Prediction markets enter institutional era after first Kalshi block trade

Prediction markets are moving closer to institutional finance as large investors seek direct ways to trade event risk, according to a May 4 Bernstein report. Bernstein says Kalshis first bespoke block trade could attract institutions seeking direct event-risk exposure.Greenlight brokered the Kalshi trade, with Jump Trading providing liquidity for a carbon allowance contract.Retail still drives prediction markets, with Polymarket and Bitget reporting $25.7B in March volume.  The firm said these markets can help investors track outcomes tied to tariffs, elections, policy decisions and geopolitics through clear yes-or-no contracts.  Bernstein pointed to Kalshi‘s first bespoke institutional block trade as a key step. A block trade is a large private deal arranged between market players. In this case, the contract was built around the clearing price of California’s May carbon allowance auction.  Kalshi trade draws institutional attention  The Kalshi deal was brokered by Greenlight Commodities. It involved a Houston-based environmental hedge fund, with Jump Trading acting as the liquidity provider. The structure showed how prediction markets can serve a specific hedging need, rather than only broad retail speculation.  “We believe the introduction of block trading and bespoke contracts could expand participation from institutional investors seeking targeted exposure to event risks,” Bernstein analysts wrote.  The report framed custom contracts

05-05

Solana (SOL) Range-Bound Below $90, Control Battle Intensifies

The main resistance could be $88. A successful close above the $88 resistance zone could set the pace for another steady increase. The next key resistance is $90. Any more gains might send the price toward the $95 level.  Another Drop In SOL?  If SOL fails to rise above the $85.50 resistance, it could start another decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $83.80 zone and the trend line. The first major support is near the $82.50 level.  A break below the $82.50 level might send the price toward the $80 support zone. If there is a close below the $78 support, the price could decline toward the $72 support in the near term.  Technical Indicators  Hourly MACD – The MACD for SOL/USD is gaining pace in the bullish zone.  Hourly Hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for SOL/USD is above the 50 level.  Major Support Levels – $83.80 and $82.50.  Major Resistance Levels – $85.50 and $88.00.

05-05

Aave Battles to Unlock $292M Kelp Hack Funds Amid Legal Clash

Tech  Aave Battles to Unlock $292M Kelp Hack Funds Amid Legal Clash  The notice, filed by Gerstein Harrow LLP, and it argues that its clients are owed over $877 million tied to North Korea-related judgments and claims the stolen assets fall under that liability. Aave argued that stolen funds cannot establish lawful ownership and that any link to North Korea remains unproven.  Aave Tries to Release Kelp Hack Funds  Aave an emergency motion in a New York district court seeking to overturn a restraining notice issued against Arbitrum DAO and its handling of funds linked to the recent hack. The legal dispute centers on 30,766 ETH that Arbitrum DAO intends to transfer to victims affected by the exploit, which resulted in losses of approximately $292 million on April 18.  The restraining notice was served by Gerstein Harrow LLP, which claims that its clients are owed more than $877 million in default judgments tied to . The firm argues that the hacker group allegedly responsible for the exploit had possession of the stolen assets, and therefore its clients hold a legal claim over the ETH in question. This claim effectively seeks to block the transfer of funds intended to compensate victims.  Aave challenged this position by arguing

05-05

XLM Price Prediction: Stellar Eyes $0.20 Breakout as Technical Setup Signals Potential 25% Rally

Market Context: XLM at Critical Juncture  Stellar finds itself at a technical crossroads in May 2026, with XLM trading around $0.16 after weeks of sideways consolidation. The cryptocurrency has been grinding through a narrow range, neither confirming bullish momentum nor breaking down significantly. This compressed trading pattern often precedes major directional moves as market participants position for the next leg.  The broader cryptocurrency market‘s mixed signals have left XLM in a holding pattern, but this consolidation phase may be setting up conditions for a breakout. Stellar’s focus on cross-border payments and its established partnerships continue to provide fundamental support, even as short-term price action remains muted.  Technical Picture Emerges  The current technical setup shows XLM trading below key moving average levels, creating resistance overhead while support holds at lower levels. Momentum indicators reflect the sideways action, sitting in neutral territory without clear directional bias. This equilibrium suggests the market is waiting for a catalyst to determine the next move.  Volume patterns during this consolidation period indicate measured participation rather than panic selling or aggressive buying. The compressed volatility environment typically resolves with expansion in either direction, making the next few trading sessions critical for establishing XLMs near-term trajectory.  Price Targets and Scenarios  The immediate resistance zone sits

05-05

Tether Gold (XAUT) Surpasses $3.3B Amid Rising Bullion Demand

Tech  Tether Gold (XAUT) Surpasses $3.3B Amid Rising Bullion Demand  Tethers tokenized gold product, Tether Gold (XAUt), saw reserves expand sharply in the first quarter as investor demand for bullion increased amid macroeconomic uncertainty ahead of the Iran war.  In its latest report, Tether said XAUt surpassed $3.3 billion in market capitalization during the first quarter, representing a 36% increase over the period.  The company disclosed that 707,741 XAUT tokens were in circulation at the end of the quarter, with each token backed by one troy ounce of physical gold held in reserve.  Tether attributed the growth to a broader “flight to hard assets” as investors sought refuge from geopolitical tensions and shifting monetary conditions.  The increase comes amid a volatile quarter for gold. Prices climbed early in the year as investors moved into safe-haven assets, driven by geopolitical tensions and expectations that the Federal Reserve would begin cutting interest rates.  The precious metal later pulled back as immediate rate-cut expectations faded and the US dollar strengthened, reducing bullion demand. Some investors also locked in gains after the earlier rally, where prices briefly peaked above $5,500 a troy ounce. Gold was trading at around $4,500 per troy ounce at the time of reporting.  Year to date, XAUTs US

05-05

NEAR Price Prediction: $1.50 Target Within 30 Days as Smart Money Accumulates

NEARs Technical Reality Check  NEAR Protocol is trading in a compressed zone that screams accumulation. With the RSI sitting at 42.47, we‘re in that sweet spot where momentum hasn’t turned decisively bearish, but oversold conditions are building. The MACD histogram flatlining at zero confirms what every seasoned trader knows – this is the calm before the storm.  The Bollinger Band position at 0.13 tells the real story here. NEAR is hugging the lower band at $1.26, which historically marks reversal zones for quality altcoins. When you combine this with the tight daily ATR of $0.05, you‘re looking at a coiled spring ready to explode. The 20-day SMA resistance at $1.36 isn’t coincidental – its where the real battle will be fought.  Volume & Price Alignment  The derivatives market is painting a picture that most retail traders are missing completely. While the spot volume of $7.7 million seems modest, the futures open interest tells a different story – $65.5 million in notional value with a slight 0.37% increase. This isnt random noise.  Whats particularly telling is the smart money positioning. Top traders are net long with a 1.15 ratio (53.6% long vs 46.4% short), while retail sentiment remains bearish with overall positioning favoring shorts at 53.1%.

05-05

Flipping $80K To Support Requires A Rally Through Holders’ Cost-basis

Tech  Flipping $80K To Support Requires A Rally Through Holders Cost-basis  Bitcoin (BTC) reached a new three-month high of $80,500 on Monday, testing the level for the first time since Jan. 31. The rally above $80,000 puts the price just below short-term holders cost basis of $81,486, the next dynamic resistance level. For the rally to continue, a daily close above this level is key to securing $80,000 as support.  A rally to $81,500 may lock in the trend  Bitcoin‘s rally to $80,000 places the price directly under the short-term holder’s realized price of $81,486. This metric reflects the average cost of coins moved over the last 155 days and indicates where recent buyers have flipped from loss to profit.  A daily close above $81,500 would return these holders to profit and reduce sell-side pressure. According to crypto analyst Crazyyblockk, the short-term holder losses narrowed to about -2.17%, showing that the overhead supply band is thinning. The long-term holders (LTHs) hold near +27% profit and are not distributing aggressively.  The spent-output profit ratio (SOPR), which tracks whether coins are spent at a profit or a loss, has climbed to 1.097 from 0.99. This indicates the coins are being spent in profit again, led by long-term holders.  The

05-05

DTCC lines up 50 giants for tokenized securities launch

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation plans to start limited production trades of tokenized securities in July 2026. DTCC plans July tokenized securities pilots before targeting a full service launch in October 2026.Over 50 TradFi and DeFi firms joined DTCCs working group, including BlackRock, Circle and Ondo.Initial tokenized assets may include major index ETFs, Russell 1000 stocks and U.S. Treasury securities.  The post-trade market infrastructure group aims to launch the full DTC tokenization service in October 2026.  DTCC said the service will cover real-world assets held in DTC custody. The firm said tokenized assets should carry the same rights, investor protections and ownership claims as securities held in traditional form. DTC currently provides custody and asset servicing for more than $114 trillion in securities.  Wall Street and DeFi firms join design work  The DTCC Industry Working Group includes more than 50 firms from traditional finance and crypto. The list includes BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Circle, Fireblocks, Robinhood, Ondo Finance, Ripple Prime, NYSE Group, Nasdaq and Payward, Krakens parent company.  The group brings together asset managers, banks, trading venues, custodians, brokers and blockchain service providers. DTCC said it will use their feedback to test technical workflows, market readiness and the

05-05

Stablecoins to hit $5T in B2B payments by 2035: Juniper Research

Tech  Stablecoins to hit $5T in B2B payments by 2035: Juniper Research  A report by Juniper Research found that the total value of cross-border B2B stablecoin transactions may reach $5 trillion by 2035, up from $13.4 billion in 2026. It projects that by 2035, B2B payments will account for 85% of total stablecoin value.  The research found that stablecoins are increasingly embedded in cross-border B2B transactions, treasury operations, and supply chain settlements, offering programmability and 24/7 settlement. Additionally, it includes stablecoin activities spanning from P2P (person-to-person), P2B (person-to-business), B2B (business-to-business), B2C (business-to-consumer), and digital currency card use cases.  “Stablecoins are not replacing payments infrastructure; they are being adopted where the advantages are most pronounced. Cross-border B2B is where those advantages are greatest, and where we expect the most sustained volume growth over the forecast period. Stablecoin issuers and payment service providers should prioritise enterprise integrations and treasury partnerships to capture the majority of this value,” Research Analyst Jawad Jahan said.  The United States is expected to lead the market for B2B stablecoin transactions in 2035 at $1.7 trillion, followed by Brazil ($453 billion), Japan ($352 billion), Mexico ($346 billion), and India ($171 billion) in the top 5.  Source: Juniper Research  Juniper Research highlights that cross-border B2B payments

05-05

APT Price Prediction: Brief Rally to $1.15 Before $0.85 Capitulation

The Current Standoff  Aptos finds itself locked in a tight $0.04 daily range at $0.99, displaying the type of compressed volatility that typically precedes sharp directional moves. The modest 0.71% daily gain offers little comfort when the broader context reveals APT remains 39% below its 200-day moving average at $1.63. This positioning suggests any upward movement represents a counter-trend bounce rather than genuine recovery momentum.  The immediate price structure shows APT sandwiched between short-term moving averages that have converged into a narrow band. While the coin sits marginally above recent support levels, the compression pattern indicates energy building for the next significant move.  Technical Structure Breakdown  APTs position within the Bollinger Bands reveals price testing the upper boundary at approximately $1.03, creating immediate overhead pressure. The coin faces its first major resistance hurdle at $1.02, with stronger resistance emerging near $1.04-$1.15 where previous selling waves originated.  Support levels appear increasingly fragile as price action shows diminishing buying interest at each bounce attempt. The 20-period moving average around $0.97 provides the first line of defense, but break below opens the door to psychological support near $0.95. Should that level fail, APT faces a potential air pocket down to the $0.85 zone where stronger buyers may finally

05-05
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