Global cryptocurrency exchange OKX has announced a collaboration with asset management giant BlackRock and multinational bank Standard Chartered to introduce a new utility framework for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). Announced on April 28, 2026, the initiative allows qualified institutional investors to deploy BlackRock’s BUIDL, a tokenized U.S. Treasury fund issued on public blockchains, as trading
Key Takeaways: Zcash (ZEC) surged past $400 on May 3, marking its first climb to that level since early 2026. Over $10.5 million in ZEC short positions were liquidated as the coin reached a $7 billion market cap. Barry Silbert and Raoul Pal suggest Zcash may capture 10% of bitcoin capital as privacy demand grows.
Frustrated by the confusing and scattered process of finding educational funding, a team of Filipino college students took matters into their own hands. They built iSkolar, a centralized scholarship platform powered by blockchain and artificial intelligence, which recently earned a Top 10 spot and a ₱100,000 cash prize at the Project RISE startup competition. The
Key Takeaways: Blackrock’s European IB1T ETP crossed $1.1 billion AUM with 14,200 BTC as of May 4, 2026. IB1T launched in March 2025 and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam among other European exchanges. The milestone confirms institutional bitcoin demand is now a transatlantic trend, not just U.S.-centric. IB1T Joins IBIT as a Flagship Product According
Key Takeaways: On May 2, China’s MOFCOM invoked the Blocking Statute against U.S. OFAC sanctions on 5 local oil refiners. SMU’s Henry Gao notes this 1st use of the statute since 2021 forces global companies to pick between markets. Next, Chinese firms can sue for losses from these sanctions, as Beijing might prepare countermeasures. China’s
The investment scheme BG Wealth Sharing Ltd., previously flagged by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Ponzi scheme, has seemingly collapsed. Following months of soliciting investments from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and global retail investors, the platform has halted withdrawals. Concurrently, US federal authorities have seized its primary web domain, and regulators
Key Takeaways: Kevin Warsh cleared a 13-11 Senate Banking Committee vote on April 29, replacing Powell as Fed Chair in May 2026. Polymarket traders priced a 96% chance the Fed holds rates steady at the June 17 FOMC meeting. Warsh signals rate cuts tied to AI productivity gains, but inflation at 3.3% may limit his
Key Takeaways: Rakuten Wallet enabled XRP conversions, trading, and Rakuten Cash funding for users in Japan. Scale comes from 44 million Rakuten Pay users and 5M+ merchants. Integration expands XRP utility across rewards, wallets, and everyday purchases. Rakuten Wallet Links XRP to Loyalty Points and Payments Rakuten Wallet has enabled XRP functionality, allowing users in
Key Takeaways: Onchain data shows 793 BTC spent May 1-3, 2026, with 56 of 62 outputs originating from 2016 wallets. A single 110 BTC output created in June 2011 moved on May 1, signaling decade-old holders are still active. Activity spiked sharply on May 3 as bitcoin traded near $79,000, with 50 of 62 total
This editorial is from last week’s edition of the newsletter Week in Review. Subscribe to the newsletter to get this weekly editorial the second it’s finished. The newsletter also includes the biggest stories of the week with a comment on each story. Key Takeaways: Tether froze record USDT as U.S. seized $500M from Iran, putting