1. SEC Chair Atkins: US Will No Longer Push Crypto Founders Overseas link
SEC Chair Paul Atkins posted on X that for far too long, the SEC has been at odds with new technologies and innovation, driving entrepreneurs overseas — but “that era is over.” He stated that under the Trump administration, the SEC will collaborate with the executive branch and Congress to deliver much-needed regulatory clarity for the digital asset market.
2. Donald Trump: CFTC to Keep Exclusive Oversight of Prediction Markets; US Must Protect Crypto Industry link
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that maintaining the CFTC’s exclusive regulatory authority over prediction markets is “critical” and that prediction markets should continue to develop. He noted that under his administration, the United States is establishing “rules” for the industry that will serve as the “gold standard for states”. He also remarked that the crypto industry is a vital sector, and the U.S. must safeguard its development.
3. UK Issues New Russia Sanctions; Bitpapa, Huobi, Exmo Listed link
The UK government released a new round of sanctions against Russia on May 26, adding Bitpapa IC FZC LLC, Huobi Global S.A., Exmo Exchange Limited, Aifory LLC and other entities to the sanctions list on the grounds that they are suspected of providing financial services, funds or economic resources to A7 LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. As part of the UK’s efforts to crack down on Russia’s sanctions evasion networks, the sanctions also target crypto trading platforms such as Garantex Europe OU, banks and related enterprises. The new sanctions have prompted multiple cryptocurrency exchanges to roll out risk control measures for funds from HTX business addresses. Some users have had their accounts frozen after receiving withdrawals from HTX, drawing industry attention to sanctions-related risks.
HTX stated that it received no prior notice or relevant evidence regarding the UK’s sanctions. It also clarified that Huobi Global S.A. on the sanctions list is a separate entity from the online HTX exchange. HTX said Huobi Global S.A. will communicate with relevant UK authorities to clarify the grounds for the sanctions and address relevant issues, adding that the sanctions will not affect HTX’s global operations or user funds.
OKX reminded users that those who have previously conducted arbitrage trading between OKX and HTX and continue to transfer funds between the two platforms after the sanctions are imposed may face additional reviews on their OKX accounts. To ensure normal account usage, users are advised to refrain from such activities and contact customer service for inquiries if needed.
Bybit Chinese community issued an important notice on deposits and withdrawals related to HTX. Given the latest regulatory developments involving HTX, transfers to or from HTX-related addresses may trigger additional anti-money laundering, compliance and risk control reviews. Bybit advises users to avoid using HTX-related addresses and ensure all account activities comply with local laws, regulations and platform rules.
4. Argentina’s Anti-Gambling Bill Targets Crypto Exchanges to Block Illegal Betting Funds link
Argentina’s Ministry of Health has submitted a bill to Congress on gambling addiction prevention and online gambling regulation, which for the first time brings virtual asset service providers under its coverage. The draft requires banks, fintech firms, crypto exchanges and wallet providers to refrain from offering services or facilitating transactions for unlicensed online gambling and casino platforms in Argentina, and to strengthen due diligence, transaction monitoring and KYC procedures. The bill also proposes amendments to the criminal law, stipulating that individuals or enterprises providing key financial, technical or digital asset services to illegal gambling platforms shall be sentenced to imprisonment for two to four years. Previously, a court in Buenos Aires, Argentina, ordered a full block on Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market platform.
5. CME to Launch 24/7 Bitcoin Futures Trading link
CME Group announced its official entry into the around-the-clock crypto market. Starting this Friday, CME Bitcoin futures and options will trade 24/7 on the Globex electronic trading platform, with only a 60-minute system maintenance pause every Sunday between 18:00 and 19:00 UTC+8. This structural shift means the long-standing “CME gap” caused by weekend closures will effectively disappear. Previously, traders often exploited price disconnections between Friday’s close and Sunday’s open for arbitrage and position allocation.
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6. Strategy Deposits 411.48 BTC ($30.3M) into Coinbase Prime link
Michael Saylor’s Strategy has deposited 411.48 BTC, valued at approximately $30.3 million, into Coinbase Prime. Meanwhile, on Polymarket, the probability that Strategy will sell BTC before December 31, 2026, has risen to 84%.
7. BitMine Named in Preliminary Russell 1000 Inclusion List link
BitMine Chairman Thomas Lee tweeted that FTSE Russell has released its preliminary inclusion and exclusion list, with BitMine (BMNR) on the preliminary inclusion list for the large‑cap Russell 1000, as its market cap exceeds the $5.7 billion minimum threshold for large‑cap inclusion. Thomas Lee noted that many actively managed funds only buy Russell 1000 constituents, and it is estimated that 20% to 25% of a single stock’s market cap is typically held by passive index funds or ETFs.
Previously, Ethereum treasury company BitMine announced that as of May 25, 2026, it held 5,390,404 ETH, representing approximately 4.47% of Ethereum’s total supply, having added 111,942 ETH week‑over‑week. The total value of the company’s crypto assets, cash, and “Moonshots” investments is about $12.3 billion, including roughly $444 million in cash, 203 BTC, $200 million in Beast Industries shares, and $95 million in ORBS shares. Additionally, BitMine has currently staked 4,712,917 ETH, valued at approximately $10.1 billion at current prices. Company Chairman Tom Lee stated that ETH’s current pullback below $2,200 is an “attractive opportunity.”
8. Tether, Georgia Plan Lari Stablecoin GEL₮ link
Tether announced plans to launch GEL₮, a stablecoin pegged to the Georgian lari, with support from the Georgian government. It aims to cut transaction costs, enable near real-time settlement, facilitate programmable payments and streamline the circulation of digital financial value. Georgia has been advancing a regulatory framework for digital assets and stablecoins, covering reserve management, redemption rights, issuer supervision and anti-money laundering compliance. The country also seeks substantial compatibility with emerging U.S. stablecoin regulations including the GENIUS Act.
9. Vitalik: EF to Downsize, Focus on Ethereum Censorship Resistance, Privacy & Security link
Vitalik Buterin stated that the Ethereum Foundation (EF) will evolve into a smaller, more long-term oriented and clearly positioned organization in the future. It will no longer act as the hub of the Ethereum ecosystem, but focus on core areas including censorship resistance, openness, privacy and security. Vitalik argued that Ethereum should not merely pursue higher TPS and lower latency, but build differentiated advantages in consensus security, formal verification and reduced reliance on intermediaries. He also revealed that around 90 percent of his net worth remains in ETH, and the remaining on-chain fiat funds worth approximately 40 million US dollars have been fully invested in open-source research and technology projects. In addition, Vitalik noted that current smart contract wallets and privacy protocols rely excessively on third-party relay nodes. For this reason, he is promoting proposals such as FOCIL, EIP-8141 and EIP-7701 to restructure the public transaction mempool and enable peer-to-peer direct on-chain transactions.
10. OpenZeppelin Founder: All DeFi Is Now Insecure link
Manuel Aráoz, co-founder of crypto security firm OpenZeppelin, wrote that due to the extreme asymmetry between attackers and defenders, he now believes all DeFi is insecure. He has personally advised family and friends to exit all DeFi positions, including blue-chip protocols such as Aave, MakerDAO and Compound. Aráoz pointed out that AI coding agents have achieved superhuman capabilities in hunting for vulnerabilities. Smart contract security features a lopsided dynamic: defenders must fix every flaw, while attackers only need to exploit a single loophole to steal funds.
Stani Kulechov, founder of Aave, refuted the claim that DeFi is no longer secure. He said the current DeFi infrastructure has become far more resilient compared with the previous cycle, partly thanks to advances in AI technology. He stated that DeFi has seen improvements in risk engines, lending market structures, formal verification, audits, bug bounties, oracles, automated monitoring and circuit breakers over the years. AI is also being leveraged by security researchers, auditors and white hat hackers to bolster protocol safety. Stani added that many existing risks stem more from Web2 operational security, and numerous teams are stepping up internal controls, infrastructure hardening and the implementation of frameworks like SOC2.
OpenZeppelin issued a statement clarifying that Manuel Aráoz’s remarks do not represent the company’s stance, noting that he left the firm back in 2019. The company also said most recent security incidents in the industry result from operational security issues rather than smart contract vulnerabilities.
Fundraising
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PopDEX announced the completion of a $30 million financing round led by Foresight Ventures. link
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Japanese stablecoin JPYC has secured $32 million in Series B financing. link
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OpenRouter closed a $113 million Series B financing round led by CapitalG, an affiliate of Alphabet. link
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Hypernova, a prop trading platform within the Hyperliquid ecosystem, raised $3 million in pre-seed funding. link
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BNB Plus, a Nasdaq-listed digital asset treasury firm, secured $4.1 million in financing. link
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Cross-chain platform Squid completed a $6 million strategic financing round led by North Island Ventures. link
Learn more, check out crypto-fundraising.info.
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