Crypto

Your day-ahead look for May 18, 2026

Proof of Talk, widely known as the Davos of Web3, today confirmed its 2026 programme and opened remaining passes for its fourth edition at the Louvre Palace in Paris on June 2–3. Paris, May 18, 2026 — Proof of Talk, widely known as the Davos of Web3, today confirmed its 2026 programme and opened remaining passes for its fourth edition at the Louvre Palace in Paris on June 2–3. The gathering will bring together more than 120 speakers, 95% at CEO or Founder level, representing a combined $18 trillion in assets under management. Attendance is capped at 2,500. The event sold out in both 2024 and 2025. When the most senior leaders in digital assets, finance, and infrastructure need a room that matches the weight of the decisions ahead, this is where they come. Read more

XRP holders have been staring at the same $1.20 to $1.60 range and price prediction for months, Sam Altman’s ChatGPT AI quietly ran the numbers and landed on a predicts that makes that range look like a launchpad.$4 to $8 by end-2026, with a speculative cycle high potentially pushing toward $10.ChatGPT’s framework is built around […] The post Sam Altman ChatGPT AI Predicts Shock XRP Price By End of 2026 appeared first on Cryptonews.

South Korea’s FSC is reportedly reviewing Hana Bank’s $668 million Dunamu stake under “banking-commerce separation” rules that limit bank ownership tied to crypto firms. South Korea’s financial regulator is reportedly reviewing Hana Bank’s planned $668 million purchase of a 6.55% stake in Dunamu, the operator of the largest domestic cryptocurrency exchange, Upbit. Local outlet iNews24 cited an unnamed Financial Services Commission official to report that regulators are examining whether Hana Bank's share purchase from Kakao Investment, rather than directly from Dunamu, falls under broader "banking-commerce separation" rules. The official said Hana’s investment would be assessed under the same standards as a direct stake in the exchange operator. Read more

Bitcoin and ether sank after the U.S. president told Iran the “clock is ticking,” sending oil higher and triggering broad crypto liquidations.

Goldman Sachs cut its crypto ETF exposure in Q1 2026, exiting XRP and Solana funds while trimming Bitcoin and Ether ETFs and reshaping equity bets. US investment bank Goldman Sachs sharply reduced its exposure to cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the first quarter of 2026. No XRP-linked ETFs appeared in Goldman Sachs’ Q1 Form 13F filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In its Q42025 13F filing, Goldman Sachs reported holding nearly $154 million worth of XRP-related ETFs from Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale and 21Shares. Read more

Grayscale, VanEck Amend Spot BNB ETF Filings With SEC The post Grayscale and VanEck Amend Spot BNB ETF Crypto Filings in Latest SEC Process Step appeared first on Cryptonews.

Dogecoin is butchered as it's down by more than 6% today, but Wall Street heavyweight is watching as its ETF keeps flowing in. The post Dogecoin Wall Street Bet: Micron Veteran Jordi Visser Eyes DOGE as ETF Flows Stay on a Green Streak appeared first on Cryptonews.

Your look at what's coming in the week starting May 18.

Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1 billion in weekly net outflows, a judge has delayed a decision on Aave to unfreeze $71 million worth of crypto.

AFX, a sovereign Layer 1 purpose-built for decentralized derivatives trading, has officially commenced the operation of its L1 Mainnet, signaling a definitive end to the era of trade execution compromised by general-purpose blockchain congestion. Road Town, BVI, May 18, 2026 — AFX, a sovereign Layer 1 purpose-built for decentralized derivatives trading, has officially commenced the operation of its L1 Mainnet, signaling a definitive end to the era of trade execution compromised by general-purpose blockchain congestion. Engineered for the world’ s most demanding participants, AFX introduces the Sovereign Trading Layer—a dedicated financial environment where the non-custodial transparency of a Perp DEX meets the uncompromising speed and depth traditionally reserved for institutional-grade centralized entities. At launch, the protocol supports a high-liquidity suite of perpetual markets across both digital and traditional macro assets, featuring BTC, ETH, Gold (XAU), and Crude Oil (CL), with up to 40x leverage t...

Bitcoin started the week with a dip toward new May lows as ongoing BTC price pressures included "collapsing" US bond markets. Bitcoin (BTC) starts a new week under pressure as support levels fade and macro gloom intensifies. Key points: Bitcoin felt the pressure as the new weekly candle began, dropping to $76,500 — its lowest levels since May 1, per data from TradingView. Read more

The 25th-largest Bitcoin treasury company acquired $15 million worth of BTC as one of only four treasury firms to announce a corporate Bitcoin investment during May. France-listed Bitcoin treasury company Capital B announced Monday that it acquired 192 BTC for 13 million euros ($15.2 million), bringing its total holdings to 3,135 BTC. Capital B purchased its latest tranche at an average price of about $78,948 per Bitcoin, Alexandre Laizet, Bitcoin strategy director at Capital B, said on X. The acquisition comes a week after the company announced a $17.8 million raise from strategic investors, including Blockstream CEO Adam Back and Paris-based asset manager TOBAM. Capital B also raised $1.28 million from Back on May 4. Read more

North America's largest Bitcoin ATM operator cited a hostile regulatory environment and an 'unsustainable' business model.

The CLARITY Act could be signed into law in the week of Aug. 3 if Congress keeps pace after a bipartisan Senate Banking Committee vote moved the crypto market structure bill into its next phase, Galaxy Digital’s research arm said. Galaxy Research raised its estimate of the bill’s chances of becoming law in 2026 to […] The post CLARITY Act could be signed into law by President Donald Trump in early August — Galaxy Digital appeared first on CryptoSlate.

In contrast, BCH and PI have dumped the most from the large- and mid-cap alts.

HYPE trades at $46.61, up +10.97% as the only major green coin. Technical analysis covers $47 resistance, May unlock risk, and bear case targets near $33. The post Hyperliquid The Only Green Coin: Maxi Doge Follows With Full Leverage Trading appeared first on Cryptonews.

Ripple CTO Donates XRP to John Deaton Senate Campaign The post XRP News: Ripple CTO Backs John Deaton’s Senate Bid with XRP Donation appeared first on Cryptonews.

Despite the scale of the breach, Verus' native token showed little immediate reaction following news of the exploit.

A cross-chain bridge exploit drained over $11 million just now, rattling sentiment at exactly the wrong moment. $ETH The post Ethereum Price Prediction: Verus DeFi Protocol Exploit Drains $11 Million appeared first on Cryptonews.