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The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) enforcement approach on crypto firms has left a lasting “regulatory overhang” within the industry, according to Devin Finzer, co-founder and CEO of OpenSea. 

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Finzer said that during Biden's administration the agency unfairly targeted good actors in the crypto space, including OpenSea. “There's all sorts of digital assets, you know, you shouldn't treat them all the same. That's obvious. But I think the approach that the prior SEC was taking was kind of this, you know, very, very generic.”

The SEC issued a Wells notice — a formal notification that is often a precursor to enforcement action — to OpenSea in 2024, alleging that the NFT marketplace was operating as an exchange for unregistered securities. At the time, Finzer criticized the SEC for taking an approach of “regulation by enforcement” and said that OpenSea was prepared to “stand up and fight.”

With the SEC under new leadership by Chair Paul Atkins, Finzer is hopeful for a more balanced regulatory framework. “Good crypto regulation needs to balance, sort of, protecting consumers but also preserving the ability to innovate,” Finzer said. “It’s not just a one-size-fits-all problem, right?”

Under the Trump administration, the SEC has scaled back enforcement actions against several crypto firms, marking a policy shift in the US after years of enforcement actions led by former Chair Gary Gensler.

US President Donald Trump’s crypto businesses are drawing increased scrutiny on Capitol Hill and beginning to influence the progress of US digital asset legislation. As Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives unveiled their draft of a digital asset market structure bill on May 5, Democrats prepared for a united response to Donald Trump’s deepening connections with the industry.

Speaking to Cointelegraph on May 5, a Democratic staffer with knowledge of the matter said that House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters planned to lead some members of her party out of a Republican-led hearing discussing digital assets. The May 6 hearing, entitled “American Innovation and the Future of Digital Assets” and led by Committee Chair French Hill, could address draft legislation proposed by Republican lawmakers to establish a crypto market regulatory structure.

In a May 5 statement, Rep. Hill and three top Republicans unveiled the draft bill, which could clarify the treatment of digital assets by the US’s financial regulators: the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Hill and others echoed some of Trump’s talking points on crypto — e.g, making the US a “crypto capital of the world” — suggesting deference to the president’s previously announced policies.

The draft bill included a provision requiring the SEC and CFTC to issue joint rules defining digital commodities. According to the text, transactions involving digital commodities “shall be deemed not to be an offer or sale of an investment contract” as long as the purchaser did not have “an ownership interest or other interest in the revenues, profits, or assets.”

According to the Democratic staffer, rules required all members of the House Financial Services Committee to agree to move forward with the digital asset hearing, suggesting that Waters intended to block the Republican-controlled event and conduct a shadow hearing to explore Trump’s and his family’s ties to the crypto industry. At least nine Democrats have reportedly considered a similar move to oppose a proposed stablecoin bill in the Senate.

Key takeaways:

Bitcoin price slips, but BTC dominance is on the rise.

Sizable purchases by Strategy and the spot BTC ETFs highlight institutional investors’ appetite for Bitcoin.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price has dropped by 4.3% in the last three days after nearly reaching $97,900 on May 2. Despite showing resilience at the $94,000 level on May 5, some traders are disappointed that strong institutional inflows have not been enough to maintain bullish momentum. However, several encouraging signs suggest that a new all-time high for Bitcoin in 2025 remains within reach.

Bitcoin’s dominance over the broader cryptocurrency market has surged, currently standing at 70%, its highest since January 2021. This has occurred despite a wave of new token launches, including several top-50 projects such as SUI, Toncoin (TON), PI, Official Trump (TRUMP), Bittensor (TAO), Ethena (ENA), and Celestia (TIA). This dominance makes riskier altcoins less appealing to new market entrants.

The United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned a Myanmar militia group known as the Karen National Army (KNA), accusing it of crypto-related scams and other criminal activities.

According to a May 5 press release issued by the agency, the Karen National Army has been orchestrating a variety of crypto scams, including the infamous “pig butchering” scam, which lures victims into contributing more and more to fake crypto schemes. Americans “have collectively lost billions of dollars” from scams such as those emanating from Myanmar, the release reads, without specifying an amount.

“Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Karen National Army (KNA), a militia group in Burma, as a transnational criminal organization, along with the group’s leader Saw Chit Thu, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit, for their role in facilitating cyber scams that harm U.S. citizens, human trafficking, and cross-border smuggling,” the release reads.

Many international bodies, including the US, continue to refer to “Burma,” the country’s former name, to demonstrate that they don’t recognize the military regimes that have been in power at various times since a 1989 coup in which the military changed the name to Myanmar. The KNA operates in southeastern Myanmar, along the Thailand border.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued numerous sanctions against crypto-offenders over the past few years, including Middle East-based terrorist groups, cybercrime units operating overseas, and privacy-focused crypto technology like Tornado Cash.

Asset manager VanEck has asked US regulators for permission to list an exchange-traded fund (ETF) holding BNB, the native token of Binance’s BNB Chain, regulatory filings show. 

The ETF is designed to accumulate spot BNB (BNB) tokens and “may, from time to time, stake a portion of the [fund’s] assets through one or more trusted staking providers,” according to the ETF’s S-1 prospectus. The filing marks the first time an asset manager has filed for a BNB ETF in the United States.

The BNB token has a market capitalization of roughly $84 billion, according to data from CoinMarketCap. As of May 5, BNB stakers earn a yield of approximately 2.5%, according to data from Stakingrewards.com. 

Binance’s BNB Chain is among the most popular smart contract networks, with a total value locked (TVL) of nearly $6 billion, according to data from DefiLlama. 

Related: Binance co-founder CZ proposes Bitcoin, BNB for Kyrgyzstan reserves

Crypto users are weighing in as Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of Celsius Network, prepares to stand before a judge on May 8 to face sentencing for commodities fraud and a fraudulent scheme to manipulate the price of the platform’s token.

In a May 2 filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), prosecutors released several impact statements from individuals affected by the collapse of Celsius filed after the initial deadline. Though at least one suggested clemency for the former CEO, many told the court about the financial and personal losses caused by the crypto firm filing for bankruptcy, and hinted that Mashinsky should be held accountable for misrepresenting the company.

“Many of the people who participated in this fraud, benefited from this fraud, and potentially orchestrated this fraud will get away with zero legal consequences,” said Daniel Frishberg of Hillsborough County, Florida, in an April 24 statement. “Please do not allow Mr. Mashinsky to be one of those people (such as with probation/house arrest, as some people supporting him have requested). Please throw the book at him.”

Prosecutors have requested that Mashinsky serve up to 20 years in prison for his role in Celsius’ fraud, while the former CEO’s legal team asked for a year and one day. The judge will consider guidelines and victim statements at sentencing on May 8.

Calls for leniency and harsh prison time

Not everyone who sent in a letter to the prosecutors seemed to be in favor of Mashinsky being sent away for decades, as was former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried. SBF stood before a different federal judge in the same district in March 2024 and was handed a 25-year sentence, which he is currently serving in a California prison. 

Key points:

Bitcoin is witnessing a tough battle between the bulls and the bears at the $95,000 level.

Solid buying by spot Bitcoin ETF investors last week signals a positive shift in investor sentiment. 

Select altcoins have held their support levels, increasing the likelihood of a short-term up move.

Bitcoin (BTC) slipped below the breakout level of $95,000 on May 4, indicating profit booking at higher levels. The bulls tried to push the price back above $95,000 on May 5 but are facing stiff resistance from the bears. 

Key Takeaways:

88% of Bitcoin’s supply is in profit below $95,000, indicating a reset in investor expectations.

The current price range of $75,000–$95,000 may represent a structural bottom, aligning with market conditions from Q3 2024.

The Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) Ratio at 1.74 acts as a historical support zone, signaling cooling unrealized gains and potential for future growth.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) market dynamics are shifting, as Glassnode data reveals that 88% of the supply is currently in profit, with losses concentrated among buyers in the $95,000-$100,000 range. This high profitability, rebounding from a long-term mean of 75%, indicates a reset in investor expectations. 

Key takeaways:

Bitcoin has historically outperformed gold, more recently by sixfold.

Gold’s climb toward $5,000 could set the stage for significant Bitcoin gains.

Weakening US dollar and rising global liquidity remain key drivers for both assets.

Gold’s march toward $5,000 per ounce and beyond has become a big topic among hard-asset bulls, including Yardeni Research’s head Ed Yardeni and billionaire investor John Paulson.

Opinion by: Tracy Jin, Chief Operating Officer, MEXC

Market manipulation is everywhere and yet nowhere to be seen. It is an invisible threat affecting crypto and traditional markets, leaving ordinary traders counting the costs. Sometimes, manipulation is obvious — illiquid tokens being pumped high before being dumped just as fast — but often, it's subtler and more challenging to detect.

What's more concerning is that these schemes are no longer the domain of rogue whales or amateur pump groups. Signs increasingly point to highly organized, well-funded networks coordinating activities across centralized exchanges, derivatives platforms, and onchain ecosystems. As these actors grow in sophistication, their threat to market integrity expands exponentially.

A tale as old as time 

Market manipulation is as old as markets themselves. In ancient Greece, a philosopher named Thales of Miletus used his knowledge of weather patterns to predict a bumper olive harvest, quietly leasing all the olive presses in the region at a low rate before the season started. Then, when the harvest came in, and demand for presses spiked, he rented them out at inflated prices, pocketing the difference. 

For a more recent historical example, albeit still 300 years in the past, see the South Sea Company bubble in which company directors dumped shares at peak prices, leaving regular investors rekt. Or the Dutch tulip bubble of a century earlier. 

Ripple, the US-based crypto services firm behind the XRP Ledger, has committed $25 million in Ripple USD (RLUSD) to education nonprofits DonorsChoose and Teach For America.

According to a May 5 announcement, the grant will be processed through the crypto charity intermediary service The Giving Block. DonorsChoose CEO Alix Guerrier said "teachers are going the extra mile for their students' education, even spending hundreds — sometimes thousands — of dollars out-of-pocket for their classrooms." The donations are meant to provide teachers with resources for such initiatives.

Ripple cites a 2024 Gallup survey showing that 55% of US parents and adults are dissatisfied with the quality of K-12 education in the United States. This highlights “constraints and gaps in funding for education,” the reports reads. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said in the statement:

Teach For America CEO Aneesh Sohoni said the new funding will allow the organization to expand its “Ignite Tutoring Fellows program, drive innovation in our Reinvention Lab, and provide crucial financial assistance” to prepare teachers.

Related: The Giving Block starts disaster fund for California wildfire victims

Update (May 5 at 3:27 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include comments from Niko Demchuk and Yarden Noy.

US President Donald Trump will host a gala dinner for top holders of his Official Trump (TRUMP) memecoin despite bipartisan criticism and renewed calls for impeachment.

In a May 5 Truth Social post, Trump announced that he will hold a gala dinner with major TRUMP holders on May 22. The announcement follows multiple US lawmakers expressing concern over the initiative.

In late April, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren called on government officials to address questions related to Trump’s memecoin and his media company. Controversies grew after Trump announced a dinner and White House tour for some holders of his TRUMP memecoin.

“President Trump’s announcement promises exclusive access to the presidency in exchange for significant investment in one of the President’s business ventures,” a letter co-signed by California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff read.

Michael Saylor’s Strategy, one of the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin investors, slowed its BTC purchases last week as the cryptocurrency briefly surged above $97,000.

Strategy acquired 1,895 Bitcoin (BTC) for $180.3 million during the week from April 28 to May 4 at an average price of $95,167 per BTC, the firm announced in its latest Form-8 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Strategy’s latest Bitcoin purchase is one of the smallest made by the company this year, alongside a comparatively meagre 130 BTC purchase in March.

The latest buy is 87% less than the previous purchase of 15,355 BTC announced last Monday.

Semler boosts buying despite rising prices

While Saylor’s Strategy cooled its Bitcoin buying spree last week, others upped their appetite for BTC.

Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has proposed Bitcoin and BNB as the first digital assets to form Kyrgyzstan’s national crypto reserves.

On May 5, Zhao shared on X that he advised Kyrgyzstan to start with Bitcoin (BTC) and BNB (BNB) when building its national crypto reserve. In 2024, Forbes claimed that Zhao holds about 94 million BNB tokens, about 64% of BNB’s circulating supply. At the time of writing, these tokens are worth about $55 billion. 

The proposal follows Zhao’s earlier announcement that he had begun advising Kyrgyzstan’s National Investment Agency (NIA) on blockchain and crypto-related matters.

On April 3, Zhao confirmed he’s been officially and unofficially advising governments on crypto frameworks and blockchain solutions. The former Binance CEO said that he finds the work extremely meaningful. 

Binance to launch crypto payments in Kyrgyzstan

A month after CZ announced his role in advising Kyrgyzstan, Binance announced a partnership with the country to launch a crypto payments service. 

Dubai, UAE – May 2025 — TheBlock, the International Chamber of Virtual Assets, has announced a strategic partnership with Cointelegraph, the world’s leading Web3 media platform. The collaboration brings together two major players in the blockchain and virtual asset space, with the shared goal of amplifying the global adoption of tokenisation, advancing regulatory dialogue, and supporting builders entering the MENA region.

The agreement, signed during Token2049 Dubai, highlights Cointelegraph’s growing collaboration with key players in the UAE. This new partnership will foster deeper collaboration and mutual support across TheBlock’s ecosystem.

As part of the collaboration, Cointelegraph will set up a presence at TheBlock’s headquarters in Dubai World Trade Center, offering opportunities for engagement with founders, partners, and clients within the ecosystem. The partnership also includes joint participation in educational panels, roundtables, and summits focused on real-world assets (RWAs), compliance, and capital allocation.

“This partnership is not just about media,” said Farbod Sadeghian, Founder of TheBlock. “It is about building an access layer for the global virtual asset economy. By working with Cointelegraph, we are strengthening how the industry connects, informs, and grows — from regulatory frameworks to investment pipelines.”

Cointelegraph will engage with TheBlock’s ecosystem through media coverage, speaker participation, and collaborative events. The partnership reflects ongoing efforts to support the growth of Dubai’s virtual asset sector, where regulatory developments and real-world applications continue to evolve.

“The partnership reflects Cointelegraph’s ongoing efforts to broaden its network of like-minded collaborators, all working toward the shared goal of strengthening and advancing the ecosystem,” said Yana Prikhodchenko, CEO of Cointelegraph. “We aim to grow the community by leveraging this partnership while also expanding our regional presence in the UAE. This collaboration will help strengthen both efforts.”

Key takeaways:

XRP forms a bearish descending triangle on the daily chart, risking a 45% drop to $1.20.

Declining daily active addresses signal reduced transaction activity and liquidity.

A breakout above $2.18 could invalidate the bearish pattern.

The XRP (XRP) price flashes warning signs as a bearish technical pattern emerges on its daily chart, coinciding with declining network activity. 

Cryptocurrency investment products attracted $2 billion in new inflows last week, according to the European investment firm CoinShares.

Global crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) have added $5.5 billion in inflows in the past three weeks, according to the latest weekly report from CoinShares.

With the new inflows, total assets under management (AUM) in all crypto ETPs worldwide jumped 3.3% from $151 billion to $156 billion.

Although the positive trend has continued for the past three weeks, the latest weekly inflows were down 41% from last week’s $3.4 billion of inflows — the third-largest crypto ETP inflows on record.

Inflows slowed down despite new Bitcoin gains

The slowdown in crypto ETP inflows came despite Bitcoin (BTC) seeing some brief gains last week, with the price rising from about $94,300 on April 28 to an intraweek high above $97,000 on May 2, according to data from CoinGecko.

While many crypto ecosystems focus on decentralization as the core tenet of Web3, Aptos is seeing success with hybrid platforms that blend Web2 and Web3 technologies, commonly referred to as “Web2.5.”

In an interview at the Token2049 event in Dubai, Aptos’ head of ecosystem, Ash Pampati, told Cointelegraph that Web2.5 platforms are earning “tons of revenue” within Aptos. He noted that consumer-focused applications, in particular, are thriving in the network.

Web2.5 is a term used to describe platforms or applications that blend centralized Web2 experiences with decentralized Web3 elements. 

These applications avoid full decentralization, often drawing criticism for not fully embracing the Web3 vision.

Consumer-focused Web2.5 platforms generate revenue on Aptos

Pampati told Cointelegraph that one of the trends he sees within the Aptos ecosystem is that founders want to build “great consumer experiences.” 

Key takeaways:

Bitcoin failed to break the $98,000 resistance amid increased profit-taking.

BTC price needs to close above $95,000 on the daily chart for a push to $100,000.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price failed to break above resistance at $98,000 on May 3. Since April 22, BTC prices have formed daily candle highs between $93,000 and $97,900, but they could not close above $97,440.

Bitcoin price action has been choppy and within a narrow range for the past few days. With elevated profit-taking and a lot of supply in profit, markets could see volatile price swings toward key BTC price levels over the next few days.