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    Bitcoin Battles US Bond Nerves With BTC Price Dip Toward New May Lows

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    Bitcoin Battles US Bond Nerves With BTC Price Dip Toward New May Lows

    Bitcoin (BTC) fell below $80,000 at Friday’s Wall Street open as analysis tied risk-asset weakness to US bond markets.

    Key points:

    • Bitcoin eyes its lowest levels of May as concerns over US bond yields spark a risk-asset rout.
    • US 10-year treasury yields rise above levels that sparked a US tariff pause on China last year.
    • Traders wait for new local lows for BTC/USD as support stability is eroded.

    Bitcoin suffers as risk-asset “euphoria” turns sour

    Data from TradingView tracked 3% daily BTC price losses, with downside intensifying as the US session began. BTC/USD approached its lowest levels in May so far.

    BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

    Stocks also gave back gains after hitting new all-time highs earlier in the week.

    S&P 500 one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

    Reacting, trading resource The Kobeissi Letter saw risk-asset “euphoria” giving way to concerns about “unsustainable” US bond yields.

    “The bond market crisis is intensifying. The US 10Y Note Yield is now officially above 4.55% for the first time since May 2025,” it wrote in a post on X.

    “After weeks of euphoria, the market is beginning to react today. As we have been stating for the last few weeks, the current situation in the bond market is unsustainable.”

    US 10-year treasury note yield one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

    Kobeissi noted that yields were now above levels seen in April 2025, when US President Donald Trump halted the implementation of trade tariffs on China. That move, it said, came due to “a collapsing bond market.”

    “Furthermore, the market now sees a 60%+ chance that the Fed’s next move is an interest rate HIKE, with rate cuts entirely priced-out,” the post added. 

    “We expect to see 7%+ mortgages next, all as auto loan delinquencies have reached 32-year highs. Inflation is back and higher rates are coming.”

    Fed target rate probabilities (screenshot). Source: CME Group

    The latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool showed a 0.25% interest-rate hike as the most likely outcome by March 2027.

    BTC price lows back on the radar

    As Cointelegraph reported, traders were already unsure about Bitcoin’s ability to climb beyond $82,000 local highs.

    Related: Bitcoin price history suggests 77% odds of new all-time high within a year

    A support retest was already on the cards, and targets on the day extended toward the mid-$70,000 zone.

    “Honestly, not a good sign that $BTC fully retraced the move from yesterday,” trader Pat told X followers.

    BTC/USD comparison. Source: Pat/X

    Rangebound continuation was an increasingly popular option, with analyst Eric Coleman suggesting that low-time frame price action was predictable.

    “BTC pumped from the marked horizontal support just as expected and again it got rejected below the trendline and the horizontal resistance,” he wrote alongside an explanatory chart. 

    “Further movement in between the horizontal support and resistance is expected until a solid breakout or breakdown occurs.”

    BTC/USDT four-hour chart. Source: Eric Coleman/X

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    AAVE Price Prediction: Bulls Eye $115 as $103 Resistance Sets Stage for 20% Breakout

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    AAVE Price Prediction: Bulls Eye 5 as 3 Resistance Sets Stage for 20% Breakout


    Alvin Lang
    May 15, 2026 09:14

    AAVE consolidates at $96.40 as whales accumulate while retail sells aggressively. Breaking $103.29 resistance unlocks a direct path to $115, though failure risks a drop to $89 support.

    The Immediate Setup

    AAVE trades at $96.40, locked in a tight consolidation that’s building pressure for the next major move. The token holds above its 20-day SMA at $95.50 but remains below the 7-day average at $98.14, creating a neutral technical stance. The RSI sits at 49.64 with the MACD histogram at zero, confirming the market’s indecision as both buyers and sellers wait for a catalyst.

    Daily trading has compressed into a $95.75 to $101.24 range, with volume at $17.5 million showing sustained institutional interest despite the sideways action. The negative funding rate of -0.0116% indicates shorts are getting paid, creating an underlying bearish bias in derivatives markets that contrasts sharply with spot price stability.

    Key Levels Exposed

    AAVE sits at 58% through its Bollinger Bands, positioned perfectly for a breakout in either direction. Immediate resistance emerges at $99.84, but the real battle zone lies at $103.29 where previous rallies have consistently stalled. Blockchain.news analysis reveals this level has absorbed significant selling pressure, making it the gateway for any sustained upward movement.

    Support structure appears solid with the first layer at $94.35 aligning with the 20-day SMA. Below that, strong support at $92.31 provides additional protection before the lower Bollinger Band at $89.88 comes into play. The 200-day SMA at $140.37 serves as a reminder of how far AAVE has retreated from previous highs, creating substantial overhead resistance for longer-term recovery.

    Sentiment Divide Creates Opportunity

    Market positioning reveals a stark contrast between smart money and retail behavior. Top traders maintain a bullish 2.38 long/short ratio with 70.4% positioned long, yet the taker buy/sell ratio shows aggressive retail selling at 0.76. This divergence often signals opportunity as institutional money accumulates while weaker hands exit.

    Open interest has climbed 3.19% to over 483,000 contracts, indicating growing institutional engagement despite flat price action. Blockchain.news tracking shows the negative funding rate actually benefits long positions, essentially paying holders while whales continue building positions. This setup typically resolves in favor of the smart money positioning.

    Trade Framework

    The technical setup favors a breakout approach with defined risk parameters. Bulls should consider entries between $95.50-$96.50, using the 20-day SMA as support with stops below $92.00 to limit downside to roughly 4-5%.

    The upside path targets $103.29 resistance first for a 7% gain, but breaking through opens the door to the upper Bollinger Band near $115 for 20% upside potential. Conservative traders should book partial profits at the first resistance while letting winners run with trailing stops.

    Bears can position for rejection at $99.84 with stops above $104, targeting the $89.88 lower band. However, whale positioning and technical compression suggest the breakout direction will likely favor bulls once this consolidation phase concludes.

    Blockchain.news Crypto Market

    Image source: Shutterstock


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    Kraken Switches from LayerZero to Chainlink after Kelp DAO Hack

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    Kraken Switches from LayerZero to Chainlink after Kelp DAO Hack

    Crypto exchange Kraken announced Thursday that it had changed its cross-chain provider from LayerZero to Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, joining a number of protocols that have made the move following the Kelp DAO exploit in April.

    Kraken said it is deprecating its existing cross-chain provider and migrating to Chainlink CCIP as its exclusive cross-chain infrastructure to secure Kraken Wrapped Bitcoin (kBTC) and all future wrapped tokens.

    The company added that it chose Chainlink CCIP because it “offers enterprise-grade infrastructure with strict security and risk management requirements.” These include certifications, secure-by-default design, 16 independent nodes and native rate limits.

    LayerZero has been under scrutiny since the Kelp DAO exploit in April, in which about $292 million in liquid restaking tokens were stolen by actors suspected to be linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group.

    LayerZero issued an “overdue apology” on May 9, saying that it had done a “terrible job on comms over the past three weeks.”

    It admitted that its internal RPCs (remote procedure calls) were attacked and had their “source of truth poisoned” while its external RPC providers were simultaneously hit with a denial of service attack, but blamed Kelp’s configuration as a direct consequence of their single-DVN (Decentralized Verifier Network) setup.

    LayerZero confirmed that no other application had been affected, and more than $9 billion in bridged assets have been moved using the protocol since April 19.

    Other protocols migrate away from LayerZero

    Kraken is not alone in making the switch. Kelp DAO stated that it is also in the process of migrating to Chainlink’s CCIP, and that it had burned the hacker’s 117,132 rsETH as part of the recovery process this week. 

    Related: Kelp DAO eyes reopening withdrawals after rsETH burn

    Solv Protocol announced on May 7 that it was migrating from LayerZero to CCIP as its official cross-chain infrastructure for $700 million in tokenized Bitcoin.

    Meanwhile, onchain reinsurance protocol Re announced on May 8 that it was migrating its $475 million in total value locked from LayerZero to the Chainlink protocol. 

    More than $3 billion in TVL has been migrated to CCIP since the Kelp hack, while numerous protocols have suspended bridging using LayerZero, according to MEXC.

    The world’s largest Ethereum liquid staking protocol, Lido, also uses CCIP. “Chainlink’s defense-in-depth model acts as the definitive standard for cross-chain interoperability,” it explained in a blog post on Thursday. 

    CCIP and LayerZero comparison. Source: Lido 

    No reaction in token prices

    There was no reaction in prices for Chainlink’s native token, LINK, which remains at a bear market low of around $10, down 80% from its 2021 peak. 

    However, LayerZero’s native token ZRO has declined over 30% since the April hack and is down more than 80% from its 2024 all-time high, according to CoinGecko. 

    Cointelegraph reached out to LayerZero for comment but did not receive an immediate response. 

    Magazine: eToro founder timed Bitcoin top perfectly due to belief in 4 year cycles

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    Bitcoin Can Still Hit $85,000 as Stocks Head to New All-Time Highs

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    Bitcoin Can Still Hit ,000 as Stocks Head to New All-Time Highs

    Bitcoin (BTC) touched $80,000 around Thursday’s Wall Street open as US stocks hit fresh all-time highs and oil retested $100.

    Key points:

    • Bitcoin rebounded to $80,000 while US stock markets hit new records, ignoring high inflation.
    • Risk appetite is “skyrocketing,” analysis says, despite worries over central-bank policy tightening.
    • Bitcoin can still head to $85,000 next, traders agree.

    Bitcoin recoups losses as US stocks ignore inflation

    Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD recovering much of the previous day’s losses, which followed some of the highest US inflation data in four years. 

    BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

    US stocks quickly shook off the numbers, despite the implications for future financial policy tightening. 

    The S&P 500 posted its highest daily close on record, and continued to surge on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average revisited 50,000 points for the first time since early February.

    S&P 500 versus Dow Jones one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

    Commenting, trading resource The Kobeissi Letter reported “skyrocketing” risk appetite among investors.

    “Assets under management (AUM) in US leveraged ETFs are up to a record $177 billion. Since the March bottom, total leveraged ETF AUM has surged +$45 billion,” it wrote in its latest analysis on X.

    Leveraged ETF AUM data. Source: The Kobeissi Letter/X

    Kobeissi used the same term to describe global money-supply growth — a crypto and risk-asset tailwind at odds with concerns that central banks were adopting a “hawkish stance.” 

    “Meanwhile, US M2 money supply jumped +$1 trillion YoY, or +4.6%, to a record $22.7 trillion,” it continued. 

    “Money supply growth is accelerating.”

    Global money supply data. Source: The Kobeissi Letter/X

    As the US-Iran war rumbled on, oil prices seemed unable to crack new highs, with WTI crude retesting the $100 per barrel mark from above.

    CFDs on WTI crude oil one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

    “Most important” BTC price support still in play

    Looking at BTC price action, trader Daan Crypto Trades saw the market at a “pivotal level.”

    Related: Bitcoin price history suggests 77% odds of new all-time high within a year

    “Hanging on to that ~$79.4K level which marked the previous highs in April,” he told X followers.

    An accompanying chart showed the 200-period simple (SMA) and exponential (EMA) moving averages trending higher toward the spot price.

    BTC/USDT perpetual contract four-hour chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trades/X

    On the same topic, fellow trader CrypNuevo saw the potential for BTC/USD to head to new multi-month highs at the 50-week EMA should that support hold.

    “Bitcoin is at the most important level,” he agreed on Wednesday. 

    “If it holds the range highs here, then it’ll push towards the 1W50EMA at $84k-$85k. But a failure to hold this level could trigger a rotation back to the mid-range, potentially exposing range lows if momentum doesn’t shift.”

    BTC/USDT one-day chart. Source: CrypNuevo/X

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    AAVE Price Prediction: $85 Capitulation Target as DeFi Selloff Accelerates

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    AAVE Price Prediction: Bulls Eye 5 as 3 Resistance Sets Stage for 20% Breakout


    James Ding
    May 14, 2026 10:01

    AAVE’s failure to hold $96 support signals deeper correction toward $85-88 range. Technical breakdown imminent as neutral momentum masks underlying distribution pattern.

    Distribution Phase Confirmed

    AAVE’s grinding decline to $96.45 represents classic distribution as smart money exits DeFi positions ahead of broader market weakness. The token’s 3.38% daily drop masks a more serious technical deterioration that becomes clear when examining the confluence of momentum signals and volume patterns.

    Price action around the 12-period EMA at $96.45 creates a false sense of stability, but the underlying structure points to continuation lower. The RSI neutral reading at 49.93 combined with stalled MACD momentum indicates neither buying pressure nor capitulation – a dangerous middle ground that typically resolves with violent moves. Blockchain.news analysis of similar DeFi token patterns shows this type of sideways drift often precedes 15-20% corrections within days.

    Critical Support Breakdown Setup

    The immediate technical picture centers on AAVE’s inability to reclaim the $99.47 resistance zone. Each bounce attempt meets selling pressure, creating a textbook bear flag pattern that targets the $85-88 support cluster.

    Current price positioning between the 7-day SMA at $97.79 and support at $93.92 creates a narrow trading range that favors downside resolution. The Bollinger Band reading of 0.61 places AAVE in the upper portion of its recent range, suggesting limited upside potential before encountering distribution pressure. More critically, the distance to the 200-day SMA at $141.06 demonstrates the severity of the longer-term downtrend that remains intact.

    Volume at $13.88 million reflects institutional disinterest rather than retail capitulation, indicating the major selling hasn’t begun. This type of quiet distribution typically precedes sharp moves once key support levels fail.

    Derivatives Signal Continuation

    The derivatives market structure supports the bearish technical outlook. Minimal funding rates at 0.0003% indicate neither aggressive positioning nor crowded trades, creating conditions where sudden moves can develop without significant resistance from overleveraged positions.

    Social sentiment mirrors the technical backdrop – complete silence around AAVE contrasts sharply with the constant discussion surrounding other major DeFi protocols. This attention deficit often accompanies tokens approaching significant support breaks, as covered extensively in Blockchain.news market analysis during previous DeFi correction cycles.

    The fundamental disconnect between AAVE’s protocol strength and token performance suggests governance token valuations remain vulnerable to broader crypto market dynamics rather than underlying utility metrics.

    Targeting $85 Breakdown

    Technical confluence points toward a move to the $85-88 support zone once current levels fail. The setup requires patience as AAVE could consolidate near current levels for another 24-48 hours before the next leg down materializes.

    Short positions targeting $93.92 support breakdown offer favorable risk-reward with stops above $99.50. The 4.13 ATR suggests daily ranges of 4-5%, making tight risk management essential during the breakdown phase.

    Bulls should avoid catching falling knives until AAVE reaches the $85-88 zone where meaningful support exists. Any bounce attempts before reaching that level likely represent temporary relief rather than trend reversal, based on the current momentum structure and volume profile.

    Target probability: 75% chance of testing $85-88 support within 72 hours once $93.92 fails to hold on volume.

    Blockchain.news Crypto Market

    Image source: Shutterstock


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    Tezos Developers Test quantum-Resistant Blockchain Privacy System

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    Tezos Developers Test quantum-Resistant Blockchain Privacy System

    Developers behind the Tezos ecosystem launched a testnet prototype for private blockchain payments designed to resist future quantum computing attacks, as concerns grow that advances in quantum technology could eventually compromise existing blockchain privacy systems.

    The prototype, called TzEL, uses post-quantum cryptography and zk-STARK proofs to shield transaction data and encrypted payment metadata that could otherwise be vulnerable to “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, where encrypted blockchain data collected today is decrypted in the future, according to Tezos.

    The prototype also uses Tezos’ Data Availability Layer to handle the larger proof sizes associated with post-quantum cryptography, which developers say has been one of the main technical barriers to building scalable quantum-resistant privacy systems onchain.

    Source: Tezos

    According to the project’s whitepaper, the quantum-resistant zk-STARK proofs used by TzEL are roughly 300KB in size, significantly larger than privacy proofs commonly used in existing blockchain systems.

    TzEL is currently live on the Tezos testnet and remains in development, while the broader Tezos (XTZ) ecosystem is still in the early stages of transitioning toward post-quantum cryptography.

    Related: Rushed quantum fix may backfire for Bitcoin, Samson Mow warns

    The crypto industry ramps up post-quantum security efforts

    The crypto industry increased efforts to prepare for quantum computing risks throughout April, as concerns continue to grow over the long-term security of blockchain cryptographic systems.

    Two major validator clients on the Solana (SOL) network introduced a test version of a post-quantum signature system called Falcon, designed to help protect the blockchain against future quantum threats while minimizing performance tradeoffs.

    Meanwhile, MARA Holdings launched the MARA Foundation to support Bitcoin network development, including research into quantum-resistant security measures.

    Source: MARA Holdings
    Source: MARA Holdings

    Source: MARA Holdings

    Coinbase researchers also said Algorand (ALGO) and Aptos (APT) appeared further along in preparing for potential quantum threats, citing efforts to integrate quantum-resistant cryptography into their networks.

    However, the researchers warned that proof-of-stake blockchains may face greater exposure to quantum computing risks because of the signature systems used by network validators.

    According to Bernstein researchers, the crypto industry has around three to five years to transition toward quantum-resistant cryptographic standards before quantum computing becomes a threat to Bitcoin (BTC) security.

    But not everyone agrees. In May, Adam Back, an early cypherpunk and Bitcoin contributor, said that computers capable of breaking Bitcoin signatures are likely still at least 20 years away.

    Magazine: Kraken’s $600M stablecoin firm, Huione scandal deepens: Asia Express

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    Moody’s Predicts US Banks Near Tipping Point for Tokenized Finance

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    Moody’s Predicts US Banks Near Tipping Point for Tokenized Finance


    Timothy Morano
    May 14, 2026 04:26

    Major US banks see a rapid transition to tokenized finance, per Moody’s. The $31.6B market is poised for growth, with banks laying groundwork now.

    Tokenized finance, the process of representing traditional financial assets as blockchain-based tokens, is on the brink of broader adoption, according to a new report from Moody’s Ratings. Conversations with major US banks and financial intermediaries suggest the transition could follow a “slow, then fast” trajectory, with tokenization volumes accelerating once a tipping point is reached.

    Currently, the tokenized real-world asset (RWA) market is valued at $31.6 billion as of May 14, 2026, according to RWA.xyz—a 420% increase since the start of 2025. While adoption remains limited to niche use cases like cryptocurrency trading and cross-border payments, traditional finance (TradFi) is laying the groundwork for wider integration.

    Banks Preparing for a Digital Pivot

    Moody’s notes that nearly all major banks and financial institutions have established digital asset teams or innovation units to prepare for a potential surge in tokenized finance. These efforts are strategic, aimed at enabling banks to quickly adapt if client demand for digital asset services rises dramatically. For instance, Morgan Stanley launched a dedicated crypto unit earlier this year, reinforcing the sector’s importance in institutional strategy.

    Tokenized deposits, which function as blockchain-based representations of insured bank liabilities, are a key element of this shift. In January, Bank of New York Mellon introduced a tokenized deposit service, and more recently, the DTCC announced plans to integrate tokenized securities into its infrastructure starting July 2026.

    “Firms don’t want to be caught flat-footed,” Moody’s stated. “The risk of lagging behind could leave institutions unable to meet new market demands as tokenization accelerates.”

    Three Scenarios for the Future

    Moody’s outlines three potential paths for the financial system, depending on how quickly tokenization gains traction:

    • Steady Growth: Tokenization scales gradually, focused on select assets like stablecoins and tokenized deposits. Traditional players like banks retain their central roles.
    • Low Growth: Regulatory hurdles and limited end-user demand confine tokenization to narrow use cases, resulting in minimal systemic impact.
    • Rapid Disruption: Broad adoption of tokenized assets leads to structural changes, challenging traditional intermediaries like payment processors and correspondent banks.

    Under the disruptive scenario, small and mid-sized banks could face deposit outflows, while legacy settlement systems might lose relevance as blockchain-based solutions gain efficiency advantages. For example, tokenized assets enable instant settlement (atomic delivery-versus-payment), reducing counterparty risk and reconciliation delays inherent in traditional T+1 systems.

    Market Growth Potential

    Tokenized finance is expected to experience exponential growth. ARK Invest predicts the digital asset market could reach $28 trillion by 2030, with tokenized real-world assets, decentralized finance, and stablecoins driving adoption.

    Institutional moves underscore this potential. On April 30, 2026, FIS and several US banks announced Project Keystone, a network for regulated digital money. This builds on broader trends, such as the International Monetary Fund highlighting tokenization’s ability to enhance transparency and reduce financial friction, albeit with accompanying stability risks.

    As regulatory clarity improves, the lines between traditional finance and blockchain-based solutions are blurring. For traders and institutional investors, the key question is no longer whether tokenization will happen but how quickly—and which assets will lead the charge.

    For now, the message from Moody’s is clear: banks are positioning themselves for a future where tokenized finance becomes not just a buzzword but a fundamental part of the financial system.

    Image source: Shutterstock


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    Four-Year Highs In US PPI Data Cost Bitcoin the $80,000 Mark

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    Four-Year Highs In US PPI Data Cost Bitcoin the ,000 Mark

    Bitcoin (BTC) fell below $80,000 into Wednesday’s Wall Street open as US inflation data continued to alarm.

    Key points:

    • Bitcoin price action sees fresh downside pressure thanks to US PPI inflation reaching its highest since 2022.
    • Odds of further financial tightening by the Federal Reserve increased in a headwind for crypto.
    • BTC price analysis sees the CME futures gap staying as resistance “until further notice.”

    BTC price action loses $80,000 in fresh inflation blow

    Data from TradingView showed a trip to near $79,500 accompanying the April release of the Producer Price Index (PPI).

    BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

    Like the Consumer Price Index (CPI) print the day prior, PPI delivered a surprise to the upside — a headwind for crypto and risk assets due to the implied future tightening of financial conditions by the Federal Reserve. 

    “The April increase is the largest advance since rising 1.7 percent in March 2022,” an official news release from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated. 

    “On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand rose 6.0 percent for the 12 months ended in April, the largest 12-month increase since moving up 6.4 percent in December 2022.”

    US PPI one-month % change. Source: BLS

    The US-Iran war and its associated impact on oil prices thus continued to filter through to the economy, with even more serious upheaval to come.

    “All of the data is very clear: consumers are about to face another wave serious pressure on spending power,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter wrote in a reaction on X.

    The results further reduced the odds of the Fed cutting interest rates at its June meeting, with just a 1.4% chance of that outcome, per data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool. 

    Fed target rate probabilities for June 17 FOMC meeting (screenshot). Source: CME Group

    On Monday, trading resource Mosaic Asset Company summarized the risk that high oil prices, in particular, pose to the risk-asset uptrend.

    “The prospect of rising interest rates on the short- and long-end of the yield curve could pose a challenge to stock market valuations,” it wrote in the latest edition of its regular newsletter, The Market Mosaic. 

    “The easing bias in central banks around the world is shifting to a more hawkish stance.”

    CFDs on WTI crude oil one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

    Bitcoin futures gap in control “until further notice”

    Bitcoin traders maintained hope for a successful breakout from current resistance for BTC/USD.

    Related: Bitcoin price history suggests 77% odds of new all-time high within a year

    “Break above that ~$82K region and that gap at $84K will surely be filled. Likely continuing quite a lot higher at that point,” Daan Crypto Trades wrote in his latest X analysis.

    Daan Crypto Trades described US stocks as recovering “nicely” from their initial weakness over the CPI data.

    “Market mostly awaiting some clarity in regards to the conflict in the middle east,” he added.

    BTC/USDT perpetual contract one-day chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trades/X

    Trader and analyst Rekt Capital, meanwhile, saw BTC/USD moving within an open “gap” in CME Group’s Bitcoin futures market — a common short-term price magnet.

    “Bitcoin finally Weekly Closed below the top of the red area, confirming that price will be consolidating within the CME Gap until further notice,” he told X followers.

    CME Bitcoin futures one-week chart. Source: Rekt Capital/X

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    Paybis Secures MiCA and Payment Licenses in Latvia in Stablecoin Play

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    Paybis Secures MiCA and Payment Licenses in Latvia in Stablecoin Play

    Cryptocurrency platform Paybis has received two licences from Latvia’s central bank, including one for crypto-asset services under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and another for payment institution operations under Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2).

    The licences were issued by the Supervision Committee of Latvijas Banka on May 12 to SIA Paybis Europe, the company’s EU entity, according to an announcement from the central bank. Paybis is the third company in Latvia to receive a MiCA CASP licence, the central bank said.

    The MiCA licence covers custody and administration of crypto assets on behalf of clients, exchange of crypto-assets for funds or other crypto assets, execution of orders, transfer services and crypto asset advisory, Latvijas Banka said. The central bank added that the PSD2 payment institution licence enables Paybis’s EU entity to execute payments and make transfers to payment accounts.

    Paybis CEO and co-founder Innokenty Isers said the dual licensing allows the firm “to make a broad, future-focused offering, including working with stablecoins.”

    Related: MiCA has made euro stablecoins safe but weak, new report argues

    Paybis eyes B2B crypto infrastructure push

    Konstantins Vasilenko, co-founder and chief business development officer of Paybis, told Cointelegraph that Paybis is targeting business clients with a white-label crypto infrastructure stack, covering on/off-ramps, buy/sell/swap, payment acceptance and stablecoin payouts. These services would be delivered through a single API, allowing companies to offer crypto services to their own customers without building their own regulated setup.

    “This is where the combination of MiCA CASP authorisation and PSD2 PI licensing is particularly important, because it allows us to connect crypto asset services with regulated payment rails,” he added.

    Source: Viktors Valainis, Minister of Economics of Latvia

    Founded in 2014, Paybis supports 90 cryptocurrencies and serves seven million users across 180 countries. It also holds money services business licences in the US and Canada.

    Related: MiCA-licensed Banking Circle joins bank stablecoin settlement race in Europe

    EU weighs “MiCA 2” amid rising scrutiny

    In April, a European Commission adviser said the EU’s MiCA crypto regulation is likely to evolve over time, with the Commission planning a public consultation to assess whether the rules are working for market participants. Speaking at Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Peter Kerstens said it would be “rather unusual” if there were no “MiCA 2” at some point, noting that EU financial legislation typically develops in stages.

    The comments came amid growing scrutiny and opposition from the crypto industry. Stablecoin issuer Circle has pushed back on euro stablecoin thresholds, while policymakers debate whether supervision of major crypto firms should be centralized under the European Securities and Markets Authority.

    Magazine: Singapore isn’t a ‘crypto hub’ — it’s something better: StraitsX CEO

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    Iran Central Bank’s OFAC-Sanctioned Tron Wallets Mapped by Arkham

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    Iran Central Bank’s OFAC-Sanctioned Tron Wallets Mapped by Arkham

    Blockchain analytics platform Arkham has published what it says is a public, onchain map of crypto wallets attributed to Iran’s central bank, making a pair of US-sanctioned Tron addresses publicly searchable for investigators and the wider public.

    The move could increase scrutiny of how Iranian-linked entities use stablecoins and blockchain networks to move funds outside traditional banking rails, as US authorities intensify sanctions enforcement tied to terrorism financing and oil revenues.

    Arkham’s May 11 research post groups the wallets into a Central Bank of Iran entity page and explorer, which the firm says can be used as a starting point to trace connected addresses and flows.

    The map is built on two TRC-20 wallets that the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added to its Specially Designated Nationals list on April 24 as property of Bank Markazi Jomhouri Islami Iran, citing links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force and Hezbollah.

    TRC-20 wallets tied to Iran. Source: Arkham

    US authorities froze about $344 million in crypto linked to Iran as part of that action, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, describing it as an effort to “systematically degrade Tehran’s ability to generate, move, and repatriate funds.” Tether separately said it had frozen the funds at the request of US authorities over “activity tied to unlawful conduct,” without explicitly naming Iran in its public statement.

    Arkham’s wallet mapping reflects a broader push by blockchain analytics firms and stablecoin issuers to expose and disrupt sanctions evasion networks increasingly using crypto infrastructure tied to Tron and Tether.

    Related: US Treasury sanctions Iran-linked crypto exchanges in first Iran-related designations

    In an April 27 note, Chainalysis described a multi-step stablecoin “pipeline” in which Iranian oil revenues were routed through brokers, intermediary wallets, cross-chain bridges and decentralized finance protocols before cycling back into accounts associated with the Central Bank of Iran and IRGC-linked entities.

    Iran’s wider crypto footprint

    The Arkham findings come against a broader backdrop of growing Iranian crypto use. A February report on Iran’s digital assets footprint, citing estimates from TRM Labs and Chainalysis, put the country’s overall crypto transaction volume at about $11.4 billion in 2024 and $10 billion in 2025.

    In May, Nobitex, Iran’s largest crypto exchange, was reportedly linked to members of a powerful family with ties to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and used as a key conduit between domestic users and offshore liquidity.

    In April, Iran reportedly considered charging crypto-denominated tolls to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, positioning digital assets as an additional revenue channel outside traditional banking rails.

    Separately, Cointelegraph reported Friday that Tether had frozen more than 500 million USDT over a recent 30-day period across Ethereum and Tron, with around 506 million of that on Tron, according to BlockSec’s USDT Freeze Tracker.

    A TRON spokesperson told Cointelegraph the network itself cannot monitor or block individual transactions, but pointed to the T3 Financial Crime Unit, a collaboration between TRON, Tether and TRM Labs launched in 2024, as its main channel for tackling abuse, saying it works with law enforcement “to freeze hundreds of millions of funds,” including funds tied to sanctioned entities and terror financing. Tether declined to comment.

    Asia Express: North Korea denies crypto hacks, Upbit’s bank tests Ripple

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