Wellgistics Health to integrate XRP into payment infrastructure

Wellgistics Health, a healthcare infrastructure company, will integrate XRP (XRP) and related technologies into its payment network to streamline transactions between pharmacies, medical suppliers and prescription medication manufacturers, the company said in an announcement on May 8. Wellgistics cited the finality time of XRP transactions and reduced transaction costs, which are fractions of a penny, … Read more

Coinbase's Deribit buy shows growing derivatives market

Coinbase’s agreement to buy Deribit highlights the increasing importance of financial derivatives for cryptocurrency exchanges, according to industry executives.  On May 8, Coinbase, the US’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, agreed to acquire crypto derivatives platform Deribit for $2.9 billion in the crypto industry’s largest corporate acquisition to date.   The deal reflects increasing competition … Read more

Coinbase’s $2.9B Deribit Deal a ‘Legitimate Threat’ for Peers, Wall Street Analysts Say

Coinbase’s (COIN) $2.9 billion acquisition of Deribit will be a tipping point for the company, pushing the U.S.-based exchange into direct competition with global heavyweights like Binance, Wall Street analysts wrote on Thursday. The massive deal is more than just a platform expansion; it’s a paradigm shift for the exchange and trading industry. According to … Read more

Bitcoin hits $101.7K as US strategic reserve bills become law and BTC mass adoption accelerates

Key takeaways: Bitcoin rallies to $101,707 against a backdrop of strong fundamentals in the regulatory and traditional finance space. Traders are confident that $100,000 will hold as support. Bitcoin (BTC) price rallied above $100,000 on the heels of US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “trade deal” with the UK, which could possibly include the … Read more

SEC considers new rules easing security token issuance

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering rule changes to let companies more freely issue tokenized securities, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said in a speech published on May 8. The regulator is “considering a potential exemptive order” for firms using blockchain technology to “issue, trade, and settle securities” that would release them from … Read more

Are layer 2s good for Ethereum, or are they ‘extractive?’

Layer 2s have been a great blockchain success story. They’ve reduced congestion on the Ethereum mainnet, driving down gas fees while preserving security. But maybe they’ve become too successful, drawing chain activity and fee income from the parent that spawned them? At least that’s what some are suggesting lately, most recently at Cornell Tech’s blockchain … Read more

Bitcoin $120K Target for 2Q May Be Too Conservative: Standard Chartered

Bitcoin (BTC) is poised to hit a new record high, with investment flows now the dominant market driver, according to Standard Chartered (STAN). U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have seen $5.3 billion in inflows over the past three weeks, the investment bank said in emailed comments Thursday. Adjusting for hedge fund basis trades, net … Read more

Bitcoin Tops $100K for First Time in 3 Months; Are Upside Targets Too Low?

Bitcoin is back in six figures, continuing yet another of its famous zigs when most were expecting a zag. To review, the world’s largest crypto first pushed through $100,000 in December as it rallied hard following Donald Trump’s November election victory. The price eventually rose above $109,000 in the hours prior to the Trump inauguration … Read more