Author: Isabella Taylor
New revelations suggest that the arrest of Vladimir Smerkis, former Binance Russia chief and co-founder of crypto app Blum, may be linked to his involvement in earlier collapsed crypto ventures that left investors empty-handed. The Zamoskvoretsky District Court ordered Smerkis’s arrest late last week, and while official charges haven’t been disclosed by the authorities, further information on the matter has now emerged. On May 18, Telegram channel Mash reported that the reason for the arrest of Vladimir Smerkis may be linked to the earlier ventures founded by Smerkis, including the now-defunct crypto investment platforms The Token Fund and Tokenbox. In…
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is facing a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. state of Illinois, which claims that the company may have violated the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act. A group of Coinbase customers has accused the platform of improperly collecting and storing facial data during its identity verification process. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on May 13, the lawsuit alleges that Coinbase’s Know Your Customer checks involve scanning users’ facial geometry without proper notice or consent, a move the plaintiffs say directly breaches Illinois’ biometric privacy laws. According to the complaint, users were…
Ripple has expanded its presence in the UAE by onboarding two new partners, Zand Bank and fintech firm Mamo, who will leverage its blockchain-based cross-border payments platform. The announcement was made via a May 19 press release, following Ripple’s recent push to deepen its footprint across the Middle East. In March 2025, Ripple became the first blockchain-enabled payment company to be granted full licensing approval by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, allowing it to operate in the Dubai International Financial Center. Zand Bank and Mamo will now use Ripple Payments, a solution that connects a global network of payout partners…
BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes says Bitcoin must break above $110,000 and climb toward $150,000–$200,000 for a true altcoin season to kick off. In a recent interview with Fortune published on May 18, Hayes predicted this breakout could occur sometime in June or early Q3, driven by rising liquidity and increased trading volume. Hayes, who now manages his family office Maelstrom, emphasized that the next altcoin cycle won’t resemble the explosive gains seen in 2021. He warned that many older tokens, what he called “dino coins,” are unlikely to recover due to high fully diluted valuations, limited float, and no real…
Japanese investment firm Metaplanet has increased its Bitcoin holdings by 1,004 BTC, bringing the total reserve to 7,800 BTC. Tokyo-listed investment firm Metaplanet has expanded its Bitcoin (BTC) holdings with a new purchase of 1,004 BTC, bringing its total reserves to 7,800 BTC. In a regulatory filing on May 19, Metaplanet disclosed that the latest buy, valued at around $104 million, was made at an average price of $97,182 per BTC, placing the company’s total Bitcoin investment at approximately $712.5 million to date. The purchase comes as Bitcoin’s market price surpassed $100,000, buoyed by optimism over U.S.-China tariff discussions. Based…
Key Takeaways Blum said he had resigned as Chief Marketing Officer and no longer held any founding or development role within the organization Blum’s team issued an additional statement thanking Smerkis for his contributions and assuring users that the project’s operations remain unaffected. Vladimir Smerkis, a former Binance regional executive and co-founder of crypto tap-to-earn app Blum, has been formally detained by Russian authorities on suspicion of large-scale fraud, according to a ruling issued by the Zamoskvoretsky District Court. As per local media reports, the arrest was granted following a request from state investigators, who have opened a criminal case…
Pyth Network, the decentralized oracle network, is under significant pressure just hours ahead of a major token unlock scheduled for Monday, May 19. Pyth Network’s (PYTH) price has fallen 7% in the past 24 hours to $0.1449. The token has now declined over 21% in the past seven days and is trading 87.65% below its all-time high of $1.20. Despite the downturn, market activity has picked up. PYTH’s 24-hour trading volume rose 45.3% to $38.5 million, and derivatives volume surged 58%, as per Coinglass data. A rise in open interest by 0.71% suggests that new positions are being added rather…
XRP is showing muted price action as markets await a potential catalyst in the form of regulated futures trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group on Monday, May 19. The token has been range-bound between $2.32 and $2.62 for the past week and is currently holding steady at $2.37, up just 0.7% in the last day. Even though the price has been moving sideways, market activity has risen dramatically. The 24-hour trading volume of XRP (XRP) increased 46.8% to $3.2 billion, showing renewed interest among traders. Meanwhile, open interest has decreased by 0.26%, but derivatives volume is up by 48%,…
You can swap on 1inch and get the lowest available prices in the market. However, the entire process of swapping can be a bit complicated for beginners. Hence, in this article, we will focus on the steps to swap crypto on 1inch. What is 1inch? 1inch is a decentralized exchange that provides the most protected, fast, and lucrative crypto 1inch is a decentralized platform that provides the best prices by connecting to other decentralized exchanges. This way, 1inch reroutes to other decentralized exchanges while users enjoy the best price route. As a result, the platform provides the most protected, fast,…
BTCST aims to bring Bitcoin to DeFi! And seeing its recent growth, it is evident that traders are going all-in on BTCST. But is it going all the way to $1,000 or higher? The BTCST or the Bitcoin Standard Hashrate Token is the bridge between Bitcoin and DeFi. Further, each BTCST is collateralized with 0.1 Th/s mining power of BTC. Further, HODLing the BTCST token and staking it on-chain will make you entitled to Bitcoin mining rewards. Hence, providing the service for anyone to enter or exit the Bitcoin mining exposure. Why BTCST? The Bitcoin Standard Hashrate Token is a Binance…