Home Blog Page 316

Ethereum Hits 200M Gas Target Ahead Of Glamsterdam Upgrade

0

The Ethereum Foundation has reached several progress milestones on the next Ethereum upgrade called “Glamsterdam” and has named three new leads for its Protocol team.

The Ethereum Foundation said in a blog post on Monday that it had achieved a “credible post-Glamsterdam target,” establishing a 200 million gas limit floor, giving the network a major post-upgrade speed boost from its current gas limit of around 60 million.

“The immediate focus is shipping Glamsterdam,” the Ethereum Foundation said, which had originally scheduled the upgrade for June, but is now likely to be sometime in the third quarter of 2026.

Glamsterdam focuses on scaling the layer-1 chain by reorganizing how the network processes transactions and manages its growing database, “fundamentally updating how Ethereum creates and verifies blocks,” according to the Ethereum website. 

The Ethereum Foundation is also continuing preparations for Hegotà, the next major upgrade, and advancing the Strawmap, its quantum-ready roadmap.

“Glamsterdam devnets are now live, and scoping for Hegotà is well underway,” it stated during an interop event in Svalbard, Norway. 

Finalizing ePBS and smarter data storage

The EF also confirmed the stabilization of enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS), a system that allows validators to outsource their block-building duties to a set of specialized builders.

The new enshrined version builds this separation directly into Ethereum’s rules with less reliance on outside relays, giving the network more time to handle bigger blocks safely.

Related: AI ‘vibe coding’ could put Ethereum roadmap ahead of schedule: Vitalik Buterin

EIP-8037 has also been finalized, which enables smarter pricing for storing data. The proposal increases the cost of state creation operations, avoiding excessive state growth under increased block gas limits. 

Glamsterdam is the first upgrade on Ethereum’s long-term roadmap. Source: Strawmap.org

Changes in EF Protocol leadership 

The Foundation also announced the “start of a leadership transition” for the Ethereum Foundation Protocol cluster with Will Corcoran, Kev Wedderburn and a developer identified only as Fredrik as the new leads

Ethereum developers Barnabé Monnot and Tim Beiko are moving on from the Foundation, while Alex Stokes will be on sabbatical, it said.

“There’s a new chapter starting for the Protocol cluster. We’re welcoming new leads and coordinators, and continuing our work toward Glamsterdam, Hegotà, and the Strawmap,” said Corcoran on X on Monday. 

“Making Ethereum’s unique features more available to users today is on my mind; so is participating in the plurality of ways that Ethereum gets built,” said Monnot.

Magazine: Strategy reveals why they would sell BTC, Trump Media posts loss: Hodler’s Digest

Ardian and iCapital® Expand Distribution of Ardian Access Evergreen Strategies Through Leading Global Fund Platforms

0

Ardian, a global private investment firm, and iCapital[1], the global fintech company shaping the future of investing, today announced the continued expansion of their partnership with the broader availability of the Ardian Access SICAV suite of evergreen[2] private markets strategies[3] through leading global fund platforms, including Allfunds, Clearstream and Euroclear Fundsplace. 

Building on a partnership that began in 2022, Ardian and iCapital have worked closely to design, structure, service and distribute evergreen investment solutions that support long‑term portfolio construction for wealth investors. The latest expansion further reflects a shared ambition to expand access to private markets while maintaining operational efficiency, scalability and enhanced investor experience across distribution channels. 

Through availability on Allfunds, Clearstream and Euroclear Fundsplace, the Ardian Access strategies can now be accessed via established platform workflows and custody environments already used by wealth managers and advisors globally. This approach allows Ardian and iCapital to meet growing demand from the wealth channel while reducing operational friction and integration complexity for distributors and end investors. 

Launched in partnership with iCapital, Ardian Access provides evergreen exposure to Ardian’s private equity and infrastructure capabilities. iCapital structures and services the strategies and provides end‑to‑end lifecycle support, leveraging its integrated technology and operating capabilities to streamline onboarding, administration and the ongoing investor experience for wealth managers and advisors. 

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with iCapital, a leading player in making private asset investment more accessible. This enhanced collaboration enables us to offer Ardian strategies to a broader audience of private investors, while supporting transparency, operational simplicity, and service quality. By leveraging leading platforms, we are pursuing our goal to expand access to private markets while meeting investors’ high standards for information, governance, and experience throughout the entire investment cycle.” said Erwan Paugam, Head of Private Wealth Solutions and Senior Managing Director at Ardian. 

“This expanded partnership underscores the strength of our long‑standing relationship with Ardian and our shared focus on accessibility and investor experience,” said Marco Bizzozero, Head of International at iCapital. “By combining Ardian’s investment expertise with iCapital’s advanced technology, structuring, servicing and distribution capabilities, including connectivity to leading fund platforms, we are creating a more efficient and scalable way for the wealth channel to access private markets solutions, supporting both sustainable growth and a better overall experience for advisors and their clients.”

Metaplanet Q1 Operating Profit Rises as Bitcoin Loss Widens

0

Tokyo-listed Metaplanet reported first-quarter operating income Wednesday of 2.27 billion Japanese yen (roughly $14.38 million) on net sales of about $19.5 million, implying an operating margin of 73.6% as surging Bitcoin option income more than tripled revenue from a year earlier, according to the company’s Q1 fiscal year 2026 earnings release.

The strong operating performance contrasted with an ordinary loss of around $728 million, driven mainly by non-cash valuation losses as Bitcoin’s price declined during the period, and the company marked its expanding Bitcoin (BTC) holdings lower.

The price of Bitcoin fell around 24% during the quarter, from around $87,000 on Jan. 1 to roughly $66,000 on March 31, according to data from Coingecko.

Revenue for the quarter ending March 31 rose from about $5.5 million a year earlier to about $19.5 million, the filing shows, with the Bitcoin Income Generation business of option premiums and derivative valuation gains contributing the bulk of sales, while hotel operations remained a small, stable contributor.

BTC price fell 24% in Q1. Source: Coingecko

Metaplanet posted a basic loss of roughly $0.63 per share, widening from a loss of about $0.078 a year earlier, and kept its full-year 2026 outlook unchanged, still forecasting net sales of roughly $101 million and operating profit of about $72 million, while refraining from giving ordinary or net income guidance due to Bitcoin price sensitivity.

Strong operating income offset by Bitcoin valuation loss

Metaplanet ended the quarter holding 40,177 Bitcoin, up from 35,102 at the end of December 2025, after adding about 5,075 BTC in Q1 to become the third-largest publicly listed Bitcoin treasury, through a combination of new equity and Bitcoin-backed borrowing.

Consolidated Financial Results for Q1, FY2026. Source: Metaplanet

On a fully diluted basis, Bitcoin holdings per share increased from 0.0240486 BTC to 0.0247319 BTC, corresponding to a first-quarter BTC yield of 2.8%, which the company highlights as a key performance indicator for shareholder value creation, as it measures Bitcoin per-share growth after dilution.

Metaplanet’s capital structure continued to evolve over the quarter, with total net assets falling from $2.96 billion at Dec. 31 to approximately $2.60 billion, as Bitcoin-related valuation losses outweighed equity raised during the quarter.

Short-term borrowings also increased as the company drew further on its $500 million Bitcoin-collateralized credit facility, under which it had $302 million outstanding as of May 13, 2026, it said.

Metaplanet shares traded lower on Wednesday in Tokyo, at around 327 Japanese yen (roughly $2.07), down 3.82% at the time of writing from Tuesday’s close, according to data from Yahoo! Finance.

Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt

Telecom giant KDDI to acquire 14.9% stake in Coincheck Group in $65 million deal

0

KDDI, one of Japan’s largest telecom companies, is set to hold a 14.9% stake in local crypto exchange operator Coincheck Group (CNCK) after agreeing to a $65 million deal.

The telecom giant will subscribe for 28.5 million newly issued Coincheck Group shares at $2.28 each, Coincheck said on Wednesday. The deal is expected to close in June.

Coincheck and KDDI also signed what both firms called a business alliance covering customer referrals, revenue sharing and referral fees. The companies said the partnership is aimed at expanding crypto access in Japan through KDDI’s consumer channels and Coincheck’s trading, custody, staking and asset-management services.

KDDI has been building around crypto and Web3 since at least 2023, when it launched αU, a metaverse and Web3 service with a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace and crypto wallet.

The company deepened that push through a capital and business alliance with HashPort, a Japanese Web3 wallet developer. The deal was tied to plans allowing users to convert Ponta loyalty points into stablecoins and crypto, and convert those assets into au PAY gift cards.

KDDI will receive registration rights for the shares and the right to nominate one non-executive director to Coincheck Group’s board at its next annual general meeting, expected in September.

Coincheck’s Dutch parent listed on Nasdaq in late 2024 under the ticker CNCK, after a delayed plan to go public through a SPAC deal. The company has since pushed into institutional crypto services, including through its acquisition of digital asset prime broker Aplo.

KDDI, as of December 2025, had over 72 million mobile subscriptions. J.P. Morgan advised Coincheck Group on the deal. De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett acted as legal counsel.

PayDo Partners with BVNK to Add Stablecoin Capabilities Without Crypto Custody

0

PayDo, the all-in-one Electronic Money Institution (EMI), has entered into a new strategic partnership with BVNK, a global provider of stablecoin payment infrastructure. The collaboration is designed to enable PayDo’s vast business customer base to access seamless fiat-to-stablecoin conversion for pay-ins, payouts, and checkouts, significantly improving operational speed and flexibility without requiring businesses to directly handle or hold cryptocurrency.

By adding stablecoins to its broader payment stack, the platform aims to provide online businesses with a simplified and scalable solution for cross-border transactions. Specifically, the new capabilities allow users to top up their PayDo balances with stablecoins, which are then automatically converted to fiat in a single transaction. Conversely, users can send outgoing transfers by automatically converting their existing fiat balances into stablecoins at the point of payout. Furthermore, merchants can now actively accept crypto payments through their websites via a stablecoin checkout feature, with the resulting funds settling directly into their PayDo accounts in fiat.

Navigating high-volume cross-border payments

Currently, PayDo processes over €5billion annually for thousands of businesses worldwide. Its unified platform consolidates a wide array of essential financial services under a single API, including multi-currency accounts, direct SEPA and SWIFT transfers, merchant acquiring, card issuing, mass payouts, and pioneering Open Banking solutions.

Serhii Zakharov, CEO and founder of PayDo

The integration of stablecoins is expected to be especially beneficial to PayDo customers who operate in highly complex, high-volume, and time-sensitive cross-border environments, where traditional banking systems and correspondent networks frequently introduce delays and friction. Importantly, PayDo does not custody crypto assets at any point; all stablecoin transactions are automatically converted to fiat, ensuring that users benefit from rapid fiat settlement within a highly regulated framework while heavily reducing the need to independently manage crypto-related compliance processes.

Building a unified financial ecosystem
Chris Harmse, co-founder at BVNK
Chris Harmse, co-founder at BVNK

Serhii Zakharov, CEO and founder of PayDo, emphasized that these developments mark another critical step toward creating a truly unified, all-in-one financial ecosystem.

“BVNK’s infrastructure was crucial in reaching this balance between stablecoin flexibility and fiat stability,” Zakharov commented. “PayDo is looking forward to many more productive updates alongside our partners in the upcoming months.”

Chris Harmse, chief business officer and co-founder of BVNK, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the growing real-world utility of digital assets. He stated that the partnership unlocks massive new opportunities for business customers to move, hold, and settle funds more easily. Harmse noted that the collaboration serves as a prime example of how stablecoins are being rapidly adopted across traditional financial services as a highly practical, everyday tool for more efficient money movement.

The 2036 Issue: Letter From The Editor

0

None of us can see the future. We don’t know what 2036 will bring. 

We all like to tell ourselves that we can, or do, and maybe we do actually see small pieces of it coming before we catch up to them, but none of us see the whole picture. That’s, at the end of the day, part of what it is to be human. 

Nevertheless we can’t seem to help ourselves from at least trying. 

Going into the second half of the 2020s we are coming out of a time period that marked wild and tumultuous disruption, with the world changing in both big and small ways that none of us could have imagined in our wildest dreams at the start of 2020. As we enter the second half of the decade, events around the world are starting to push us in a direction that seems like it will be even more disruptive and unpredictable than the first half of the decade. 

In this issue, we are going to do what we can’t help ourselves doing, we’re going to try to predict the shape of the next decade. I say shape, and not just the future itself, because that is the best that human beings can actually do. 

These pages are filled with pieces written by some of the most influential and intelligent people that engage in this space trying to look ahead and provide something of value to you, the reader. Some have given deep analysis of how larger geopolitical trends will unfold, others have written more lighthearted musings on what different aspects of our lives will be like day-to-day, and some have written what I can only call warnings or reminders of what to keep in mind while navigating the coming ten years. 

Every few generations, the world seems to go through some tumultuous upheaval. A radical shift that upends the order and institutions that maintained the previous shape of the world. I think we are entering that next period now, and we’ve probably been standing in its doorway since 2020. 

Chaos and change are not solely reasons to give in to fear, or anxiety, they are also reasons to have hope and optimism. When things fall apart, it doesn’t just mean the end of what was there before, it means there is space to build something new. It signals the beginning of something new in the exact same moment that it signals the end of something old. 

The next ten years are going to be the biggest opportunity yet for Bitcoin. We can either spend them optimistically building, putting our energy into bringing into reality the positive impact we see that Bitcoin can have on the world, or we can squander them doing the opposite. 

Ultimately, the shape the future has when it finally arrives at our doorstep will be the shape that all of our individual actions and choices mold it into. 

Make them count. 

Don’t miss your chance to own The 2036 Issue — featuring articles written by many influential figures in the space pondering the challenges of the next decade!

This piece is the Letter from the Editor featured in the latest Print edition of Bitcoin Magazine, The 2036 Issue. We’re sharing it here as an early look at the ideas explored throughout the full issue.

Bitcoin Tests $82K As Crypto Funds Notch Sixth Straight Week Of Inflows

0

Crypto investment products absorbed $858 million last week, ahead of the upcoming CLARITY Act markup and Fed chair transition.

Total crypto market capitalization stood at $2.81 trillion on Monday as Bitcoin reclaimed $82,000 and global crypto fund flows extended their longest positive streak since last summer.

BTC last traded at $82,020, up 0.9% on the day and 1.9% over the past week. Ether continued to lag the majors, slipping 0.7% to $2,341 and posting a 1.3% weekly decline.

SOL Chart

Solana stood out among the Top 10 with a 15% weekly gain to $98, while Cardano added 12% and BNB rose 5.4% in the same timeframe.

Sixth Week Of Inflows

Global crypto investment products pulled in $857.9 million last week, the sixth consecutive week of net inflows and the largest weekly haul since the week ending April 24, according to the latest CoinShares Digital Asset Fund Flows report. The streak has now brought year-to-date inflows to $4.9 billion, with total assets under management above $160 billion, the highest since February.

Bitcoin products accounted for $706.1 million of the weekly total. Ether funds reversed the prior week’s losses with $77.1 million in inflows, while Solana products added $47.6 million and XRP funds drew $39.6 million.

CoinShares head of research James Butterfill attributed the surge to compromise language being finalized on the stablecoin yield provisions of the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act, together with Bitcoin reclaiming $80,000 over the past week.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have logged six straight weeks of net inflows totaling around $3.4 billion, per SoSoValue data, the longest such streak since August 2025. Cumulative net inflows since the January 2024 launch sit at roughly $59.3 billion, with total net assets at $106.6 billion.

Strategy Slows Down

Strategy disclosed its smallest weekly Bitcoin purchase of 2026, picking up 535 BTC for roughly $43 million between May 5 and May 11, according to its latest 8-K filing. The buy lifts total holdings to 818,869 BTC at a blended cost basis of around $75,540 per coin.

The pace reflects a sharp deceleration. Strategy bought 34,164 BTC for the week ending April 20, then 3,273 BTC the following week, and paused entirely ahead of its Q1 2026 earnings call on May 5.

Macro Week Ahead

The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to mark up the CLARITY Act on May 14, with stablecoin yield language the central sticking point.

Meanwhile, Jerome Powell’s term as Fed chair ends on May 15, with Kevin Warsh widely expected to take the gavel at the June FOMC meeting.

Building a Greenfield Foundation for Digital Transformation

0

The partnership between Paragon Bank, a FTSE 250 specialist lender, and Mambu began in 2020, establishing a foundation of trust through the successful delivery of development finance and savings propositions. As Paragon’s savings portfolio grew, the need for a robust and reliable core banking engine became clear, leading the bank to choose Mambu as the partner for its next evolutionary step. This collaboration resulted in a greenfield transformation and the birth of “Spring,” a digital product designed to address a specific gap in the UK savings market.

Spring serves as the cornerstone of Paragon’s digital transformation, representing their first truly direct-to-consumer product with end-to-end digitization. By utilizing a greenfield approach, the bank was able to launch a new brand into a new market segment, informed heavily by customer insights. This ground-up build proved that the bank could rapidly innovate and deploy new services in a very short period of time by working in close partnership with Mambu and other key suppliers.

The development of Spring was driven by data from Paragon’s existing cohort of proactive savers. Research indicated that while consumers were interested in better rates, many were deterred by a perceived “baffle of choice” and the “perceived hassle” of moving money. Consequently, the primary objective for Spring was to create a hassle-free user experience. By focusing on a seamless customer journey and agile delivery, Spring has not only successfully gained market momentum but has also instilled greater organizational confidence in Paragon’s ability to execute large-scale digital transformations.

https://mambu.com/en/customer/paragon-bank?utm_campaign=Deposits&Savings&utm_source=FFNews&utm_medium=paid_media&utm_content=interview

Key Highlights from the Fintech Show:

  • Foundation of Trust: Karishma Jaycee explains how the initial 2020 partnership on development finance built the capability for Paragon’s later digital expansion.

  • Greenfield Transformation: The use of a new, cloud-native core banking engine allowed for the rapid launch of Spring as a standalone digital product.

  • Solving for “Hassle”: Derek Sprawling notes that customer research identified “perceived hassle” as the biggest barrier to savings growth, which Spring was specifically designed to eliminate.

  • Direct-to-Consumer Success: Imogen Gurney highlights Spring as the bank’s first front-to-back digitized product, proving their ability to build from the ground up.

  • Agile Momentum: The project has established a new “rhythm” for agile change within the bank, propelling further digital innovation.

Hotter-than-expected inflation data knocks BTC below $80,000

0

U.S. producer prices for April came in far hotter than expected on Wednesday, complicating the Federal Reserve’s path forward to ease monetary policy later this year.

The April Producer Price Index rose 1.4% month-over-month, nearly triple economists’ expectations for a 0.5% increase. Annual producer inflation accelerated to 6%, while core PPI excluding food and energy climbed 1% on the month and 5.2% year-over-year, both well above forecasts.

The report reinforced that inflation is reaccelerating after Tuesday’s consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.8% year-over-year, the hottest inflation reading in almost three years.

Bitcoin (BTC), which traded above $81,000 overnight, quickly dropped below the key $80,000 level in the minutes following the release before recovering slightly. The largest cryptocurrency was recently changing hands just above $80,000, down about 0.8% over the past 24 hours.

Equity futures held relatively steady ahead of the U.S. open, with Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.2% and S&P 500 futures little changed.

The inflation surprise adds another layer of uncertainty for the Fed as policymakers navigate rising energy prices tied to the ongoing Iran conflict and persistent concerns over supply disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. Higher oil prices risk feeding further into inflation data in the months ahead.

The report could also revive discussion of whether the central bank may need to consider additional tightening rather than cuts, even as President Donald Trump continues to pressure the Fed to lower interest rates.

That backdrop is especially delicate as Kevin Warsh prepares to take over leadership of the central bank, with investors closely watching how the incoming chair will balance slowing growth risks against resurgent inflation pressures.

Ethereum Lands JPMorgan’s New Tokenized Money Market Fund

0

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

JPMorgan is launching a tokenized money market fund on Ethereum, marking another step by a major Wall Street institution into public-blockchain-based fund infrastructure. The new JPMorgan OnChain Liquidity-Token Money Market Fund will offer Token Class shares under the ticker JLTXX, according to a registration filing for JPMorgan Trust IV.

The filing positions the product as a government money market fund seeking current income while maintaining liquidity and stability of principal. Its Token Class carries a 0.16% net expense ratio after fee waivers and reimbursements, with gross annual operating expenses listed at 0.71%. Those waivers are scheduled to remain in effect through June 30, 2028, unless renewed or revised.

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas framed the fee structure as a notable part of the launch. “JPMorgan filed for a tokenized money market fund,” he wrote on X. “Big deal bc JPM inching further into crypto and big deal bc fee is pretty low 16bps for a stable NAV (imposs to do in ETF). Cheaper than most money funds altho Vanguard’s is like 11bps.”

JPMorgan Taps Ethereum For Tokenized Treasury Fund

The fund’s strategy is conservative by design. Under normal conditions, it will invest exclusively in US Treasury bills, bonds and notes, along with overnight repurchase agreements fully collateralized by Treasury securities and/or cash. JPMorgan says the fund will seek to maintain a $1.00 NAV, buy only Treasury securities with remaining maturities of 93 days or less, keep dollar-weighted average maturity at 60 days or less, and invest only in US dollar-denominated securities.

Related Reading: Ethereum Leverage Ratio Sees Sharp Drop: What It Means

The crypto relevance sits less in the portfolio and more in the rail. The filing says the fund will use blockchain technology to let investors submit transaction instructions for fund shares, while the official record of ownership remains the transfer agent’s traditional book-entry register. Token balances attributed to an investor’s blockchain address are intended to correspond one-for-one with fund shares, but JPMorgan makes clear that the Investor Register, not the blockchain balance, is determinative for legal ownership.

That structure reflects the institutional compromise now forming around tokenization: public-chain connectivity, but within controlled market infrastructure. JPMorgan says the blockchain system is designed, deployed and maintained by Kinexys Digital Assets, a business unit within JPMorgan Chase Bank. The system runs as a permissioned framework on top of public blockchains, requiring approved wallet addresses and allow-listing before investors can purchase, redeem or transfer token balances.

Ethereum is currently the only blockchain available for investors, though the filing says expansion to other blockchains is anticipated: “The Ethereum blockchain, a public blockchain network, is currently the only available blockchain for use by investors, although expansion to other blockchains is anticipated in the future.”

That detail drew attention from CEO and co-founder of Etherealize Vivek Raman who wrote via X: “Five months after MONY, JP Morgan is launching a second tokenized money market fund — on the biggest, most institutional public blockchain: Ethereum. Blackrock and JPM issuing on Ethereum in the same week…”

BlackRock is preparing two tokenized money-market funds aimed at investors holding cash in stablecoins, including a digital share class tied to the roughly $6.1 billion BlackRock Select Treasury Based Liquidity Fund. After the success of BUIDL, those tokenized shares are also set to run on Ethereum alongside traditional share classes, reinforcing the chain’s role as the preferred public settlement venue for a growing set of institutional cash-management products.

At press time, Ethereum traded at $2,303.

Ethereum price chart
XRP bulls must break the 0.382 Fib, 1-week chart | Source: ETHUSDT on TradingView.com

Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.