-state reserves, and Bitcoin’s use as settlement collateral across financial markets.

Beyond Bitcoin, ARK Invest predicted the wider digital asset sector could grow from around $2.8 trillion to nearly $28 trillion by 2030. The report named Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana as the dominant networks expected to capture most of that expansion.

Recent trading activity from ARK Invest has also reinforced the firm’s crypto-focused strategy. Earlier this month, the investment company purchased about $4.4 million worth of shares in Bullish after the exchange operator’s stock declined for five straight trading sessions before rebounding slightly.

Market reports showed ARK Invest added Bullish shares across its ARK Innovation ETF, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF, and ARK Fintech Innovation ETF products over two trading days.

Bitcoin faces pressure from geopolitics and Fed concerns

Despite Wood’s optimistic forecast, several market risks continue to weigh on Bitcoin in the short term. According to a May 26 report from The New York Times, investors remain cautious after the latest self-defense strikes linked to the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict added fresh volatility across global markets.

Spot Bitcoin ETF outflows have also continued to pressure sentiment. At the same time, traders are closely watching the Federal Reserve after speculation grew that incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh could support additional rate hikes during his first policy meetings.

Elsewhere, some crypto investors continue to maintain longer-term bullish targets similar to Wood’s outlook. Public figures, including Robert Kiyosaki, Arthur Hayes, and Brian Armstrong, have previously discussed scenarios where Bitcoin could eventually reach the $1 million level during a future market cycle.

Meanwhile, Anthony Scaramucci recently told investors he still expects Bitcoin to rally later in 2026 if the traditional four-year crypto cycle remains intact.

TLDR

• The Digital Chamber rejected Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s claim that crypto trust charter approvals were improper.
• The group said Warren misread the National Bank Act and the OCC’s charter authority.
• Warren argued that firms like Ripple, Circle, Paxos, BitGo, Fidelity, and Coinbase face weaker standards.
• The Digital Chamber said federally regulated trust banks would not accept cash deposits or issue loans.
• Cody Carbone said the OCC should use its charter powers as Congress advances stablecoin regulation.

Crypto industry group The Digital Chamber has pushed back against Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s claim that digital asset firms received improper national trust charter approvals from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

According to The Digital Chamber, Sen. Warren’s criticism misreads the National Bank Act and the OCC’s authority to approve national trust charters for crypto firms. The group made the argument in a Tuesday letter to Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould.

The response followed Warren’s letter to the OCC last week, where she said approvals involving Ripple, Circle, Paxos, Fidelity Digital Assets, BitGo, and Coinbase appeared to violate the National Bank Act. Warren also argued that the firms were not being held to the same standards as traditional banks.

The Digital Chamber, which says it represents more than 250 crypto-related entities, rejected that view. In the letter, CEO Cody Carbone said Warren’s description of the approvals as “apparent violations” misread both the statute and the OCC’s long-running charter powers.

The Digital Chamber Defends OCC Charter Authority

Carbone told the OCC that national trust charters fall within the agency’s existing legal powers. According to The Digital Chamber, the approvals do not create full-service banks and do not allow the firms to take cash deposits or issue loans.

The group said the firms would instead operate as federally regulated trust banks if they receive final approval. Under that structure, they would be allowed to custody customer assets while remaining outside the business model of deposit-taking commercial banks.

Warren’s letter argued that the recently approved digital asset firms were attempting to use the charter process in a way that conflicts with the National Bank Act. She also said the companies appeared to have organized their applications after Congress passed stablecoin legislation last summer.

The law cited by Warren is the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act, known as the GENIUS Act. According to Warren, that law does not change the requirements of the National Bank Act or remove the OCC’s duty to apply banking standards.

Carbone rejected that argument in his response. He said it would be inconsistent for Congress to create a federal framework for stablecoin issuers while the OCC refused to use its charter authority for firms seeking federal oversight.

Stablecoin Rules Add Pressure To Charter Debate

The dispute comes as crypto firms continue to seek federal recognition through the OCC. Ripple, Circle, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos received conditional approvals last year, according to the report.

Those approvals remain conditional, meaning the firms still need final clearance before operating under the trust-bank structure. If finalized, the charters would give the companies a federal pathway for custody services but would not place them in the same category as traditional banks that accept deposits and make loans.

Warren has framed the issue as a financial-stability concern. In her letter, she warned that the OCC’s approvals could expose the banking system to risks if crypto firms receive federal charters without meeting bank-like requirements.

The Digital Chamber framed the matter differently. The group said the OCC’s trust-charter process gives regulators direct oversight of digital asset firms instead of leaving them outside the federal banking framework.

At the same time, the charter dispute has unfolded alongside other points of tension between banks, lawmakers, and crypto firms. The treatment of stablecoin rewards was one of the issues debated during work on crypto legislation, though lawmakers later resolved that dispute as the bill advanced.

Decentralized exchange (DEX) Hyperliquid launched canonical prediction markets for offchain events, as the platform starts expanding beyond perpetual futures.

Validators run automated newsfeed software that publishes the markets and votes on deployment and settlement, Hyperliquid said in a Monday Telegram post.

The markets are built on Hyperliquid’s HIP-4 and use Circle’s USDC (USDC) as the quote asset. Hyperliquid said the first markets will open based on the May Consumer Price Index (CPI) year-over-year change and the June federal funds rate decision.

The launch puts prediction markets inside Hyperliquid’s existing trading stack, allowing users to trade event outcomes alongside spot and perpetual futures rather than moving collateral to a separate platform.

The rollout adds weight to a thesis advanced by Delphi Digital that Hyperliquid is evolving from a perp DEX into a broader onchain financial venue.

“What’s different now is that the stack is finally mature enough for true crypto superapps (aggregated giants) to exist without being limited to the wallet form factor,” Delphi said in a December research report.

The HYPE token’s price soared by 20% when Hyperliquid first announced plans to launch prediction market functionalities, Cointelegraph reported in February.

Hyperliquid announces the launch of canonical prediction markets. Source: Hyperliquid Telegram Channel

Is Hyperliquid crypto’s next “super-app”?

Hyperliquid’s expanding functionalities are making it the crypto industry’s next “super-app,” according to Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at crypto asset manager Bitwise. He wrote in a May 19 report:

“Hyperliquid has become the ‘super-app’  Atkins envisioned—a ‘non-SEC regulated platform’ offering investors exposure to “a variety of asset classes.” 

Hougan added that the Hyperliquid (HYPE) token is “one of the most mispriced assets in crypto today,” despite outperforming the wider crypto market since the start of 2026. He argued that investors are mispricing it, valuing it only as a perp DEX rather than a financial “super-app.”

HYPE & Total Crypto Market Capitalization, year-to-date chart for 2026. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Since the beginning of the year, the HYPE rose more than 134% while the total crypto market capitalization fell by around 14%, TradingView data shows.

Related: Polymarket team says user funds safe as exploit losses climb above $600K

Hyperliquid is currently the fifth-largest protocol by weekly fees and generated over $11 million in fees during the past week, according to DefiLlama data.

In the month leading up to May 10, Hyperliquid generated $50.95 million in revenue, all of which went directly to token holders with zero spent on incentives.

Magazine: The legal battle over who can claim DeFi’s stolen millions  

HONG KONG, May 26, 2026 — Luffa AI, a leading innovator at the intersection of Web3 and Artificial Intelligence, today announced a strategic equity investment from Hong Kong-listed GoFintech Quantum Innovation Limited (“GoFintech Quantum”, Stock Code: 00290.HK). The transaction values Luffa AI at US$220 million. The two parties will engage in deep strategic collaboration across artificial intelligence, quantum security, blockchain, and compliance fintech to jointly explore the new AI + Quantum Blockchain Fintech track.

The current internet is highly fragmented: identities are siloed and controlled by platforms, AI agents lack independent identities, wallets, and execution capabilities, value and payments are locked within closed ecosystems, and AI-generated content remains unverifiable with unclear compliance pathways. Luffa addresses these challenges through three core dimensions of super connectivity. In Community, it enables trusted DID-based self-sovereign identity, AI agent empowerment, and on-chain governance for true decentralized autonomy. In Content, channels become programmable and tradable value containers, supporting creator influence tokenization and multi-layered monetization. In Aggregation, the SuperBox open mini-app ecosystem, multi-chain wallets, LuffaPay intent-based payments, and multi-agent commercial protocols seamlessly connect applications across all scenarios. These three systems form a closed loop that bridges the critical gaps between users and identity, identity and assets, content and value, as well as online and offline experiences.

As of February 2026, Luffa’s ecosystem has achieved rapid growth, with over 3 million global downloads, 2 million registered users, and more than 150,000 daily active users. Its core products, Luffa Wallet and SuperBox Mini-App Platform, are now officially launched, with proven use cases in prediction markets, AI mini-games, RWA, creator economy, and community governance. In 2026, Luffa will focus on the AI-powered Web3 ecosystem to build a globally leading intelligent trading ecosystem.

This strategic investment represents a significant milestone for Luffa AI in advancing privacy-preserving infrastructure and intelligent interaction technologies. GoFintech Quantum has made multi-faceted deployments in quantum encryption algorithms and blockchain technology, with deep expertise in institutional financial services,GoFintech Quantum will provide strong technical backing for Luffa’s AI Agent infrastructure and privacy-secure communications, accelerating its global commercialization and ecosystem expansion.

Under the strategic cooperation framework, Luffa AI and GoFintech Quantum will collaborate globally in the following areas: joint research and development of AI-driven intelligent investment systems, on-chain financial automation platforms, and smart trading & risk management solutions; exploration of blockchain applications and digital asset compliance frameworks; development of RegTech solutions compliant with Hong Kong and international standards; advancement of quantum encryption for digital asset security and blockchain scenarios.

Michael Liu, CEO of Luffa AI, commented:

“Luffa is redefining interaction in entertainment, culture, and commerce, giving users genuine ownership, privacy, and direct governance over the platform. GoFintech Quantum’s profound capabilities in quantum financial security and cross-border compliance will provide a solid foundation for building the next generation of social and AI Agent infrastructure. Together, we are moving from imagining a better web to actively creating it.”

“We are thrilled to finalize our strategic investment in Luffa AI,” said Tianfu Yuan, CEO of GoFintech Quantum. “This is more than a milestone for our innovation-driven strategy; it is a pivotal step in exploring the convergence of quantum technology with AI and Web3. We look forward to working closely with the Luffa team to build a more secure and intelligent digital infrastructure.”

About Luffa

Luffa is a groundbreaking Web3 and AI super connector that integrates decentralized identity (DID), AI agents, Web3-native wallets, social features, and mini-programs into a unified ecosystem. It empowers users to create channels, mini-programs, and AI bots, delivering a seamless one-stop experience. Empowering individuals, communities, brands, and AI developers alike, Luffa offers a verifiable behavior system, programmable economic models, and a secure interaction environment, with support for agent-driven transactions, loyalty program deployment, and decentralized collaboration. Luffa is committed to turning attention into ownership and connections into business opportunities.

About GoFitech Quantum Innovation Limited (00290.HK)

GoFintech Quantum Innovation Limited (00290.HK) is a cross-border, cross-industry technology innovation investment platform based in Hong Kong, backed by the Greater Bay Area, and globally oriented. It holds SFC Type 1, 4, 6, 9 licenses and cross-border qualifications including QFII, CIBM, QDIE, QFLP, and Bond Connect. The Group has built a closed-loop ecosystem across four business segments: Technology Innovation, Finance, Art, and Trade. With strategic deployments in quantum technology and digital assets, it drives a model where investment powers investment banking and innovation feeds back into traditional businesses, aiming to become a global leader in quantum technology applications.

Media contact:

Swiss blockchain firm The Hashgraph Group has launched BrandBoost on Hedera, introducing tokenized loyalty rewards and real-time customer engagement tools for enterprises.

According to an announcement shared with crypto.news, the new software-as-a-service platform targets enterprises looking to move beyond traditional loyalty systems built around static points and membership cards. 

The company said BrandBoost combines gamification tools, tokenized incentives, digital collectibles, and AI-driven consumer analytics to create what it described as a more interactive loyalty experience.

At a time when brands are competing for repeat consumer attention across online platforms, retail stores, sports venues, entertainment events, and connected devices, The Hashgraph Group said businesses increasingly need systems that can respond to customer behaviour instantly instead of relying on delayed reward mechanisms after purchases are completed.

Data cited by the company from Deloitte’s 2025 customer loyalty research showed that 72% of consumers said loyalty programs make them more likely to spend with preferred brands, while 56% said such programs increase how much they spend. 

Deloitte’s research also found that only 51% of respondents actively engage with more than one loyalty program, a figure The Hashgraph Group used to highlight competition among brands for sustained customer engagement.

THG expands Hedera enterprise products

Built on Hedera’s distributed ledger infrastructure, BrandBoost integrates THG’s AssetGuard wallet system and its IDTrust self-sovereign identity platform to support what the company described as secure and verifiable consumer interactions. 

Through an integrated token studio, businesses can create branded loyalty tokens that users can earn, redeem, trade, or spend through self-custody wallets.

Stefan Deiss, co-founder and chief executive officer of The Hashgraph Group, said loyalty programs are moving toward live digital engagement systems rather than traditional points-based structures.

“Loyalty programs are no longer just about points and rewards, but about creating live engagement ecosystems where consumers interact with brands in ways that feel immediate, relevant, and personalised,” Deiss said in the announcement. 

“With BrandBoost, we are enabling businesses to interact and transact with consumers in real-time, while unlocking new monetisation and revenue models through loyalty gamification models.”

The rollout adds to The Hashgraph Group’s growing portfolio of enterprise-focused Hedera products.

Back in September 2025, the company launched TransAct, a managed transaction gateway that allowed enterprises and government institutions to execute Hedera transactions without directly holding HBAR or managing crypto wallets.

At the time, Deiss said TransAct was designed to remove operational and compliance barriers that had slowed enterprise blockchain adoption by abstracting wallet management, gas fees, and crypto accounting requirements behind a traditional invoicing structure.

Separately, The Hashgraph Group also participated in Switzerland’s municipal blockchain biodiversity voucher initiative launched earlier this year in Muri bei Bern. The project introduced tokenized biodiversity reward vouchers on Hedera that residents could redeem for Swiss francs at local businesses after participating in environmental conservation work.

Within the BrandBoost launch, The Hashgraph Group said the platform can be deployed across sectors including sports, media, entertainment, and telecommunications, where companies are looking for tools to reduce subscriber churn and improve audience participation through tokenized incentives and real-time engagement systems.

Truesense partnership adds location verification layer

Alongside the platform launch, THG announced a strategic collaboration with Truesense to integrate ultra-wideband, or UWB, technology into BrandBoost. According to the company, the integration allows brands to verify physical attendance and user location with centimetre-level accuracy during events and gamified campaigns.

Armando Caltabiano, co-founder and chief executive officer of Truesense, said the partnership would support new monetization systems tied to consumer participation while also helping reduce fraud and account-sharing abuse.

The two companies said they recently completed a proof-of-concept deployment with a Latin American satellite television provider, where BrandBoost was tested alongside UWB-enabled USB-TV dongles developed by Truesense to support audience engagement and content monetization.

Former Hodlnaut CEO Zhu Juntao was charged in Singapore with six counts of fraud by false representation, in a case tied to statements Zhu and Hodlnaut employees allegedly made after the 2022 collapse of the Terra ecosystem.

Singapore Police said Zhu, 36, was charged following an investigation by the Commercial Affairs Department and faces three charges under Section 424A(1)(a) read with Section 424A(3) of the Penal Code 1871, as well as three further charges under the same provision read with Section 109.

The case centers on alleged false claims about Hodlnaut’s exposure to the TerraUSD (UST) crash, including accusations that Zhu directed staff to issue some of the statements.

Police said Zhu allegedly instigated Hodlnaut employees to make misleading statements in the company’s official Telegram group and in emails sent to some users between May and July 2022, asserting that the platform did not have direct exposure to UST and had not suffered losses from its crash.

Singapore Police Force charges former Hodlnaut chief executive Zhu Juntao. Source: Singapore Police Force

The police statement also said Zhu published three similar posts on his personal Twitter account, now known as X, in June 2022. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine, or both, on each charge.

Related: Singapore revokes crypto payment license of Bsquared over regulatory breaches

The charges revive scrutiny of one of the most damaging episodes in the 2022 digital asset market rout. The Terra ecosystem imploded in May 2022 when its algorithmic stablecoin UST lost its dollar peg, wiping out approximately $50 billion in market value and helping trigger broader failures across the crypto lending sector.

Hodlnaut’s collapse and liquidation

Hodlnaut, a Singapore-based crypto platform that allowed users to deposit tokens for yield, had more than 30,000 users worldwide before it became defunct in August 2022 due to financial difficulties, according to police.

The company halted withdrawals in August 2022, and its website now says its affairs, business and property are being managed by court-appointed liquidators.

Other crypto lenders, including Celsius Network and Voyager Digital, also fell into bankruptcy in 2022 amid the Terra fallout and a wider market slump, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers with frozen funds.

Celsius reported more than $10 billion in assets before its collapse, while Voyager’s Chapter 11 filing listed between $1 billion and $10 billion in assets and liabilities.

Cointelegraph reached out to Hodlnaut’s court-appointed liquidators, but they did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Magazine: AI-driven hacks could kill DeFi — unless projects act now

Bitcoin’s price action has spent a fourth straight week in a defined range, with buyers defending the $74,000 level while sellers stack around the $78,000 to $80,000 band. Hyblock analysts observe that the intraday jump to $78,164 may have flushed underwater longs and pushed short-sellers toward breakeven, suggesting a delicate balance between demand and supply as the market tests a psychological threshold.

According to Hyblock, the rally into the $78,000 area appeared to trigger a wave of exits from positions that had previously been underwater, while optimistic shorts opted to cut losses at breakeven to avoid further downside risk. The firm’s insights come as traders monitor whether fresh liquidity can sustain a push through resistance, or if the price will retreat back into the established corridor.

BTC/USDT net positions heatmap. Source: Hyblock

Hyblock also highlighted the role of liquidations in the intra-day move and noted how liquidity tends to act like a magnet for BTC. The firm identified two notable clusters where liquidity is concentrated and building most rapidly—the area around $75,675 to $75,700 stands out as a particularly active pocket that could exert ongoing influence on near-term price behavior.

BTC/USDT liquidation heatmap. Source: Hyblock

In the broader context, Hyblock’s discussion of liquidity dynamics aligns with recent market chatter about how futures activity can drive price action even as spot demand absorbs a portion of selling pressure. The evolving balance between futures-driven liquidity and spot market participation remains a key factor for traders watching for a sustained breakout or a renewed pullback.

Meanwhile, observers note a separate development on the demand side. Adam Back, the CEO of Blockstream, drew attention to a large Bitcoin whale employing a time-weighted average price (TWAP) strategy to accumulate BTC at a brisk pace. Back tweeted that the whale has been gobbling up around 450 BTC per day for eight-and-a-half days, underscoring the persistent interest from sizable buyers even as price hovers near the lower end of the recent range.

Bitfinex Bitcoin whale TWAP data. Source: Adam Back / X

Price action and market structure: what the indicators are signaling

The day’s price action fits a familiar pattern: a futures-driven selloff that applies pressure through derivatives markets, while spot buyers step in to absorb a portion of the supply. This dynamic can soften the impact of downward moves and help keep the market anchored near key support levels. In the current setup, the orderbook shows persistent selling pressure beginning around $77,700, with asks thickening between $78,000 and $80,000. Such a configuration implies that buyers may need to sustain higher bids or for new liquidity to emerge to push through the upper band of the range.

From a structural standpoint, the $74,000 support zone remains a critical anchor, with the market’s ability to defend that level likely shaping near-term trajectory. If buyers can absorb selling pressure and push above the $78,000 to $80,000 zone, the next test would be whether new demand surfaces to sustain a breakout or if the market reverts to the established range highs and rebalances liquidity at those levels. Hyblock’s reference to concentrated liquidity pockets suggests that the market could hinge on how quickly liquidity rehomogenizes around those clusters, potentially influencing the speed and sustainability of any breakout attempt.

For traders, the combination of a defined range, visible liquidity clusters, and notable TWAP activity from a major whale creates a nuanced backdrop. The concentration of liquidity near $75,675–$75,700 could act as a magnet, drawing price toward that pocket if the market weakens. Conversely, persistent demand beyond the $78,000–$80,000 area would require fresh liquidity and a shift in orderbook depth to sustain a sustained move higher.

What this means for traders and investors

Investors should watch three intertwined signals: the persistence of the $74,000 support, the ability to thread through the $78,000–$80,000 resistance band, and the evolving liquidity landscape around the identified clusters. If the market continues to absorb futures-driven selling while spot demand remains relatively steady, there could be a setup for a cautious rally. However, a failure to clear the $78,000–$80,000 zone may re-emphasize the range-bound regime and direct attention to the liquidity magnets around $75,675–$75,700.

The presence of a notable TWAP-driven accumulation by a large holder adds another layer of consideration for sentiment and risk management. While a single pattern in BTC behavior is not predictive on its own, sustained buying pressure at regular intervals could provide a floor for prices even when derivatives markets tilt bearish in the near term.

As market participants digest these dynamics, the next important waypoint is how orderbook depth evolves around key levels. The depth signals—sellers appearing near $77,700 and thicker asks between $78,000 and $80,000—suggest a test of supply at the upper end of the current range. A clear move through that resistance zone would likely require a combination of renewed spot demand and a shift in liquidity distribution that benefits buyers stepping in with size.

For reference, readers can review related market coverage that discusses liquidation activity surrounding BTC price moves and how such episodes shape liquidity expectations in the near term. Earlier reporting noted that liquidations have been a feature of recent moves and underscores why understanding liquidity topology is essential for navigating volatility in this market.

In a broader sense, today’s observations reinforce a common theme: Bitcoin’s short- to medium-term direction remains tied to the tug-of-war between futures-driven supply and spot-side demand, with liquidity clusters acting as a critical barometer for whether the market can muster a sustained move beyond the current range.

What to watch next: if BTC can sustain bids above the key ceiling and tip through the $80,000 mark, a fresh wave of liquidity-driven momentum could emerge. If not, the probability of another test of the $74,000 support and renewed liquidity negotiations remains high, keeping traders cautious in the weeks ahead.

BEIJING — China’s industrial profits in April surged by 24.7% from a year earlier, according to official data released Wednesday, marking the fastest growth since November 2023.

The increase accelerated from a 15.8% rise in March, according to China’s biggest financial data provider Wind Information.

For the first four months of the year, enterprise profits rose 18.2%, up from 15.5% growth in the first quarter.

China reported slower economic growth in April, with a 4.1% increase in industrial output and a 0.2% rise in retail sales from a year ago. Fixed asset investment fell for the first four months of the year as the real estate drag steepened.

Exports remained strong, climbing 14.1% in April from a year ago in U.S. dollar terms. Imports surged by 25.3%, data released earlier in May showed.

The producer price index in April jumped 2.8% from a year ago, the most since July 2022.