A judge at the Seoul Administrative Court, Gong Hyeonjin, has granted Bithumb a stay of execution, temporarily suspending enforcement of a six-month business suspension and a ₩36.8 billion fine ordered by South Korea's Financial Intelligence Unit. The sanctions were tied to alleged failures in user verification.

Anchorage Digital Bank has filed a comment letter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as U.S. regulators advance rulemaking for payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act. The submission arrives as Anchorage prepares to support Western Union's planned U.S. Dollar Payment Token (USDPT) through a federally regulated issuance model. Earlier this year, the OCC released proposed rules for payment stablecoin issuers within its supervisory perimeter, focusing on requirements tied to the GENIUS Act. The agency said the proposal does not cover separate rule sets related to Bank Secrecy Act obligations and sanctions compliance. Anchorage is seeking to cement its role as a regulated stablecoin issuer for major financial and crypto brands. In its GENIUS Act response, the firm highlights its bank charter and its experience issuing stablecoins for partners as the market awaits final U.S. implementation rules. Western Union targets USDPT launch on Solana Western Union said in October 2025 that it planned to launch USDPT on Solana, with Anchorage Digital Bank acting as issuer. The company said the token would support customers, agents, partners, and treasury operations, while its Digital Asset Network would link digital assets with fiat access. Token naming has also drawn attention. Some recent references used "UDSPT," but Western Union's announcement identifies the token as USDPT, short for U.S. Dollar Payment Token. Western Union previously indicated USDPT would be available in the first half of 2026. More recent reporting said CEO Devin McGranahan told investors the company was aiming for a May launch, starting with settlement between Western Union and agents in selected corridors rather than a broad retail rollout. GENIUS Act rulemaking raises the bar for issuers The GENIUS Act establishes a federal framework for payment stablecoins in the U.S. For Anchorage, the resulting rules could set expectations for reserve management, redemption, custody, risk controls, and reporting by federally supervised issuers. The OCC's approach is closely watched because stablecoin issuance is moving nearer to the banking system. As the regulator of national banks and federal savings associations, the OCC's rules will influence how bank-regulated issuers operate in the stablecoin market. Anchorage's filing underscores how regulated crypto firms are positioning ahead of final rules. Western Union's USDPT initiative signals how established payments providers are beginning to test stablecoins for cross-border settlement and access to digital assets.

ME News reported on May 2 (UTC+8) that people familiar with the matter said GameStop is preparing a takeover offer for eBay. The move is said to align with CEO Ryan Cohen's plan to remake the retailer into a company valued at more than $100 billion. As of Friday's close, GameStop's market capitalization was about $11 billion. Sources said the company has been quietly accumulating eBay shares ahead of a possible deal. eBay's market value is around $45 billion, several times larger than GameStop's. (Source: PANews)

Michael Saylor's newly outlined structure, STRC, is drawing attention for its aim of converting Bitcoin's price volatility into predictable monthly income. Speaking at Bitcoin 2026, Saylor described STRC as a credit-style product that blends traditional tools—listed equities, perpetual preferred shares and variable dividend mechanisms—to monetize Bitcoin's long-term return profile. Saylor said the concept is built for two distinct investor mindsets: those focused on long-term capital gains who can tolerate volatility, and income-oriented investors seeking steadier payouts and principal protection. STRC is positioned for the latter group, including institutions and retirees, and uses collateralization designed to keep distributions intact even through sharp Bitcoin drawdowns. Session materials indicated STRC has grown to roughly $8.5 billion in assets under management in a short period, with daily liquidity around $400 million. Saylor also cited volatility of about 2.9% and characterized performance as strong on a risk-adjusted basis. Retail investors make up an estimated 80% of holders, and Saylor said about three million households are already receiving income through the structure. Institutional demand is also building, with firms such as BlackRock and VanEck reportedly adding STRC exposure through credit fund allocations. Flows have tracked Bitcoin market cycles: inflows slowed during February's downturn, then rebounded to about $3.5 billion by April. Strategy also filed a $21 billion shelf registration linked to STRC, a notable step up from earlier credit offerings. Saylor added that STRC dividends are treated as return of capital, which may allow investors to defer taxes and improve yield efficiency. He also pointed to a growing ecosystem forming around STRC, with new projects layering additional financial products on top; projections presented suggested this segment could reach $1 billion in value within weeks. A written summary of my keynote: The Digital Transformation of Capital, Credit, and Money $STRC — Michael Saylor (@saylor) May 1, 2026

Large-order tracking shows ETH is currently skewed toward sell-side liquidity. Pending large sell orders total about $160 million, with a net sell position of $58.45 million concentrated in the $2,310–$2,340 zone. A standout order worth roughly $16.39 million is posted at $2,340 and has remained in place for more than six hours, making this level a key area to watch. When sizable sell orders cluster across multiple venues, the intent is often to cap upside moves or distribute inventory, a setup that can produce a "push up, then pull back" price pattern. Monitor these orders for shifts, especially cancellations and fills. This information is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.

INSIGHT: Polymarket's monthly trading volume has climbed sharply, rising from roughly $1.2 billion in 2025 to more than $20 billion in early 2026. Active wallets have also expanded rapidly, more than tripling over the past six months.

CoinDesk reported that Kelp DAO was hit by an attack worth $292 million, rattling the crypto lending market. Market participants largely view the incident as a near-term disruption rather than a threat to longer-term institutional adoption of DeFi. Firms including Apollo Global Management and BlackRock continue to push deeper into onchain finance, adding pressure on DeFi protocols to tighten security and strengthen governance. Experts say protocols seeking larger institutional inflows should adopt institutional-grade controls such as zero-trust architectures, resilient collateral frameworks, and smart contracts that can be independently audited.

ChainCatcher cited Coinglass data showing that if Bitcoin (BTC) rises above $81,961, liquidations on major centralized exchanges (CEXs) could total $1.07 billion. If BTC drops below $74,752, liquidations could reach $1.035 billion.

Bitdeer mined and then sold an additional 186 BTC over the past week. The company's Bitcoin holdings remain at 0 BTC.