Category: News

Who’s got the charm, cash and code to be a crypto hub?

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Kazakhstan, the Maldives and Pakistan have recently outlined ambitions to position themselves as crypto hubs and build out their digital economies. Historically, these countries haven’t been top of mind for global crypto firms — though Kazakhstan did have a brief moment in the spotlight as a go-to destination for Bitcoin (BTC) miners after China’s mining ban. Meanwhile, established financial centers are now in a race to become the world’s leading crypto hub by finding the right balance of regulation, talent, capital and infrastructure. Here’s how five of them are backing…

Community sales are the future of crypto fundraising

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Opinion by: Darius Moukhtarzadeh, Research Strategist at 21Shares A new wave of crypto fundraising is emerging, changing how Web3 projects launch and who can invest at an early stage: Community Sales. At first glance, community sales may seem reminiscent of the ICO (Initial Coin Offering) era from 2016–2017. Yet, they represent a significant evolution that better aligns with crypto’s core values of democratization, transparency, and inclusivity. Projects should include community sales as a core element of their fundraising strategy, besides raising from angel investors and VCs. Professional investors should embrace…

Franklin taps blockchain to offer yield on idle payroll funds

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Franklin, a hybrid cash and crypto payroll provider, is launching a new initiative that aims to turn idle-sitting payroll into an opportunity for yield. The new solution, dubbed Payroll Treasury Yield, uses blockchain lending protocols to help firms earn returns on payroll funds that would otherwise sit idle, the company told Cointelegraph in an exclusive statement. Franklin said its new offering integrates Summer.fi, a decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform, to allow companies to deposit stablecoin-denominated payroll reserves into smart contract-based lending pools. These funds are lent to vetted borrowers, and…

Hoskinson promises audit, is ‘deeply hurt’ by $600M Cardano treasury claims

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The Cardano Foundation is preparing to release an audit report on its treasury holdings after fresh allegations surfaced claiming misappropriation of roughly $600 million worth of ADA tokens. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson is facing renewed scrutiny from community members, including non-fungible token artist Masato Alexander, who alleged that Hoskinson manipulated the Cardano ledger using a “genesis key to rewrite it and take control” of $619 million worth of Cardano (ADA) during the network’s 2021 Allegra hard fork. Source: Masato Alexander Related: Nasdaq-listed GDC plans to buy Bitcoin and TRUMP memecoin…

Strategy buys 7,390 BTC for $765M, gets hit with class-action lawsuit

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Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, and the top corporate Bitcoin holder, acquired nearly $765 million of Bitcoin last week. The purchase comes as the company faces a class-action lawsuit. According to a May 19 announcement, Strategy acquired 7,390 BTC for about $764.9 million at an average price just under $103,500. Strategy reported a Bitcoin yield of 16.3% year-to-date. According to a May 19 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, the firm was also just hit with a class action lawsuit. The suit accuses Strategy officials of having failed…

XRP price risks falling to $2 after classic bearish chart pattern confirms

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Key takeaways: The XRP (XRP) price is flashing warning signs as a bearish technical pattern resolves on lower timeframes, coinciding with massive long liquidations and decreasing open interest. XRP H&S pattern hints at a 14% price drop XRP price action has formed a head-and-shoulders (H&S) pattern on its four-hour chart since May 9, projecting a likely down-move. The head-and-shoulders pattern is a bearish reversal pattern that can signal a change in trend. It consists of three peaks: a higher peak (head) and two lower peaks (shoulders).  It is resolved when…

Australian court ruling could spur $640M in Bitcoin tax refunds

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A court decision in Australia could open the door to as much as $640 million in capital gains tax (CGT) refunds on Bitcoin transactions after a judge ruled that crypto should be treated as money rather than a taxable asset.  On May 19, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported that the decision arose within a criminal case involving federal police officer William Wheatley, who allegedly stole 81.6 Bitcoin (BTC) in 2019. At the time, the assets were worth roughly $492,000. At current market prices, the tokens are valued at more…

US crypto funds top $7.5B inflows in 2025 as investor appetite grows

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Crypto investment products in the United States have attracted over $7.5 billion worth of investment in 2025, with a fifth week of net positive inflows last week signaling growing investor demand for digital assets. US-based crypto investment products attracted $785 million worth of investment last week, pushing the year-to-date (YTD) total to over $7.5 billion, according to a May 19 report by digital asset manager CoinShares. The latest figure marks the fifth consecutive week of net positive flows, following nearly $7 billion in outflows during February and March. Weekly crypto…

Revolut eyes French license and $1.1B expansion amid EU growth

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Revolut, a European neobank with crypto support, plans to invest more than 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) in France and apply for a local banking license. According to a May 19 Fortune report, Revolut representatives announced the initiative during the Choose France business summit hosted by President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. The London-based neobank also plans to set up its new European Union-serving headquarters in Paris, promising to invest 1 billion euro and hire at least 200 people within three years. Revolut spokespeople also said that the firm is in…

Dubai regulator sets compliance deadline for updated crypto rules

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Dubai’s crypto regulator has given licensed digital asset companies until June 19 to comply with its updated activity-based Rulebooks to enhance market integrity and risk oversight.  On May 19, Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) announced that it had released Version 2.0 of the Rulebooks.  The regulator said it had strengthened controls around margin trading and token distribution services, harmonised compliance requirements across all licensed activities and given clearer definitions for collateral wallet arrangements.  VARA’s team will engage with licensed entities and expects the companies to comply with the updated…