Author: dfmines

Key Takeaways: The SEC has officially initiated proceedings to decide on the Grayscale Litecoin Trust ETF listing. The decision delay signals more scrutiny and a longer timeline, with no immediate approval expected. Should it be approved, the ETF would be supported only by Litecoin (LTC) and trade on NYSE Arca. Another turning point in the…
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Summer Mersinger, one of four commissioners currently serving at the US financial regulatory body Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), will become the next CEO of the digital asset advocacy group the Blockchain Association (BA). In a May 14 notice, the Blockchain Association said its current CEO, Kristin Smith, would be stepping down for Mersinger on May 16, allowing an interim head of the group to work until the CFTC commissioner assumes the role on June 2. Though her term at the CFTC was expected to last until April 2028, the Association said Mersinger is set to leave the agency on May 30.The departure of Mersinger, who has served in one of the CFTC’s Republican seats since 2022, opens the way for President Donald Trump to nominate another member to the financial regulator. Rules require that no more than three commissioners belong to the same political party. Like the Securities and Exchange Commission, the CFTC is one of the significant US financial regulators whose policies impact digital assets. Lawmakers in Congress are currently working to pass a market structure bill to clarify the roles each agency could take in overseeing and regulating crypto.This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

Opinion by: Mike Cahill, co-founder and CEO of Douro LabsDespite the institutional frenzy around crypto and the ubiquitous narrative of democratized access to investing, most of the world population is still barred from traditional wealth-building. Take the US, for example — here, the top 10% of earners own more than 90% of all stocks. On a global scale, it gets even worse: Billions of individuals don’t have the financial literacy, digital tools or minimum funds required to even access the most basic investment opportunities. Traditional institutions must do more than just invest in crypto to ameliorate this disparity — they must start employing digital assets for new use cases altogether. The facet of TradFi that is most ripe for disruption is equities. Investing in shares of private companies is an opportunity historically reserved only for the wealthy and hyper-connected. It is often siloed within the most economically advanced nations. Enhancing access to equities worldwide can be achieved, however, by injecting decentralized technology into three fundamental components of our financial system: price, execution and settlement.The bedrock of traditional financeEquities typically refer to shares of private companies, and they’re one of the most potent tools for wealth creation. On top of regulation, the main factor restricting access to equities is the infrastructure that underpins our financial system: stale and inaccurate pricing data, exclusive execution venues and painfully slow settlement periods. PriceTraditional equity markets are private. Here, pricing data is sequestered behind non-disclosure agreements, paywalls and groups of individuals who want to keep this information to themselves. Access to accurate, real-time pricing is what enables investors to make informed decisions, and it’s the crucial ingredient required to participate at all. If pricing data remains in the hands of those who can afford access or run in the right social circles, the system will continue to support only a small group of wealthy, privileged people.Recent: Ether sentiment hits yearly low but that could be a good thing: SantimentExecutionWhile many apps and platforms might make it seem like buying equities is as easy as pressing a button, the reality is that making these types of investments almost always requires strict vetting processes and minimum investment thresholds that everyday investors just don’t have access to. While it seems like public markets should be exempt from these barriers, brokerage fees and geographic limitations can still hamper participation. As a result, the current systems simply uphold the “rich get richer, poor get poorer” narrative.SettlementMost traders have experienced the frustratingly slow, highly bureaucratic and hazardous equity settlement systems in place today. It can take several days for a single trade to finalize. If it’s a cross-border trade, settlement times can lag even more. This results in capital being locked up, further dissuading smaller investors from participating — a snowball effect that keeps access to equities solely in the hands of the most elite traders. While these barriers are undoubtedly systemic, they’re also very solvable. As history has shown, time and time again, innovation always forces a shift. That’s where decentralized finance (DeFi) comes in.Reimagining infrastructure through DeFiDecentralized technologies have the potential to reimagine TradFi’s infrastructure to create a system that is faster, more accessible and more efficient and unlock new forms of equities participation. These include synthetic equity markets, tokenized private equity and even equity-based prediction markets.Regarding price, execution and settlement, DeFi and TradFi have the opportunity to work together, combining forces to offer a new foundation to the financial system that promotes equity, access and transparency. Decentralized price feeds offer real-time, accurate price data on equities that don’t come at the exorbitant price of a Bloomberg Terminal. They empower traders of any background or location to access fresh market data to trade equities with the same knowledge as the most elite traders. At the same time, decentralized execution platforms enable marketplaces for fractional, tokenized equity exposure. Now, if traders have an internet connection, they can make trades supported by smart contracts that automate trade matching, liquidity provision and order fulfillment. This empowers traders to purchase small, fractional stakes in these assets, empowering those even in the most rural and secluded areas of the world to own a piece of the same high-growth company as an accredited investor in the US. Finally, settlement in DeFi is almost instantaneous. That’s because blockchain removes the need for intermediaries, making it possible for equities to be traded in milliseconds. This dramatically reduces counterparty risk while unlocking capital for continuous use, making trading even more attractive to smaller players. Building the next generation of financeCreating a financial system that is genuinely democratized means more than encouraging institutions to buy and trade digital assets. It means rethinking the way our financial infrastructure exists and operates today. While equities are one of the most powerful wealth-building tools available, most of the global population still can’t access them due to geography, legacy and privilege. Through revolutionizing price, execution and settlement via decentralized innovations, equities can be entirely disrupted — closing the wealth gap that keeps billions of people at the mercy of a select few.Opinion by: Mike Cahill, co-founder and CEO of Douro Labs.This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Chainlink, JPMorgan’s blockchain unit Kinexys, and Ondo Finance have completed the first cross-chain Delivery versus Payment (DvP) transaction on Ondo Chain’s testnet, integrating traditional bank payment rails with tokenized asset markets. First Cross-Chain DvP The transaction, according to the release sent to Bitcoin.com News, settled Ondo Finance’s tokenized U.S. Treasuries Fund (OUSG) using JPMorgan’s permissioned […]

The French interior minister reportedly plans to meet cryptocurrency professionals in the aftermath of a violent kidnapping attempt on the family of a crypto exchange executive in Paris.According to a May 14 France24 report, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has invited crypto professionals to meet him after a brazen attempt to kidnap the daughter and grandson of Pierre Noizat, the co-founder and CEO of French crypto exchange Paymium.”I will assemble businesspeople working in cryptocurrencies, and we have a few of those in France, at the interior ministry to work with them on their security,” Retailleau reportedly told the Europe 1/CNews broadcaster.On May 13, three masked men attacked Noizat’s daughter while she was walking in Paris’ 11th district with a man and her son. The attackers tried to force Noizat’s daughter and her son into a white van.Related: Teens kidnap Las Vegas man at gunpoint, stealing $4M in cryptoPassersby intervened, with one scaring the assailants while brandishing a fire extinguisher before throwing it at them as they fled. The event is now being investigated by local authorities, with the vehicle used being found abandoned nearby on the same day.En plein Paris, un homme a été violenté par des individus cagoulés, habillés tout en noir. Ils tentaient de l’enlever. Un homme a surgi, extincteur à la main, pour les faire fuir. →https://t.co/P0qV6PR40v pic.twitter.com/9f4r2Gi7ho— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro) May 13, 2025Growing risk for cryptoholdersJameson Lopp, a cypherpunk and co-founder of self-custodial firm Casa, has created a list on GitHub recording dozens of offline crypto robberies, with 22 incidents of in-person crypto-related theft so far this year. Many in the crypto industry highlight that anonymity is the only way to effectively protect holders and their close circle against so-called “$5 wrench attacks.”$5 wrench attack explanation. Source: XKCDLopp’s list is likely undercounting the total number of attacks targeting people over their involvement in the crypto industry. A University of Cambridge study in September 2024 found that these so-called “wrench attacks” are often underreported due to revictimization fears.Related: How a $243 million crypto heist led to a real-world kidnappingFrance saw its fair share of casesParis is also no stranger to these attacks. Earlier this month, Paris police freed the father of a crypto entrepreneur who was held for several days in connection with a 7 million euro ($7.8 million) kidnapping plot.At the start of this year, David Balland, co-founder of leading crypto hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger, was abducted from his home in central France. He was held captive until a police operation on the night of Jan. 22 secured his release.Magazine: Here’s how to keep your crypto safe

Dogecoin traders are showing a lot of interest in futures contracts, even though the coin’s price has dipped a bit. That split between price moves and betting activity is drawing attention. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Grip Loosens: Market Expert Says Dominance Has Hit Its Ceiling Futures Interest Climbs Despite Pullback According to on‑chain data provider Glassnode, open interest in Dogecoin futures jumped from almost $990 million to $1.62 billion this week. That rise came after the price slid back from near $0.25 into the $0.22–$0.23 zone. It’s a sign that traders are still placing big bets, even as momentum cools. Back in mid‑February, open interest fell below $900 million by April, as Dogecoin headed down from its brief rally above $0.23. This week’s surge breaks that past trend. Despite $DOGE pulling back from its recent high, Futures Open Interest continues to rise, up +63.9% over the past week ($989M → $1.62B). This decoupling suggests persistent speculative positioning, even as price momentum fades – a setup worth monitoring: https://t.co/N343pGpptL pic.twitter.com/icOVcqDffA — glassnode (@glassnode) May 13, 2025 Price Rally And Minor Setback Based on reports, Dogecoin climbed from roughly $0.16 on May 6 to just over $0.24 by May 11. That’s a sharp gain in just a few days. Then the price eased back into the $0.22–$0.23 range. Traders saw higher highs and higher lows overall. They’ve held onto the belief that the upward trend is still intact. Bullish Funding Rate Signals Funding rates have stayed in positive territory, which shows futures traders are mostly long. Data from Coinglass on May 13, 2025, puts rates at 0.0100% on BitMEX, HTX, Gate.io and Bitget. Binance and OKX are a bit lower, at 0.0036% and 0.0034%. Those numbers mean long holders pay short sellers a small fee. That setup can boost a rally. But if the price drops, it can turn costly for those same traders. Support Level Under Watch Market analyst Rekt Capital pointed out that Dogecoin closed above its old pre‑halving resistance on the weekly chart. That level now sits near $0.22 and is acting as support. If DOGE holds that spot, the coin might head toward at least $0.27 next. A failure to stay above $0.22 could shake out some of the most stretched positions. Related Reading: Avalanche Rumbles 21% Amid Record-Breaking Address Activity Overall, the mix of rising futures activity and a soft pullback makes for a tense scene. On one hand, there’s still a strong bullish bias. On the other, too much one‑sided positioning can invite a shakeout. Traders will be watching weekly closes around $0.22 to see if support holds. If it does, a run at $0.27 could happen. If it doesn’t, shorts may gain the upper hand and push prices lower. Either way, volatility is likely to stay high as Dogecoin’s roller‑coaster ride continues. Featured image from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView

Key Takeaways: Upbit to list Nexpace (NXPC) with KRW, BTC, and USDT trading pairs. NXPC is the native token of Henesys L1, the mainnet powering Nexon’s MapleStory Universe. Trading limitations and compliance rules will apply, including Avalanche-only deposits and travel rule checks. South Korea’s largest crypto exchange, Upbit, is set to make headlines once again…
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Key takeaways:Ethereum’s market dominance has hit overbought RSI levels not seen since May 2021, historically followed by major pullbacks.ETH/USD is showing a bearish divergence on the four-hour chart, hinting at a potential 10–15% price correction.Despite the near-term risks, some analysts view a pullback as a “buy-the-dip” setup before a possible move toward $3,500–$3,800.Ether (ETH) has surged over 50% month-to-date in May, vastly outperforming the broader crypto market’s 15.25% gain. The rally has pushed Ethereum’s market dominance (ETH.D) toward the critical 10% threshold for the first time since March.But the rising dominance accompanies signs of overheating, indicating that Ethereum bulls should not celebrate the rally just yet.Ether’s RSI most overextended since May 2021The strong recovery in Ethereum’s crypto market share has pushed its daily relative strength index (RSI) to its most overbought zone since May 2021, raising red flags for traders betting on further upside, at least in the short term. Historically, such extreme RSI levels on ETH.D have marked the beginning of major pullbacks. One notable instance occurred in early July 2024, when ETH dominance peaked near similar RSI levels. ETH.D daily performance chart. Source: TradingView Over the following 315 days, ETH.D dropped by more than 17.5%. The current RSI spike, again above 80, mimics a similar setup, suggesting that Ethereum could be nearing a local top in its market share.Adding to the bearish outlook, ETH.D remains below its 200-day exponential moving average (200-day EMA; the blue wave). This resistance level has repeatedly capped Ethereum’s dominance during previous recovery attempts.Previous overbought pullbacks have initially pushed Ethereum’s market share toward its 50-day EMA (the red wave).The ETH.D metric, therefore, risks declining toward its current 50-day EMA support at around 8.24% by June, suggesting potential capital rotation out of Ethereum markets to other coins in the coming weeks.Bearish divergence signals 15% ETH price dropOn the four-hour ETH/USD chart, a classic bearish divergence is emerging, where Ethereum’s price continues to print higher highs, but momentum indicators trend lower. Crypto trader AlphaBTC noted that ETH is showing “three clear drives of divergence,” a setup often preceding trend exhaustion. He added that key Fibonacci levels align with potential support zones, suggesting a pullback could be imminent.ETH/USD four-hour price chart. Source: AlphaBTCWith ETH hovering near the $2,740 Fibonacci extension, profit-taking pressure may intensify, opening the door for a short-term correction toward lower Fib levels at around $2,330 or even $2,190, down 10%-15% from the current prices.Independent market analyst Michaël van de Poppe suggests ETH’s decline in the coming weeks could serve as a “buy-the-dip opportunity,” indicating that the cryptocurrency would eventually climb over $3,500. Related: Altcoins’ roaring returns and falling USDT stablecoin dominance suggest ‘altseason’ is hereVeteran trader Peter Brandt further predicts a “moon shot” rally to over $3,800.This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.