Tokenization is gaining real traction as BlackRock, Libre, and MultiBank make billion-dollar moves, signaling the shift from theory to execution. Tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) is evolving from an abstract concept to a practical financial tool as institutional players increasingly test and deploy blockchain-based infrastructure at scale. This past week alone saw a flurry of announcements from both traditional financial institutions and blockchain-native firms advancing their RWA initiatives. On April 30, BlackRock filed to create a digital ledger technology shares class for its $150 billion Treasury Trust fund. It will leverage blockchain technology to maintain a mirror record of share ownership for investors. Read more
Binance has partnered with Kyrgyzstan to roll out crypto payments and launch blockchain education programs in the country. Binance has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kyrgyzstan’s National Agency for Investments to introduce crypto payment infrastructure and blockchain education in the country. The MoU was formalized during the inaugural meeting of the Council for the Development of Digital Assets, attended by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, the exchange said in a May 4 press release. As part of the agreement, Binance will introduce Binance Pay to Kyrgyzstan, enabling crypto-based transactions for visitors and residents. Read more
A group of nine US Senate Democrats say they will oppose the stablecoin bill in its current form, threatening its chances of passing. A group of US Senate Democrats known for supporting the crypto industry have said they would oppose a Republican-led stablecoin bill if it moves forward in its current form. The move threatens to stall legislation that could establish the first US regulatory framework for stablecoins, according to a May 3 report from Politico. Per the report, nine Senate Democrats said in a joint statement that the bill “still has numerous issues that must be addressed.” They warned they would not support a procedural vote to advance the legislation unless changes are made. Read more
Arizona state senator and Bitcoin advocate Wendy Rogers said, “Bitcoin doesn’t need Arizona, Arizona needs Bitcoin." Bitcoiners and United States government officials have criticized Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ decision to veto a bill that would have allowed the state to hold Bitcoin as part of its official reserves. “This will age poorly,” Casa co-founder and cypherpunk Jameson Lopp said in a May 3 X post. Bitcoin (BTC) entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano said, “Imagine the ignorance of a politician to believe they can make investment decisions.” “If she can’t outperform Bitcoin, she must buy it,” Pompliano said. Crypto lawyer Andrew Gordon said, “We need more elected officials who understand that Bitcoin and crypto are the future.” Read more
OKX claims to have not received any requests from law enforcement to freeze funds after Tron’s X account was compromised. OKX founder and CEO Star Xu has publicly defended the crypto exchange after Tron founder Justin Sun accused it of failing to act on a law enforcement request to freeze stolen funds following a recent hack of Tron’s official X account. “OKX also has consumers protection policy according to law, we can’t freeze a customer’s funds according to your personal X post or an oral communication. I think you should understand it as the CEO of HTX,” Xu said in an X post. Xu said that the crypto exchange had not received any related correspondence through OKX’s official channels. “Our LE cooperation team just checked the email, including the spam box; we haven’t received any request related with this case,” Xu said. Read more
Bitwise says its “in house” prediction for Bitcoin is $1 million by 2029, deputy CIA director says Bitcoin “here to stay” — Hodler’s Digest The US Central Intelligence Agency is increasingly incorporating Bitcoin as a tool in its operations, and working with the cryptocurrency is a matter of national security, Michael Ellis, the agencys deputy director, told podcast host Anthony Pompliano. In an appearance on the market analyst and investors The Pomp Podcast show, Ellis told Pompliano that the intelligence agency works with law enforcement to track BTC, and it is a point of data collection in counter-intelligence operations. Ellis added: Bitcoin is here to stay cryptocurrency is here to stay. As you know, more and more institutions are adopting it, and I think that is a great trend. One that this administration has obviously been leaning forward into. Read more
Buffett said he was confident that Berkshire Hathaway's board would "unanimously" approve his successor as CEO of the investment company. Warren Buffett, the CEO of publicly traded investment company Berkshire Hathaway, announced at the company's annual shareholder meeting that he will step down by the end of 2025, and his chosen successor will take over as CEO, pending approval from Berkshire's board of directors. According to CNBC, Buffett reiterated that Greg Abel, the company's vice chairman of non-insurance operations, who was previously named by Buffett as his successor, will take over. The Berkshire founder announced: Buffett added that he would stay at the company in an advisory role "but the final word would be what Greg decided," the CEO said. Buffett's decision to step down as CEO comes at a time when Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on cash reserves of roughly $348 billion. Read more