Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

OKX Pours $53M Into Coinone, Paxos Wins SEC Clearing Nod, Bessent Reaffirms No-CBDC Stance

Tech　　OKX Pours $53M Into Coinone, Paxos Wins SEC Clearing Nod, Bessent Reaffirms No-CBDC Stance　　OKX Ventures, the investment arm of the global exchange operator OKX, has agreed to acquire a 19.6% stake in South Korean crypto exchange Coinone for KRW 80 billion, or roughly $53 million. Korea Investment & Securities will commit an identical sum on the same terms, lifting the combined transaction value to about $106 million pending regulatory sign-off. The deal blends secondary share purchases from existing holders with newly issued equity, leaving Coinone CEO Cha Myunghun as the largest shareholder at 27.8% while Com2uS Holdings retains 25%. OKX and KIS will become joint third-largest investors as Coinone pivots toward stablecoins and tokenized securities.　　The Coinone transaction caps an aggressive month of institutional capital flowing into Korea‘s regulated crypto venues. Three Samsung subsidiaries disclosed a combined $408 million injection into Upbit operator Dunamu for a 4% stake on Thursday, while Mirae Asset earlier moved to take 92% of rival exchange Korbit. KB Kookmin, Shinhan and NHN KCP have separately partnered with the Solana and Avalanche networks to pilot tokenized deposit and stablecoin rails. Senior OKX executives framed the Coinone tie-up as a bet on compliant infrastructure, signalling that Seoul’s strict

05-29Industry

VanEck launches first U.S. spot BNB ETF on Nasdaq

Asset manager VanEck has launched the first U.S. exchange-traded fund offering spot exposure to BNB, further expanding its crypto ETF offerings.　　The VanEck BNB ETF, trading under the ticker VBNB, began trading with shares backed by BNB held in cold storage through custodian Anchorage Digital Bank, according to the company. The fund carries a sponsor fee of 0.39% and is listed on Nasdaq.　　The ETF gives investors exposure to BNB through traditional brokerage accounts without requiring them to buy or store the token directly. BNB is the native token of BNB Chain and is used to pay network transaction fees across the blockchain ecosystem.　　VanEck said BNB Chain processes more than 14 million transactions per day and supports over 2.5 million daily active users. The firm also cited Artemis data showing the network holds more than $16 billion in stablecoins and $3.6 billion in tokenized real-world assets.　　The launch follows amended filings from VanEck and Grayscale tied to proposed spot BNB ETFs.　　Spot bitcoin ETFs launched in the U.S. in January 2024, followed later by spot ether ETFs. These have since seen their total net assets surge to $86.45 billion and $11.6 billion respectively, according to SoSoValue data. ETFs for other altcoins including SOL, DOGE,

05-29Industry

DTCC Stellar Deal: XLM vs XRP Misconception Explained

Tech　　DTCC Stellar Deal: XLM vs XRP Misconception Explained　　DTCC‘s Stellar Move Is Not XRP’s Exit — It May Be the Start of a Multi-Chain Financial System　　The between the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and the Stellar Development Foundation has sparked immediate debate in crypto circles, with some rushing to frame it as a shift toward “XLM over XRP” in institutional markets.　　Realistically, this interpretation misses the bigger picture because DTCCs decision to enable tokenized DTC-held assets on the Stellar network does not necessarily signal that XRP or the XRP Ledger are being pushed aside.　　Instead, analysts increasingly believe the move reflects the emergence of a broader multi-chain financial architecture where different blockchain networks serve different institutional functions.　　DTCCs Blockchain Strategy Goes Beyond Stellar — Why XRP Still Matters　　According to OpenFind founder Tom, the market has become on the May 27 Stellar announcement while overlooking the wider sequence of events surrounding DTCCs blockchain strategy.　　The timeline tells a more complete story because on May 4, DTCC launched a that included Ripple participation. On May 12, DTCC adopted Chainlinks CRE standards to support cross-chain interoperability. Then on May 27, DTCC formally announced support for tokenized asset issuance on Stellar.　　Therefore,, these developments point less to exclusivity and

05-29Industry

New Zealand Dollar advances above 0.5950 as RBNZ signals faster and larger rate hikes

Finance　　New Zealand Dollar advances above 0.5950 as RBNZ signals faster and larger rate hikes　　The NZD/USD pair gathers strength to around 0.5955 during the early European session on Friday. The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) edges higher against the US Dollar (USD) amid hawkish signals from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ).　　RBNZ Governor Anna Breman said early Friday that the Official Cash Rate (OCR) is likely to increase sooner and by more than previously signalled, citing Middle East conflict-driven inflation, weaker growth and rising input costs across New Zealand and its trading partners.　　The New Zealand central bank kept its OCR on hold at 2.25% at its May meeting on Wednesday. Three board members voted to raise interest rates by a quarter-point while three voted to leave rates unchanged. Markets have repriced the New Zealand rate outlook, with traders now expecting multiple hikes through early 2027.　　The US April Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index inflation data show price growth remains elevated in the US, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) stays cautious on interest rates. Traders are now pricing in nearly a 36.6% chance that the Fed will raise interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) by year-end, according to the

05-29Industry

WTI holds losses near $86.50 due to tentative US-Iran ceasefire extension

Finance　　WTI holds losses near $86.50 due to tentative US-Iran ceasefire extension　　West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price loses ground for the third successive day, trading around $86.60 per barrel during the early European hours on Friday. Crude oil prices decline on easing supply concerns following reports of a tentative 60-day ceasefire extension between the United States (US) and Iran. This potential geopolitical breakthrough significantly raised prospects for unrestricted shipping through the critical Strait of Hormuz.　　According to reports, the agreement would require Iran to clear all maritime mines from the strategic waterway within 30 days. However, traders maintained a degree of caution following a CNN report indicating that US President Donald Trump has yet to officially approve the terms. This hesitation was echoed by Vice President JD Vance, who noted that while the parties are close to a deal, Washington is “not there yet,” while concurrently reminding markets that the US remains positioned to substantially set back Tehrans nuclear program if necessary.　　According to ING analysts cited by Reuters, while reopening the strait would offer some immediate relief to the oil market, a full recovery remains highly uncertain. The bank noted that upstream oil production has dropped significantly since the outbreak of the

05-29Industry

OKX Pours $53M Into Coinone, Paxos Wins SEC Clearing Nod, Bessent Reaffirms No-CBDC Stance

Tech　　OKX Pours $53M Into Coinone, Paxos Wins SEC Clearing Nod, Bessent Reaffirms No-CBDC Stance　　OKX Ventures, the investment arm of the global exchange operator OKX, has agreed to acquire a 19.6% stake in South Korean crypto exchange Coinone for KRW 80 billion, or roughly $53 million. Korea Investment & Securities will commit an identical sum on the same terms, lifting the combined transaction value to about $106 million pending regulatory sign-off. The deal blends secondary share purchases from existing holders with newly issued equity, leaving Coinone CEO Cha Myunghun as the largest shareholder at 27.8% while Com2uS Holdings retains 25%. OKX and KIS will become joint third-largest investors as Coinone pivots toward stablecoins and tokenized securities.　　The Coinone transaction caps an aggressive month of institutional capital flowing into Korea‘s regulated crypto venues. Three Samsung subsidiaries disclosed a combined $408 million injection into Upbit operator Dunamu for a 4% stake on Thursday, while Mirae Asset earlier moved to take 92% of rival exchange Korbit. KB Kookmin, Shinhan and NHN KCP have separately partnered with the Solana and Avalanche networks to pilot tokenized deposit and stablecoin rails. Senior OKX executives framed the Coinone tie-up as a bet on compliant infrastructure, signalling that Seoul’s strict

05-29Industry

VanEck launches first U.S. spot BNB ETF on Nasdaq

Asset manager VanEck has launched the first U.S. exchange-traded fund offering spot exposure to BNB, further expanding its crypto ETF offerings.　　The VanEck BNB ETF, trading under the ticker VBNB, began trading with shares backed by BNB held in cold storage through custodian Anchorage Digital Bank, according to the company. The fund carries a sponsor fee of 0.39% and is listed on Nasdaq.　　The ETF gives investors exposure to BNB through traditional brokerage accounts without requiring them to buy or store the token directly. BNB is the native token of BNB Chain and is used to pay network transaction fees across the blockchain ecosystem.　　VanEck said BNB Chain processes more than 14 million transactions per day and supports over 2.5 million daily active users. The firm also cited Artemis data showing the network holds more than $16 billion in stablecoins and $3.6 billion in tokenized real-world assets.　　The launch follows amended filings from VanEck and Grayscale tied to proposed spot BNB ETFs.　　Spot bitcoin ETFs launched in the U.S. in January 2024, followed later by spot ether ETFs. These have since seen their total net assets surge to $86.45 billion and $11.6 billion respectively, according to SoSoValue data. ETFs for other altcoins including SOL, DOGE,

05-29Industry

DTCC Stellar Deal: XLM vs XRP Misconception Explained

Tech　　DTCC Stellar Deal: XLM vs XRP Misconception Explained　　DTCC‘s Stellar Move Is Not XRP’s Exit — It May Be the Start of a Multi-Chain Financial System　　The between the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and the Stellar Development Foundation has sparked immediate debate in crypto circles, with some rushing to frame it as a shift toward “XLM over XRP” in institutional markets.　　Realistically, this interpretation misses the bigger picture because DTCCs decision to enable tokenized DTC-held assets on the Stellar network does not necessarily signal that XRP or the XRP Ledger are being pushed aside.　　Instead, analysts increasingly believe the move reflects the emergence of a broader multi-chain financial architecture where different blockchain networks serve different institutional functions.　　DTCCs Blockchain Strategy Goes Beyond Stellar — Why XRP Still Matters　　According to OpenFind founder Tom, the market has become on the May 27 Stellar announcement while overlooking the wider sequence of events surrounding DTCCs blockchain strategy.　　The timeline tells a more complete story because on May 4, DTCC launched a that included Ripple participation. On May 12, DTCC adopted Chainlinks CRE standards to support cross-chain interoperability. Then on May 27, DTCC formally announced support for tokenized asset issuance on Stellar.　　Therefore,, these developments point less to exclusivity and

05-29Industry

Ethereum Breakdown Deepens: Can ETH Hold The Crucial $1,930 Lifeline?

Ethereum　　Ethereum Breakdown Deepens: Can ETH Hold The Crucial $1,930 Lifeline？　　Ethereum remains under heavy pressure after slipping below a major support level, reinforcing the growing bearish outlook across the market. With fear-driven sentiment increasing and sellers maintaining control, the $1,930 level has now emerged as the most critical support zone for bulls to defend to prevent a deeper decline.　　ETH Structure Turns Bearish Below Key Support　　According to a recent analysis shared by Mira Agent, ETH was trading around the $2,055 to $2,080 range at the time of the post, with the broader market structure continuing to show signs of weakness. Ethereums current setup is becoming increasingly important as bearish momentum gradually strengthens across higher timeframes.　　Mira Agent explained that the 4-hour chart remains bearish after ETH lost the key $2,050 support zone. Adding to the negative outlook, the 200-day moving average has maintained a downward slope since May 21. Lower highs continue to form on the chart, while selling pressure keeps building as market sentiment remains fragile, with the Fear & Greed Index currently sitting at an extreme fear reading of 25.　　Meanwhile, Miras AI confidence metric shows only 32% bullish probability at the moment. Key resistance levels to monitor are positioned at $2,050,

05-29Industry

Ethereum news: Bit Digital (BTBT) bought ether first time since October before 15% decline

Ethereum treasury firm Bit Digital (BTBT) made its first ether (ETH) purchase since the October crypto market peak, but its already underwater on its acquisition as crypto prices are pulling back again.　　The company said it bought roughly 8,568 ether (ETH) for $20 million on May 11, at an average price of $2,334 per token.　　As ETH is currently trading near $1,980, the latest acquisition is already sitting on an unrealized loss of roughly $3 million, having gone down more than 15% over the past few weeks.　　CEO Sam Tabar said the “timing reflects our view that market conditions had reset to a level consistent with our thesis.” In March, he argued on X that ETHs weakness reflected leverage unwinding rather than deteriorating fundamentals. He pointed to stablecoin settlement, tokenized assets and AI-related transactions as long-term demand drivers for the network.　　Bit Digitals move stands out as most digital asset treasury firms have scaled back or stopped with their crypto accumulation plans over the past months. Falling crypto prices and widening discounts between their stock prices and underlying crypto holdings have pushed several firms to conserve cash, scale back buying or even sell assets to pay off debt.　　The New York-based firm pivoted toward an

05-29Ethereum