Author: Isabella Taylor

Summary HyperInsight data show Huang Licheng has boosted his Bitcoin long to about $14.5 million with more than 40x leverage, opening around $76,357 and facing liquidation near $72,904.5. He is also running a 25x leveraged Ethereum long worth roughly $23.3 million, with an average entry price of $2,311.63 and a liquidation level at $2,202.7. The positions, taken on derivatives venue Hyperliquid, put tens of millions of dollars in notional exposure at risk if BTC and ETH see even mid‑single‑digit pullbacks from current levels. According to monitoring shared by on‑chain and derivatives tracker HyperInsight, high‑profile trader Huang Licheng has sharply increased his…

Major US banking trade groups have asked the Treasury Department and the FDIC to pause three GENIUS Act rulemaking comment periods until the OCC finalises its primary stablecoin framework, while stablecoin startup Agora simultaneously filed for a national trust bank charter on April 24 to establish a federal presence before the rules harden. Summary The American Bankers Association and the Bank Policy Institute asked Treasury and the FDIC to wait 60 days after the OCC finishes its framework before running parallel comment periods, arguing the proposals are structurally interdependent. Agora CEO Nick van Eck called the banks’ stance “not much…

Bitcoin price rose nearly 3% to $78,700 on May 1 as Iran submitted a new peace proposal through Pakistani mediators to the United States, easing oil pressure and improving risk sentiment across global markets for the second time in a week. Summary Bitcoin price climbed to $78,700 on May 1, recovering from a multi-week low near $74,900 posted just two days earlier when Trump received a military briefing on new Iran strike options. Iran submitted a revised peace proposal through Pakistani mediators on May 1, CNBC reported, with oil prices edging lower on the development as Strait of Hormuz supply…

Pi Network has set May 11 as the activation date for Protocol 23, the upgrade that introduces full smart contract functionality to the Pi blockchain and transforms the network from a mobile mining project into a programmable platform capable of supporting DeFi applications and real-world asset tokenisation. Summary Pi Network Protocol 23 lands on May 11, moved one week earlier from the previously announced May 18 date, four days after co-founders Dr. Chengdiao Fan and Nicolas Kokkalis speak at Consensus 2026 in Miami. Protocol 23 enables developers to build decentralised exchanges, lending protocols, automated tools, and tokenised asset products on…

Microsoft and OpenAI restructured their landmark 2019 partnership on April 27, converting Microsoft’s cloud license from exclusive to non-exclusive, allowing OpenAI to sell its full model suite on Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud for the first time, as Amazon CEO Andy Jassy confirmed OpenAI models will arrive on AWS Bedrock within weeks. Summary OpenAI Microsoft exclusivity is gone: the new terms give Microsoft a non-exclusive licence to OpenAI’s IP through 2032, while OpenAI remains obligated to ship new models to Azure first. Microsoft stops paying its revenue share to OpenAI immediately, while OpenAI continues paying Microsoft through 2030 subject…

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse declared at XRP Las Vegas that the CLARITY Act will pass by the end of May, his third public deadline for the bill after predicting 80% odds of April passage on Fox Business in February and revising to May at two successive industry events. Summary Garlinghouse first gave 80% odds of April passage on Fox Business on February 19, revised to end of May at the FII Priority Miami Summit on March 27, and reaffirmed end of May at the Semafor World Economy Summit on April 13. He says the stablecoin yield dispute that paralysed the…

Mantle’s proposal to lend up to 30,000 ETH to Aave’s DeFi United rsETH rescue has gone live on Snapshot, adding structured credit to a $314m multi‑DAO war chest. Summary Mantle Network says its rsETH relief credit facility proposal for Aave has moved into the governance voting stage on Snapshot, with MNT holders required to delegate before they can vote. The proposal would let Mantle’s treasury lend up to 30,000 ETH to Aave’s DeFi United recovery effort, giving users more orderly ways to exit or restructure positions impacted by the April 18 rsETH exploit. DeFi United, the multi‑DAO rescue initiative led…

Crypto VC funding slid to $659m across 63 April deals, a 74% drop from March that drags monthly flows back to 2024 lows even as DeFi and AI still attract capital. Summary Cointelegraph data show crypto venture funding fell to $659 million across 63 deals in April, down 74% from $2.6 billion and 84 rounds in March. Since peaking at $3.84 billion in October 2025, monthly crypto VC flows have trended lower even as 2026 year‑to‑date funding still totals about $5.64 billion. DeFi led sector activity with 12 deals, while blockchain services and AI‑linked crypto projects each saw 8 rounds;…

137 Ventures has raised over $700m across two new funds, lifting AUM above $15b as it doubles down on AI agents, robotics, advanced industry and a $10b‑plus SpaceX stake. Summary SpaceX backer 137 Ventures has closed more than $700 million across two new funds, lifting its assets under management above $15 billion. The growth-stage firm says the fresh capital will target high‑impact technology bets in AI agents, robotics, advanced industrial systems, and aerospace propulsion. 137 Ventures now owns more than 1% of SpaceX, a stake its founder values at over $10 billion ahead of a potential IPO that could see…

Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari has shifted from penciling in one or two 2026 cuts to a data‑dependent stance as the Iran war and higher oil muddy the inflation path. Summary Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari says he had expected inflation to cool enough to justify cutting interest rates once or twice in 2026, but the Iran war has made that outlook far less certain. He now argues that recent data, including March’s inflation prints, are not strong enough to change the Federal Open Market Committee’s policy statement, stressing the need to see how long elevated energy prices persist. Kashkari…