Author: John Smith

Boerse Stuttgart Group’s Seturion has added Societe Generale, SG-FORGE and flatexDEGIRO to expand blockchain-based securities settlement across Europe. Summary Boerse Stuttgart’s Seturion added SocGen, SG-FORGE and flatexDEGIRO for blockchain-based securities settlement across Europe. SG-FORGE will provide EURCV and USDCV stablecoins for settlement under the new Seturion partnership. Related reports show European banks are racing to build MiCA-ready stablecoin and tokenization rails. The May 21 announcement said Seturion will provide settlement for tokenized securities transactions between the partners. The platform is part of Boerse Stuttgart Group and is designed as an open settlement network for banks, brokers and trading venues. Seturion…

IG plans to expand crypto trading across Europe through Bitpanda, as the London-listed trading group grows its digital asset offering beyond the U.K. Summary IG plans to expand crypto trading across Europe using Bitpanda’s liquidity, trading connectivity, and market data. IG reported £331.2 million in Q1 2026 revenue, with spot crypto contributing £2.4 million. Bitpanda holds MiCA licenses in Germany and Malta, supporting crypto services across the EU. IG’s European division will use Bitpanda’s infrastructure to offer digital asset access to investors in Europe, CoinDesk reported, citing an emailed statement. The setup will include liquidity, trading connectivity, and market data…

The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned two networks linked to the Sinaloa Cartel over allegations that they used cryptocurrency transactions to move fentanyl trafficking proceeds. Summary U.S. Treasury sanctioned two networks accused of helping the Sinaloa Cartel move fentanyl trafficking proceeds through cryptocurrency. Six Ethereum wallet addresses were added to the sanctions list, including one USDT-linked address that became active again in April after more than a year. Authorities in Brazil and the U.S. have continued targeting crypto-linked money laundering operations tied to organized crime groups across Latin America. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the sanctions announced Wednesday…

Missouri has sued GPD Holdings LLC, the company behind CoinFlip, alleging the crypto ATM operator enabled scam transactions and used poorly disclosed fees. Summary Missouri sued CoinFlip, alleging crypto ATMs enabled scams against seniors and veterans. State seeks Missouri ban, restitution, and civil penalties of up to $1.826 million. Bitcoin Depot’s bankruptcy shows crypto ATM operators face mounting legal and regulatory pressure. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed the case against GPD Holdings LLC, doing business as CoinFlip, on May 21. Her office said the company allegedly “knowingly facilitating fraudulent transactions and profiting from them” through cryptocurrency kiosks across the…

GSX has settled over $350m on-chain while none of its committed $125m settlement liquidity has moved yet. Summary GSX co-founder Ryan Kirkley said zero of the committed $125m settlement liquidity has moved since the May 6 announcement. The firm has settled more than $350m on-chain, mostly through US dollar stablecoins. GSX is still forming the market maker entity that will deploy the committed liquidity. Global Settlement Network co-founder Ryan Kirkley said the company has settled over $350m on-chain, even as none of its newly committed $125 million in settlement liquidity has moved.The disclosure, made in a recorded interview, draws a…

Hester Peirce will leave the SEC in November 2026 to join Regent University School of Law as professor. Summary Regent University School of Law announced on May 19 that Hester Peirce will join as associate professor starting in November 2026. Peirce has led the SEC’s Crypto Task Force since January 2025 and served as commissioner since 2018, appointed by President Trump. She will teach securities regulation, financial markets, digital assets and public policy at Regent Law in Virginia Beach. Regent University School of Law announced on May 19 that Hester Peirce will join its faculty as associate professor starting in…

Bitcoin quantum exposure covers 1.92 million BTC, or 9.6% of total supply, Glassnode warned in a new report. Summary Glassnode classified 1.92 million BTC as structurally exposed to a quantum breakthrough because their output types reveal public keys by design. Satoshi Nakamoto’s coins represent about 1.1 million BTC of the structural risk, with another 620,000 BTC in other early Satoshi-era outputs. A broader 4.12 million BTC, or 20.6% of supply, is operationally exposed due to address reuse and key management practices at exchanges. Blockchain analytics firm Glassnode published a full analysis on May 20 classifying 1.92 million BTC, or 9.6%…

Raoul Pal says AI and crypto could add $100T to global GDP within a decade. Summary Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal forecasts crypto will grow from roughly $2.7 trillion today to $100 trillion within a decade, driven by AI convergence. Pal argues AI adoption is accelerating faster than the internet era, describing the current moment as equivalent to “Metcalfe’s law squared.” He calls crypto the ownership layer for the AI economy, saying individuals can “front-run Wall Street” by owning blockchain infrastructure now. Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal argued that AI and blockchain are converging into a single new infrastructure layer…

Bitcoin longs on Bitfinex surged to 80,636 BTC on May 20, the highest level since December 2023. Summary Bitfinex margin long positions rose to 80,636 BTC on May 20, up roughly 10% since the start of 2026 despite Bitcoin falling 13% in the same period. Bitcoin has declined for five consecutive trading days, sliding from above $80,000 to near $76,000 amid broader market weakness. The so-called Bitfinex whale has historically expanded long positions during weakness and reduced them near local market tops. Leveraged traders on Bitfinex continued buying into Bitcoin’s sell-off, with margin long positions rising to 80,636 BTC on…

Dollar stablecoin supply has held at 99% of the global market as non-dollar tokens stall at 0.24% share. Summary Non-dollar stablecoins grew from $261 million in 2021 to $771 million by April 2026, but their market share has actually declined. Dollar stablecoin issuers benefit from $15.4 billion in tokenized US Treasuries, a reserve advantage non-dollar rivals cannot match. Qivalis, a pan-European banking consortium, tripled its membership to 37 banks in May 2026 but a euro stablecoin launch is not expected until late 2026. The European Central Bank noted in late 2025 that dollar stablecoin tokens account for approximately 99% of…