Crypto Industry News & Market Trends

Crude Oil Prices: WTI Falls Below $102, Brent Under $107

Tech　　Crude Oil Prices: WTI Falls Below $102, Brent Under $107　　Crude oil prices moved lower on Wednesday, with WTI crude futures falling below $102 per barrel and Brent crude slipping under $107, snapping a three-day rally as of writing. The pullback came even as supply risks tied to the Middle East conflict remained unresolved, leaving markets in a fragile balance between easing momentum and underlying tension.　　Oil Retreats Despite Lingering Supply Risks　　Prices eased after recent gains, yet the broader backdrop still points to constrained supply. The ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran continues to limit oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments. While prices declined, traders did not interpret the move as a resolution of supply concerns.　　Why did prices fall if the situation remains tense？ The answer lies in short-term positioning. Markets often react to immediate signals, and the lack of fresh escalation prompted some profit-taking after recent highs. However, the structural issues affecting supply have not changed.　　Strait Of Hormuz Remains A Bottleneck　　The Strait of Hormuz continues to operate under heavy restrictions from both U.S. and Iranian forces, disrupting the movement of crude oil, natural gas, and refined fuels. This narrow passage handles

05-13Industry

Continuous Settlement: Transforming Finance with Real-Time Payments

Global commerce has long outpaced the financial infrastructure that supports it. While businesses operate in real time, payments and settlements often rely on batch processing—an outdated system where transactions are grouped and processed at set intervals. According to Circle, this delay traps liquidity, increases counterparty risk, and burdens enterprises with reconciliation work.　　Under batch systems, payments can remain idle for hours or even days before clearing. For example, U.S. ACH payments and European TARGET2 transfers operate on defined clearing schedules. Securities markets often use T+1 or T+2 settlement windows. These delays force businesses to hold excess working capital, with PwC estimating that $1.8 trillion globally is tied up due to inefficiencies in settlement cycles.　　This lag also creates financial risk. The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) estimates that $2.2 trillion in foreign exchange trades are exposed to late settlement risk daily. Additionally, reconciliation work required after batch settlements slows decision-making and reduces cash flow visibility.　　Continuous Settlement: A Better Model　　Continuous settlement is emerging as a solution to these challenges. Unlike batch systems, where transactions queue for processing, continuous settlement clears each payment as soon as it‘s verified, allowing near-instant movement of funds. This approach aligns money movement with the digital economy’s pace.　　Key benefits

05-13Industry

SoftBank Stock Analysis: 3 Key Levels to Watch Today

SFTBY — daily chart with candlesticks, EMA20/EMA50 and volume.SoftBank Stock daily trend remains bullishTrend and moving averages　　On the daily chart, price closed at 18.51, well above the 20/50/200-day EMAs at 17.28, 15.36, and 13.55. Interpretation: the primary trend is firmly higher, and buyers still control the tape.　　Momentum and volatility context　　The daily RSI(14) sits at 59.3. Interpretation: momentum is positive without being stretched. The daily MACD shows a small positive histogram at 0.03 with the line just above the signal. Interpretation: upside momentum persists but is losing thrust. Daily Bollinger Bands center on 17.41 with an upper band at 20.94. Interpretation: price has room to extend higher within the band. The ATR(14) is 1.17. Interpretation: daily volatility is elevated and swings can be wider than usual.　　Daily pivot map　　The daily pivot sits at 18.46 with R1 at 18.93 and S1 at 18.05. Interpretation: the close just above the pivot points to support near 18.46 and resistance into 18.93.　　Hourly momentum has softened in SFTBYMoving averages and structure　　Price ended at 18.51 with the 20-hour EMA at 18.71 and the 50-hour EMA at 18.60 overhead, while the 200-hour EMA lags at 16.32. Interpretation: short-term moving averages cap price and signal consolidation within a longer uptrend.　　Oscillators

05-13Industry

ZachXBT Names Teen Behind $19 Million Crypto Theft Who Flaunted It On Instagram

The post ZachXBT Names Teen Behind $19 Million Crypto Theft Who Flaunted It On Instagram appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News　　Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has publicly linked 18-year-old US citizen Dritan Kapllani Jr. to nearly $19 million in alleged social engineering thefts targeting cryptocurrency holders.　　ZachXBT posted his findings on X, accusing Kapllani of stealing the funds and openly displaying the proceeds on social media through luxury cars, Rolex watches, private jets, and cash. He noted that Kapllani was recently recorded on a call showing a wallet containing what ZachXBT described as stolen funds.　　7/ Dritan lives an extravagant life, regularly posting to Instagram and sharing it with other threat actors on Telegram. pic.twitter.com/IGyAmqIVVM　　— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) May 12, 2026　　“Dritan flexes luxury cars, watches, private jets, & clubs all over social media. Recently, he was recorded on a call showing off a wallet with stolen funds,” ZachXBT wrote.　　The Discord Flex That Allegedly Blew Everything Open　　One of the wildest parts of the investigation centers around a “band for band” (B4B) Discord call on April 23, where Kapllani allegedly screen-shared an Exodus wallet holding millions in crypto to flex on another threat actor.　　According to ZachXBT, the wallet displayed around $3.68 million and was later traced back

05-13Industry

Upexi Net Loss Balloons to $109 Million on Solana Treasury Markdown

Solana (SOL) treasury firm Upexi (UPXI) posted a $109.3 million net loss for the fiscal third quarter ended March 31, 2026. 　　This marks a 2,776% jump from the $3.8 million loss a year earlier, largely driven by Solana (SOL) treasury markdowns.　　Solana Treasury Strategy Magnifies Upexis Quarterly Losses　　In the press release, the firm said the net loss was driven by non-cash unrealized losses on digital assets, totaling $92.3 million during the quarter.　　Still, the Solana-focused treasury strategy offered some bright spots. Gross profit climbed 179% year-over-year to $4.4 million.　　In addition, the total quarterly revenue edged up to roughly $4.6 million, from $3.2 million in the same period of 2025.　　“During the quarter, we grew the number of SOL held in our treasury by 9%, increased the number of tokens generated from staking, and repurchased approximately 2.5 million Upexi shares in the open market, all of which increased our Solana per share. Solanas best-in-class performance, costs, and institutional adoption gives us conviction that we are building long-term shareholder value around the network that we believe will revolutionize global finance,” Allan Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of Upexi, said.　　The company also strengthened its balance sheet during the quarter, ending March 31 with $3.5 million in cash

05-13Industry

OP Succinct data confidentiality lets institutions hide transaction data on Ethereum

Ethereum　　OP Succinct data confidentiality lets institutions hide transaction data on Ethereum　　OP Succinct data confidentiality is being positioned as a new way for institutions to keep transaction data private while still settling around Ethereum. The upgrade matters because it targets one of blockchains oldest institutional problems: how to use public-chain infrastructure without exposing sensitive customer activity.　　That tension has shaped adoption for years. Financial firms want faster settlement, programmable assets, and access to onchain liquidity, but they also operate under regulatory and fiduciary obligations that make open transaction visibility hard to accept. OP Succincts latest move tries to thread that needle.　　The pitch is simple: institutions can run chains while keeping customer data confidential, yet still give the public a way to verify that the chain is operating correctly. For firms exploring tokenized deposits, stablecoins, payments, and tokenized assets, that changes the conversation from public-or-private to something more hybrid.　　OP Succinct data confidentiality adds privacy for institutional chains　　The core update is straightforward. OP Succinct now supports data confidentiality, opening a path for institutions to run blockchain-based systems without exposing underlying transaction data to the public.　　That directly targets a major barrier to institutional blockchain privacy. Public chains are transparent by design, and that transparency can

05-13Ethereum

Arbitrum DAO clears path to transfer $71M in frozen ETH to Aave

Ethereum　　Arbitrum DAO clears path to transfer $71M in frozen ETH to Aave　　A federal court just gave Arbitrum DAO permission to do something that, until last week, would have put its token holders in legal jeopardy: vote on what to do with $71 million worth of ETH that nobody has been allowed to touch since early May.　　Judge Margaret Garnett of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York issued an order on May 8 modifying a restraining notice that had frozen 30,765 ETH tied to the Arbitrum DAO. The modification doesnt unfreeze the funds outright. It simply allows the DAO to hold an on-chain governance vote on whether to transfer those assets to Aave LLC, the legal entity behind the DeFi lending protocol, as part of a broader recovery effort following a massive exploit.　　The exploit, the freeze, and the legal tangle　　On April 18, an exploit involving the rsETH token drained funds in a hack linked to North Korea‘s Lazarus Group. Within two weeks, on May 1, the law firm Gerstein ROLP slapped a restraining notice on the 30,765 ETH sitting in the DAO’s treasury. The notice was tied to $877M in creditor claims.　　Aave LLC had been working on

05-13Ethereum

GameStop (GME) Stock Falls as eBay Dismisses $56B Acquisition Proposal

GameStop Corp., GME　　The rejection came as no surprise to Wall Street observers. With eBay‘s market capitalization approximately four times larger than GameStop’s, industry analysts had previously expressed skepticism about the financing arrangement behind the half-cash, half-stock transaction.　　In a formal statement, eBay Chairman Paul Pressler cited multiple concerns including financing uncertainties, potential negative impacts on long-term growth prospects, and questions surrounding the leadership framework of a merged entity. The board emphasized its recent achievements under CEO Jamie Iannones leadership, highlighting a 201% stock return since his appointment six years ago.　　GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen had presented a proposal backed by a $20 billion debt financing commitment from TD Bank. Nevertheless, individuals familiar with eBay‘s position suggest there’s minimal likelihood that a merged organization would obtain the investment-grade credit rating necessary for such financing to materialize. Last week, Moodys characterized the proposed deal as credit negative for eBay.　　Cohen, who owns a 5% stake in eBay, stated in a CNBC interview that he could enhance eBay‘s profitability by implementing GameStop’s cost-reduction strategies and leveraging its network of 600 U.S. retail locations. He emphasized his willingness to lead the combined organization as CEO without accepting salary, bonuses, or severance packages.　　Morgan Stanley Sees Potential Continuation　　Morgan Stanley

05-13Industry

Swiss Franc holds below 0.7800 amid higher US yields, risk-off markets

Finance　　Swiss Franc holds below 0.7800 amid higher US yields, risk-off markets　　The US Dollar (USD) maintains its immediate bullish trend against the Swiss Franc (CHF) intact for now, with the pair standing comfortably above 0.7800, after bouncing at lows near 0.7760 last week. A mild risk-averse sentiment amid growing tensions in the Middle East, and dwindling hopes of further Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts, are keeping the Greenback buoyed across the board on Wednesday.　　US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released on Tuesday confirmed the inflationary pressures stemming from Irans conflict and practically discarded any further Fed interest rate cut in the foreseeable future.　　April‘s CPI showed 3.8% year-on-year rate, exceeding the 3.7% market consensus to reach its highest reading since May 2023. Likewise, the core CPI, excluding food and energy prices, rose to 2.8%, above the 2.7% expected and well beyond the Fed’s 2% rate. Futures markets are shifting their view of the Feds rate path towards monetary tightening, which is boosting US Treasury yields and underpinning speculative demand for the USD.　　Later on the day, April‘s Producer Prices Index is expected to follow suit, although the main focus will be on the meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese Counterpart,

05-13Industry

SanDisk (SNDK) Stock Soars to Record High Before Retreat — Is This a Buying Opportunity?

SanDisk shares peaked at a 52-week high of $1,600 during trading on May 11, ultimately settling at $1,547.56. The semiconductor manufacturer had posted an impressive 552% year-to-date return entering Mondays session, establishing itself as the top performer within the S&P 500 index.　　However, Tuesday brought a different narrative.　　SNDK plummeted approximately 8% during early May 12 trading, reaching an intraday bottom of $1,402.27. The catalyst was a Facebook post from Kim Yong-beom, South Koreas presidential chief of staff, suggesting the country implement a specialized tax on AI companies to support a “national dividend” program.　　The proposal remains unofficial and lacks formal policy backing. Critics within South Korea have already condemned the concept as “dangerous and irresponsible.” Nevertheless, in an environment where SNDK commands elevated valuations following a 552% surge, the announcement provided sufficient reason for investors to lock in profits.　　The broader storage industry experienced similar pressure. Micron and Western Digital both declined more than 3%, while Seagate dropped over 1%. Major indices also retreated, with the S&P 500 falling 0.87%, the Dow sliding 0.56%, and the Nasdaq declining 1.51%.　　Core Business Performance Remains Strong　　Tuesday‘s selloff didn’t alter the fundamental narrative. SanDisks datacenter segment posted a remarkable 233% sequential revenue increase in Q3 fiscal 2026

05-13Industry

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