The United Kingdom has seen the sharpest growth in new crypto users despite the country’s not adopting crypto regulation or its own “MiCA equivalent.” Update (May 27, 3:00 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add a comment by Gemini’s head of Europe. The United Kingdom is leading the world in increasing cryptocurrency ownership among its population in 2025, outpacing economies including the United States, according to a new study by Gemini. Gemini, the US-based crypto exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, on May 27 released its latest “State of Crypto” report, giving insights into changes in the global adoption of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). Read more
Data suggests that Bitcoin’s buyers are exhausted following the rally to $111K, but traders still say BTC has the strength to race toward $150K. Key takeaways: Bitcoin’s RSI has dropped 15% and is now below the overbought threshold. Bitcoin futures flip bearish with a 43% decline in perpetual CVD. Read more
A second person suspected of being tied to the alleged kidnapping and torture of an Italian man for his crypto will surrender to New York City police, according to multiple reports. A second person suspected of being involved in a high-profile crypto kidnapping case in New York City is expected to turn himself in to police, according to several reports. The second man is a Swiss crypto investor who allegedly assisted business partner Joel Woeltz, who is accused of kidnapping Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan and torturing him in a Soho apartment in an attempt to pressure him into revealing his crypto wallet phrase, ABC7 New York reported on May 26. A separate NBC report said the Swiss trader — who is not named — would turn himself over to police within a week. However, FOX5 New York reported that the man may already be in custody, citing conflicting sources. Read more
BitVM smart contract system is now supported by Bitcoin mining pools controlling 31.5% of the network’s hashrate. Bitlayer’s Bitcoin smart-contract system is being implemented by mining pools behind 31.5% of the network’s hashrate, a development that will help ensure that its system will operate on the Bitcoin blockchain, the company said. According to a May 27 announcement shared with Cointelegraph, Bitlayer’s BitVM implementation will be supported by major Bitcoin (BTC) mining pools including Antpool, F2Pool, and SpiderPool. Antpool CEO Andy Chow said: BitVM (Bitcoin Virtual Machine) is a framework that enables complex smart contracts to be deployed on the Bitcoin blockchain without changing the base protocol. The idea was introduced by Robin Linux in 2023, and allows for the complex computation involved in smart contract systems to be verified onchain and executed offchain in a way resembling optimistic rollups. Read more
The project expands on the Dubai Land Department’s other RWA tokenization initiatives, including one involving the real estate registry. Dubai has launched the first licensed tokenized real estate project in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, previewing appetite for real-world tokenization in one of the world’s burgeoning crypto hubs. Partners in the project include the Dubai Land Department (DLD), the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, and the Dubai Future Foundation, according to an announcement from the Dubai government. The tokens will be tradeable on the newly launched “Prypco Mint” platform, with Zand Digital Bank appointed as the bank for the project’s pilot phase. On May 19, Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) updated its rules to include real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, allowing such tokens to be traded on secondary markets. Read more