The company touted the speed and low cost of using XRP and related technologies in its payment network of medical service providers. Wellgistics Health, a healthcare infrastructure company, will integrate XRP (XRP) and related technologies into its payment network to streamline transactions between pharmacies, medical suppliers and prescription medication manufacturers, the company said in an announcement on May 8. Wellgistics cited the finality time of XRP transactions and reduced transaction costs, which are fractions of a penny, compared to legacy financial architecture like automated clearinghouse (ACH) payments or wire transfers, as reasons for using XRP. Brian Norton, CEO of Wellgistics Health, said in the announcement: The integration of XRP will reduce cross-border friction and allow transactions between different businesses in the supply chain to settle instantly, in real time, the announcement reads. Read more
The deal reflects competition among crypto exchanges to dominate the burgeoning derivatives market. Coinbase’s agreement to buy Deribit highlights the increasing importance of financial derivatives for cryptocurrency exchanges, according to industry executives. On May 8, Coinbase, the US’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, agreed to acquire crypto derivatives platform Deribit for $2.9 billion in the crypto industry’s largest corporate acquisition to date. The deal reflects increasing competition among digital asset exchanges and brokerages — including Coinbase, Kraken and Robinhood — to dominate the burgeoning crypto derivatives market. Read more
Pro Bitcoin traders might use bullish options strategies to build pressure on short sellers. Key takeaways: 97% of the $8.3 billion in Bitcoin put options expire worthless at a $102,000 BTC price. Short covering above $105,000 could trigger a Bitcoin price rally to new highs. Read more
Michelle Bond, facing campaign finance charges, is one of the last significant figures tied to cryptocurrency exchange FTX, through her husband, to be awaiting trial. Michelle Bond, the wife of former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame, who faces federal campaign finance charges, is pushing for dismissal on the grounds that US prosecutors deceived her husband in a plea deal. In a May 7 filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Bond’s lawyers reiterated some of the claims Salame made in opposing his plea deal with the government, which ultimately still led to him serving time in prison. She claimed that prosecutors obtained a deal with Salame through “stealth and deception” by allegedly agreeing they would not file charges against Bond. “Mr. Salame and Ms. Bond’s attorneys were advised that the agreement to cease investigating Ms. Bond could not be placed within the four corners of the Salame plea or other written agreement, but the government still offered it as an inducement...
A federal court has agreed with the Trump-appointed US attorney to levy a harsh sentence on former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky. The US federal court for the Southern District of New York has sentenced former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky to 12 years in prison for fraud. Mashinsky’s legal team sought a light sentence. They highlighted his spotless record before the Celsius incident, along with his military service and willingness to plead guilty. But US prosecutors were less inclined to leniency, suggesting on April 28 that the judge deliver a 20-year sentence for his actions. Betting markets predicted a light sentence ahead of the May 8 hearing. Polymarket showed only 11% odds for a 20-year sentence or higher. Read more
The impact of positive Bitcoin-related legislative and regulatory progress finally trickles down to BTC price as the top cryptocurrency rallies above $101,000. Key takeaways: Bitcoin rallies to $101,707 against a backdrop of strong fundamentals in the regulatory and traditional finance space. Traders are confident that $100,000 will hold as support. Read more