Crypto

Dapper Labs VP Ridhima Kahn told Cointelegraph why digital merch is becoming the go-to strategy for major brands like the NBA, NFL and Disney. As more and more businesses are impacted by tariff volatility, some executives, like Ridhima Kahn, vice president of business development at Dapper Labs, are viewing the assault on the cost of physical goods as another use case for digital markets powered by blockchain to shine. “I’m seeing a lot of brands rethinking where revenue and fan engagement come from,” Kahn said during an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph. “A lot of franchises, like the ones we work with — NBA, NFL, Disney — have already had years of success with digital collection, and we’re seeing a lot of brands express interest in digital collectibles as a way to engage with fan bases at a time when physical costs are riskier and unknown.” Propelling brands to take a deeper look at digital merch is the desire to better understand fandom. Flow now has tradable highlights like a “LeBron Dunk” or a “Step...

The Clear Crypto Podcast sits down with Isabel Foxen Duke to break down “Bitcoin Season 2,” a new era of Bitcoin innovation that includes trustless bridging, lending and more. Bitcoin’s (BTC) next evolution isn’t just about price. It’s about potential.  On this week’s episode of The Clear Crypto Podcast, hosts Nathan Jeffay and Gareth Jenkinson sit down with Isabel Foxen Duke, general partner at Unbroken Chain and longtime Bitcoin advocate, to unpack what she calls “Bitcoin Season 2.” “Bitcoin Season 2 is really about seeing what we can do with Bitcoin outside of just being money,” said Duke. Read more

PI has started to recover after today's massive slump.

Polygon (POL) joined NEAR Protocol (NEAR) as an underperformer, falling 5.6%.

“If Powell signals no urgency to ease policy ... markets could still turn defensive,” an analyst told Decrypt.

Hedera closed Q1 with steady network usage and development progress, despite a 32.9% QoQ drop in market cap to $6.9 billion. HBAR’s market cap rank among all cryptocurrencies held steady QoQ at 18. Average daily transactions rose 25.8% QoQ to 708,500, driven by a 103.6% increase in Hedera’s Crypto Service activity, while average daily DEX volumes remained at $10.8 million for the second quarter in a row. Hedera’s stablecoin market cap nearly doubled to $72.6 million, led by natively issued USDC. DeFi TVL fell 41.7% to $97.1 million due to HBAR’s price drop. Development remained active, with major upgrades like HIP-755 and HIP-756 enhancing smart contract capabilities. Hedera also advanced decentralization efforts by joining the Linux Foundation’s open-source governance framework. Karate Combat saw a 35% QoQ increase in activity, with 90% of KARATE token usage occurring on Hedera. Overall, Hedera demonstrated ecosystem resilience, network growth, and strong developer momentum amid broader market challenges.

Following Bitcoin’s latest rally to $106,000, BTC continues to show strength, and traders appear to be targeting the $140,000 level as the next possible top. Key takeaways: Bitcoin’s price is retracing, but strong ETF inflows, high network activity and whale accumulation suggest BTC is on track to $140,000. Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw $2.9 billion in net inflows in two weeks, mirroring past rallies. Read more

The partnership is set to allow crypto wallets to issue virtual Mastercards, expanding access to real-world stablecoin payments

Peg-BTC (YBTC), the bridged version of BTC, can be deployed in the SUI-based DeFi to generate yield.

KYD Labs aims to put artists and venues in control, with blockchain-based ticketing boosting sales by 30%.

The attackers sent a ransom note demanding $20 million in Bitcoin, threatening to publish stolen customer data if Coinbase didn’t pay.

AlAbraaj Restaurants Group, a publicly listed Bahraini catering firm, has adopted a Bitcoin treasury strategy with plans to expand into Sharia-compliant finance. A Bahrain-based, listed catering company with a $24.2 million market cap has adopted a Bitcoin treasury strategy in partnership with investment firm 10X Capital. According to a May 15 announcement, AlAbraaj Restaurants Group partnered with 10X Capital to adopt a Bitcoin (BTC) treasury strategy similar to top corporate BTC holder Strategy (previously known as MicroStrategy). The firm also aims to explore Sharia-compliant access to Bitcoin for the Islamic world. “Our initiative to become a Bitcoin treasury company reflects our forward-looking approach and our commitment to enhancing shareholder value,” said Abdullah Isa, head of AlAbraaj’s Bitcoin Treasury Committee. Read more

DeCharge is building a decentralized EV charging network that enables individuals and small businesses to host internet-connected chargers and earn usage-based and tokenized rewards. The system integrates blockchain coordination, geospatial deployment tools, and incentive mechanisms to expand infrastructure access, particularly in underserved regions. Backed by a $2.5 million seed round led by Lemniscap in March 2025, DeCharge has formed partnerships with DePHY and GEODNET and is exploring the use of microchain infrastructure (e.g., Linera) to support high-frequency data processing. Early deployments have logged over 1.3 million charging minutes and have begun to validate the network’s incentive design and ROI model for node operators. Looking ahead, DeCharge plans to scale its charger network, launch a second-generation AC unit with integrated energy storage, and introduce its native token to support a peer-to-peer energy marketplace.

Balkan criminal networks are routing tens of millions of euros via crypto wallets, GI-TOC researchers told Decrypt.

Bitcoin can ride international macro tailwinds all the way to seven figures in just three years, says former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes. Key points: US Treasurys and foreign capital “repatriation” make a recipe for $1 million BTC, says Arthur Hayes. Europeans face tightening capital controls, inviting a recommendation to take back control of personal funds. Read more

Once a staunch Bitcoin critic, famed short-seller Jim Chanos now sees an arbitrage opportunity by shorting Strategy stock and buying BTC. Prominent short-seller Jim Chanos, once a vocal critic of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, revealed a new trading play that involves shorting shares of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and buying Bitcoin. At the Sohn Investment Conference in New York, Chanos told CNBC he’s “selling MicroStrategy stock and buying Bitcoin.” The investor described the move as buying something for $1 and selling something for $2.50, referring to what he sees as a significant price mismatch. Chanos argued that Strategy is selling the idea of buying Bitcoin (BTC) in a corporate structure, and that other companies are following suit in hopes of receiving a similar market premium. Read more

Stablecoins can streamline collateral management systems in TradFi, but financial institutions may need more straightforward regulatory guidelines for adoption. Cryptocurrencies and stablecoins are gaining recognition in the traditional finance (TradFi) space for their ability to streamline payments and increase efficiency in existing financial systems In finance, collateral management refers to the process of managing the underlying collateral securing other financial transactions, such as loans or derivatives, to mitigate credit risks and ensure smooth transactions. Digital assets like stablecoins are the “perfect” financial instrument for real-time collateral management, according to a recent pilot by DTCC Digital Assets, which suggests that digital assets, particularly stablecoins, could modernize and simplify this critical function. Read more

Coinbase rejected a $20 million ransom demand after insiders leaked user data in a phishing scheme. The exchange expects up to $400 million in reimbursement and remediation costs. Coinbase, the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, was hit by a $20 million extortion attempt after cybercriminals recruited overseas support agents to leak user data, the company said. According to a May 15 blog post, Coinbase said a group of external actors bribed and coordinated with several customer support contractors to access internal systems and steal limited user account data. “These insiders abused their access to customer support systems to steal the account data for a small subset of customers,” Coinbase said, adding that no passwords, private keys, funds or Coinbase Prime accounts were affected. Read more

Telegram banned thousands of accounts linked to the black market, formerly Huione Guarantee—but spin-offs are already filling the void.

CoreWeave's Q1 revenue surged fivefold to $981M, but widening losses and $23B in projected spending raise concerns over profitability.