Mastercard Transaction Services (U.S.) LLC received a Virtual Currency License from the New York State Department of Financial Services on Wednesday, giving the global payments company formal standing to operate digital asset services in one of the most tightly regulated financial jurisdictions in the country. Mastercard Wins NYDFS Bitlicense, Opening New York Digital Asset Access

After years of warning that AI would wipe out entry-level white-collar roles, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman now says he was wrong on the near-term jobs impact. Recent studies from Yale Budget Lab, Brookings, and Anthropic find limited labor effects so far, even as Altman calls out “AI washing” by companies using automation as cover for

Stable, the USDT-native blockchain, went live this week with StableEarn, a treasury management product that routes USDT deposits into institutional-grade yield through a Morpho vault backed by Theo’s real-world asset suite. Stable Brings Institutional USDT Yield Onchain Through Morpho Vault Backed by Theo Stable‘s announcement, shared with Bitcoin.com News, notes that USDT holds a near

Indonesia has blocked access to the crypto-based prediction market platform Polymarket after the site opened a betting market on whether President Prabowo Subianto would leave office before his term ends in 2029. Indonesian Government Blocks Polymarket Over Online Gambling Laws The block was announced by Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, known locally as

Strategy paused reported bitcoin buying as Saylor said its “BitVac” is charging, highlighting bond-related activity after holdings climbed to 843,738 BTC. The update underscores how debt, preferred stock, and liquidity reserves continue shaping the company’s treasury strategy. Saylor’s ‘BitVac’ Comment Puts BTC Buying on Watch Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy Inc. (Nasdaq: MSTR), shared

NEAR Protocol traded around $2.41 Sunday, up roughly 54% over seven days and 13% in the past 24 hours, as a short squeeze, artificial intelligence (AI)-sector rotation, and a chain abstraction product story converged at the same time. NEAR Surges as AI Narrative and Cow Swap Integration Draw Traders The most immediate driver was mechanical.

Zano launched its Lite Wallet Beta on May 22, 2026, giving desktop users on Windows, Mac, and Linux a way to access the privacy-first blockchain without downloading the full chain. Zano Lite Wallet Beta Cuts Node Sync Times, Letting Users Access Privacy Chain Fast Syncing a full node on a privacy-focused blockchain can take hours.

Over the last seven days, the stablecoin sector posted a slight contraction of $90.01 million, bringing the market’s total valuation to $323.052 billion, according to figures compiled by Defillama. Tether continues to dominate the category, with its market capitalization sitting just below the $190 billion threshold at $189.468 billion, accounting for 58.65% of the stablecoin

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT first pointed to a possible hack, indicating that $520K were drained so far. Polymarket acknowledged the security event and stressed that it was taking action after the compromise of an alleged private key, explaining that user funds were safe. Polymarket Faces Security Event: No User Funds Affected Polymarket, one of the largest

Bitcoin has erased its recent gains, failing to hold the $78,000 threshold and dropping to just above $77,000. Bitcoin Erases Gains as ETF Outflows Mount Bitcoin endured yet another underwhelming session, failing to hold the $78,000 mark and erasing earlier gains to close the 24 hours just above $77,000. The price action reversed the momentum

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Hockey League (NHL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 21, 2026, formalizing a cooperative framework to protect professional hockey from fraud, insider trading, and manipulation in federally regulated prediction markets. CFTC Chairman Selig Signs NHL Agreement to Block Insider Trading in Sports Markets The

The Zcash Foundation closed the first quarter of 2026 with $36.7 million in net liquid assets and a clean bill of health from U.S. regulators, according to its Q1 2026 report released this week. Zcash Foundation Reports $36.7M Treasury, SEC Clears Investigation in Q1 2026 The report covers a three-month period that Executive Director Alex

Tether International has acquired Softbank’s equity stake in Twenty One Capital, the NYSE-listed bitcoin treasury company holding approximately 43,514 BTC, giving the stablecoin issuer greater control over one of the largest publicly traded bitcoin accumulation vehicles in the world. Ardoino Says XXI Enters Next Chapter as Tether Absorbs Softbank’s Stake The deal, announced on May

Developers behind BNB Smart Chain have demonstrated that post-quantum cryptography can already function on a live blockchain architecture, though the transition comes with major trade-offs in transaction size and throughput. The findings highlight how networks may eventually adapt to the long-term risks posed by quantum computing. BNB Smart Chain Advances Quantum Security Testing BNB Smart

PRESS RELEASE. Victoria, Seychelles, May 18, 2026 — Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has introduced Delta Neutral Mode within its Unified Trading Account, adding a new risk management feature designed for traders using hedging and arbitrage strategies across spot, margin, and futures markets. The feature applies differentiated auto-deleveraging (ADL) ranking treatment to eligible

Since the $292 million KelpDAO incident, decentralized finance has endured a brutal stretch, with fallout spreading well beyond the initial exploit. Lending protocol Aave has been among the hardest hit, as its total value locked has fallen 44% during a month that exposed just how fragile confidence across the DeFi sector can become after a

Prediction market traders have placed more than $5.5 million in combined volume on the Kentucky 4th Congressional District Republican primary, with challenger Ed Gallrein holding a narrow edge over seven-term incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie ahead of Tuesday’s vote. Gallrein Pulls Ahead of Massie on Polymarket and Kalshi in Kentucky House Race On Polymarket, the KY-04

Publicly-listed bitcoin miners took a beating on Friday, May 15, 2026, with every major traded mining stock dropping between 2.52% and 9.59% in a single session, even as their year-to-date gains outpaced bitcoin’s own performance by a wide margin. Bitcoin Miner Stocks Suffer on Friday, But Still Hold Solid 2026 Gains Bitcoin closed the week