hodler

21 May 2026, 14:18

Why Is Sui Price Soaring Over 7% Today? (May 21)

Sui price is trading between $1.04 and $1.11 on Wednesday, gaining as much as 7% over 24 hours as the network launched gasless stablecoin transfers on mainnet. The new feature allows users and businesses to send supported stablecoins peer-to-peer without paying gas fees or holding a separate SUI balance. Sui said stablecoin transfer fees are now $0.00 on the network for supported assets. The launch is backed by Fireblocks and forms part of Sui’s broader effort to support payment infrastructure for stablecoins, tokenized assets and high-frequency digital transactions. The feature is being rolled out with support from institutional custodians and retail-facing wallets. Gasless Stablecoin Transfers Go Live Sui said the upgrade removes one of the main barriers in blockchain payments: the need to hold a separate gas token to move stablecoins. Under the new model, supported stablecoins can be used as standalone payment assets for wallet-to-wallet transfers. The feature launches with support for USDsui, SuiUSDe, AUSD, FDUSD, USDB, USDC and USDY. These assets can now be transferred without users needing to spend SUI on transaction fees. Adeniyi Abiodun, co-founder and chief product officer of Mysten Labs, said stablecoin payments still carry unnecessary complexity for many users and businesses. He said gasless transfers are intended to make digital dollar payments simpler and more predictable. Fireblocks also supported the launch. Ran Goldi, senior vice president of payments and network at Fireblocks, said stablecoin rails are becoming more important for institutions, but the user experience still needs to improve. Sui Network Activity Supports Market Focus The upgrade is powered by Address Balances, a new account-style balance system launched on Sui mainnet. The system is designed to simplify how value is stored and transferred while keeping the network suitable for high-volume payment activity. Sui said its stablecoin transfer volume has surpassed $1 trillion since August 2025. The network has also expanded across stablecoins, tokenized assets and institutional finance projects. Market analysts like Michael Van De Poppe have also pointed to other Sui developments from recent months. These include a spot crypto ETP listing in February 2026, CME futures, three U.S. staking ETF filings or products from Grayscale, Canary Capital and 21Shares, and the launch of USDsui through Stripe’s Bridge subsidiary. Other developments include Hashi, which supports native Bitcoin collateral without wrapping, and the Mysticeti consensus upgrade, which raised checkpoint processing from one per second to four per second. Sui has also been cited for reaching 232 million total users and 1.5 billion cumulative transactions. Stablecoin balances have reportedly held near a $500 million baseline despite a drop in total value locked. SUI Price Tests Short-Term Recovery SUI price is showing an early recovery setup after forming a local base near $1.0103 on the four-hour chart. The token recently traded near $1.0603, slightly above the market structure shift level near $1.0507. Analysts tracking the chart have noted a bullish divergence between price and the relative strength index. While price moved to lower lows near $1.02 to $1.03, RSI made higher lows, suggesting weaker selling pressure before the rebound. Source: X The first resistance range is between $1.10 and $1.15. A move above that area could bring $1.23 and $1.31 into focus. The wider four-hour range high sits near $1.42 to $1.45. On the downside, $1.0507 is the nearest support level. A move below that area could weaken the recovery setup and send SUI price back toward $1.0103. Losing that level would place the token at risk of further downside.

21 May 2026, 14:08

Ethereum Price Coils Tight While Vitalik Targets Privacy and Metadata Overhaul

Ethereum price is being pinned at $2,100 in a deceptively quiet tape for a network making one of its most significant architectural pivots in years. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a technically dense post outlining three near-term privacy upgrades designed to pull private transactions out of the shadows of third-party workarounds and embed them directly into the protocol. Until now, privacy on Ethereum has been a bolt-on. Buterin’s roadmap targets three specific initiatives: Account Abstraction (AA) with FOCIL, Keyed Nonces, and Access Layer Work. FOCIL, or fork-choice enforced inclusion lists , makes transaction censorship structurally harder by requiring block builders to include validator-nominated transactions or risk network rejection. Short-term things being done to shift Ethereum toward native privacy: * AA + FOCIL (makes privacy protocol txs, among many other things, first-class with strong inclusion guarantees) * Keyed nonces: https://t.co/BeTJvFhxiV * Access-layer work (Kohaku, private reads…) https://t.co/MImWVYXBQv — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) May 20, 2026 Account abstraction, meanwhile, replaces single-key externally owned accounts (the standard ERC-20 wallet setup most users rely on) with programmable account logic, reducing the metadata trail that currently bleeds from every standard transaction. These proposals land as the Ethereum Foundation navigates a wave of high-profile internal departures tied to an organizational mandate shift. Institutional voices at Consensus Hong Kong have flagged privacy as a hard prerequisite for enterprise adoption, which gives this roadmap real commercial weight. ETH’s price structure, though, hasn’t reacted. Consolidation has been the dominant mode for ETH for months now. Discover: The best crypto to diversify your portfolio with Ethereum Price Needs to Break $2,200 First Ethereum price is being suppressed at the $2,100 level. Technically, it appears to be coiling inside a narrowing range, with the price action full of small candles, shrinking intraday spreads, and no decisive wick beyond the consolidation band. This typically precedes an expansion move. The direction, however, is genuinely unclear from price alone. Bulls need a clean reclaim above the $2,150 zone to open a run toward $2,200 and beyond, which currently functions as the key short-term resistance. Support in the $2,080–$2,100 area has held on pullbacks, but a break below $2,050 would likely trigger further de-risking. Ethereum (ETH) 24h 7d 30d 1y All time With its privacy upgrade, momentum could attract developer and institutional attention, which then helps ETH to break $2,200 with volume, and the coiling spring resolves upward toward $2,500. Discover: The best pre-launch token sales LiquidChain Offers ETH Liquidity, BTC Safety, and Solana Speed ETH’s tight range frustrates momentum traders looking for real upside potential. Ethereum is always a good pick for longer-term holding, but it won’t be as asymmetric as how the infrastructure presale market is moving. The Ethereum L2 shakeout has refocused attention on which cross-chain infrastructure projects can actually capture unified liquidity. This is precisely the thesis behind one of the more structurally distinct projects currently in presale. Built differently. Moving accordingly ⟁ https://t.co/vqvBcdSQYC pic.twitter.com/Ij2V9s94Pz — LiquidChain (@getliquidchain) May 21, 2026 LiquidChain ($LIQUID) is a Layer 3 infrastructure project positioning itself as a cross-chain liquidity layer, fusing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana liquidity into a single execution environment. The architecture is built around four pillars: a Unified Liquidity Layer, Single-Step Execution, Verifiable Settlement, and a Deploy-Once architecture that lets developers ship once and access all three ecosystems simultaneously. The presale is currently priced at $0.01461 per $LIQUID , with almost $800K raised to date. LiquidChain’s presale trajectory has been covered as it approached the $780K milestone. Research LiquidChain and review the full presale terms here. The post Ethereum Price Coils Tight While Vitalik Targets Privacy and Metadata Overhaul appeared first on Cryptonews .

21 May 2026, 13:53

Crypto platform Blockchain moves ahead with confidential IPO filing

Blockchain.com has confidentially filed for an initial public offering in the United States, the cryptocurrency exchange said on Thursday, marking another potential public market debut from the digital asset sector. Confidential filings with the US securities regulator allow companies to prepare for initial public offerings away from public market scrutiny. The process enables firms to move forward with listing preparations before publicly disclosing detailed financial information and offering plans. The company said the number of shares to be offered and the proposed price range for the IPO have not yet been determined. IPO details yet to be disclosed The cryptocurrency platform did not provide additional details regarding the timeline of the proposed offering or the expected valuation linked to the listing. The confidential filing comes as digital asset firms continue to explore opportunities in the public markets. However, Blockchain.com stated that the size of the offering and pricing structure remain under discussion. The company repeated that the number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been finalised. One of the crypto industry's oldest infrastructure providers Founded in 2011, Blockchain.com is considered one of the oldest infrastructure providers in the cryptocurrency industry. The platform provides several services across the digital asset ecosystem, including cryptocurrency wallets, a trading exchange, institutional trading solutions, and blockchain data tools. Among its core products is the Blockchain Explorer, a search tool widely used to verify transaction data across public blockchain networks. The company also operates digital wallet services that include both custodial and non-custodial offerings. Users can access a DeFi Wallet, where they control their own private keys, alongside custodial trading accounts managed by the platform. Trading and institutional services remain central In addition to wallet services, Blockchain.com operates a cryptocurrency exchange that allows users to buy, sell, and swap dozens of digital assets. The company also provides institutional services aimed at corporate and high-net-worth clients. These services include over-the-counter trading, credit products, and digital asset management solutions. The Blockchain Explorer remains one of the company’s most recognised tools. It allows users to track and view transactions across networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash. The platform processed over $1.2 trillion in transactions According to the company, the platform has historically hosted tens of millions of cryptocurrency wallets and facilitated more than $1.2 trillion in transactions. Blockchain.com said users can access a broad range of services through its trading and wallet infrastructure, while institutional clients continue to use its OTC and digital asset management operations. The company has not yet disclosed when it expects the IPO filing to become public or when shares could begin trading in the United States. The post Crypto platform Blockchain moves ahead with confidential IPO filing appeared first on Invezz

21 May 2026, 13:35

Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Maker Foundation Raises $6.4M, Plans Expansion Into AI and Digital Identity

BitcoinWorld Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Maker Foundation Raises $6.4M, Plans Expansion Into AI and Digital Identity Bitcoin hardware wallet company Foundation has secured $6.4 million in a new funding round, signaling a strategic pivot beyond self-custody into artificial intelligence authentication and digital identity. The round was led by Fulgur Ventures, a firm known for backing Bitcoin-focused infrastructure, with additional participation from Arche Capital. Funding Details and Strategic Shift Foundation, best known for its Passport hardware wallet designed specifically for Bitcoin self-custody, announced the raise as part of a broader plan to diversify its product lineup. The company stated that the capital will be used to develop new offerings in AI agent authentication, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and digital identity verification. This marks a notable expansion from its core hardware wallet business, which has catered primarily to Bitcoin maximalists and security-conscious holders. The move comes at a time when the intersection of cryptocurrency security and broader digital identity is gaining traction. As AI agents and automated systems become more prevalent, the need for secure, hardware-backed authentication methods is growing. Foundation’s expertise in building tamper-resistant hardware could give it an edge in this emerging market. Implications for the Bitcoin and Security Markets For the Bitcoin community, this development raises questions about Foundation’s long-term focus. While the company has built a loyal following among Bitcoin users who prioritize self-custody, the expansion into AI and identity suggests a broader commercial ambition. This could be seen as a positive sign of the company’s growth, but it also introduces new competition with established cybersecurity firms. Industry observers note that hardware wallet manufacturers have been exploring adjacent markets to sustain growth. Ledger, for example, has ventured into recovery services and NFT security. Foundation’s approach, however, is distinct in its focus on AI agent authentication—a niche that is still in its early stages but expected to expand rapidly as more businesses deploy autonomous systems. Why This Matters to Readers For consumers, the development means that hardware security devices could soon serve dual purposes: protecting cryptocurrency assets and verifying digital identity across multiple platforms. This could simplify security for users who currently rely on separate devices for different authentication needs. However, it also raises questions about privacy and data handling, especially if Foundation’s hardware becomes a hub for identity verification across various services. From an investment perspective, the funding round signals confidence from venture capital in the broader application of hardware security beyond crypto. Fulgur Ventures’ involvement is particularly notable, as the firm has a track record of backing Bitcoin-native companies that later expand into mainstream technology sectors. Conclusion Foundation’s $6.4 million raise is more than just a funding announcement; it represents a strategic shift that could redefine the role of hardware wallets in the digital economy. By moving into AI authentication and digital identity, the company is positioning itself at the intersection of cryptocurrency security and broader cybersecurity needs. While the core Bitcoin self-custody market remains its foundation, the expansion suggests that hardware security companies are increasingly looking beyond crypto to find sustainable growth. The success of this pivot will depend on execution, regulatory considerations, and whether users trust a single device for both their crypto and identity needs. FAQs Q1: What is Foundation’s main product? Foundation is best known for the Passport, a hardware wallet designed specifically for Bitcoin self-custody. It emphasizes open-source firmware and a focus on Bitcoin-only security. Q2: How will the new funding be used? The $6.4 million will be used to develop products for AI agent authentication, multi-factor authentication, and digital identity verification, expanding beyond the company’s traditional hardware wallet business. Q3: Who led the funding round? The round was led by Fulgur Ventures, a venture capital firm that focuses on Bitcoin and blockchain infrastructure investments. Arche Capital also participated. This post Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Maker Foundation Raises $6.4M, Plans Expansion Into AI and Digital Identity first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

21 May 2026, 13:31

Cardano Leios Testnet Goes Live as ADA Hovers Near Key Support

Cardano price faces a major breakdown amid the formation of an inverted pennant pattern in the daily time-frame chart. Cardano advances the Leios protocol update to live testing for protocol readiness checks. New features such as Endorser Blocks and committee-based validation aim to improve throughput by 10x to 65x. ADA, the native cryptocurrency of the Cardano ecosystem is down 1% during Thursday’s U.S. market hours to trade at $0.246. The price drop aligns with broader crypto market pullback as Bitcoin price rejects from the $78,000 floor. Despite the intact bearish sentiment in the market, the Cardano network continues to progress in its major scalability update— Ouroboros Leios— expected to boost network throughput by 10x to 65x and drive demand pressure to native cryptocurrency ADA. Cardano Advances Leios Protocol Upgrade to Meet Long-Term Scaling Targets Cardano’s blockchain currently processes approximately 800,000 transactions per month. The company’s internal plans call for a goal of more than 27 million monthly transactions by 2030 and maintaining a stable network even as treasury reserves decrease due to transaction fees. The Leios initiative is the main technical initiative to provide the needed capacity growth within the consensus layer. Leios is not replacing Ouroboros Praos, as it builds on the already existing consensus mechanism. The design preserves the security properties of the network, such as safety and liveness guarantees. It adds features like Endorser Blocks and committee-based validation processes that are expected to provide the throughput improvements of anywhere from 10x to 65x of current throughput. The approach is tuned to ensure decentralization requirements and economic viability of the stake pool operators. Development Status and Timeline Leios is considered the biggest technical development project in Input Output’s current development portfolio. The project continues ongoing from a budget cycle that ends in June 2026. The phase provided the combination of CIP-164, initial performance testing on an alpha implementation, and the release of a special public testnet for Leios. The 2026/27 development cycle focuses on further development of the protocol from the prototype phase to mainnet. The teams will develop software that will go through the Software Readiness Levels (SRL) 5 to 8. The effort is divided into 3 main work streams: Release Candidate Development- The Release Candidate track is the primary development stream. It will involve significant engineering changes as part of the major rewrite of consensus components and the incorporation of new Leios block structures designed for the Dijkstra ledger era. Other work to be done includes a full conformance test suite, based on the formal Agda specification, and integrating the new code into the main implementation of the Cardano node. Validation and Security Testing: A parallel validation track emphasizes systematic testing and risk assessment. These activities involve providing a parameter sweep of timing values and size limits, continuous load testing, and adversarial simulations on the public testnet. This includes the development of a new threat model with documented mitigations, stake-based attacks, network-based attacks, and red-teaming. Hard-Form Preparation: The third track focuses on elements of hard-fork readiness for which Input Output has direct control. This includes the stabilization of client interfaces, technical documentation creation with no dependency on specific implementations, and organising workshops for participants of the stake pool and developers, along with coordination with related projects like DB-Sync, Mithril, and Blockfrost. Additional items are testnet hard-fork executions, a plan for graduating parameters on mainnet, contingency plans, and preparation of new guardrails scripts and supporting rationale documents for governance review. These activities are completed and do not need to be linked to a real mainnet release plan. Leadership and Execution Carlos Lopez De Lara and Sebastian Nagel lead the initiative at Input Output. Delivery includes teams of engineers from various disciplines such as consensus protocols, ledger systems, networking, cryptography, node development, API development, performance optimization, tracing, testing, research and formal methods. “We have been researching and prototyping Leios for years. The science is done. Now we deliver it. When this ships, Cardano’s throughput story changes permanently.” said Carlos Lopez De Lara. Expected Technical Outcomes Upon completion, the project will deliver a Leios release candidate, ready for mainnet deployment across subsequent readiness stages. Validation work will produce detailed insights from load testing and adversarial analysis, supported by an updated threat model. Hard-fork preparation tasks will provide the required interfaces, documentation and support for ecosystem participants. The capacity boosts are designed to accommodate increased transaction volumes for additional activity in decentralized finance, real-world asset tokenization, and enterprise solutions. This infrastructure development targets core network metrics, including monthly transaction throughput and sustained operational scalability, while preserving the protocol’s original design principles. The final selections of parameters and their activation will be made after testing phases and community governance processes have been completed. It reflects the ongoing efforts of the Cardano engineering team to get the consensus layer’s performance to match the long-term anticipated needs of the network. Cardano Price May Extend Correction Trend with this Breakdown Over the past three months, the Cardano price has fluctuated in a narrow range between two converging trendlines of the daily chart. Following the January 2026 correction, this current consolidation indicates the formation of a classic bearish continuation pattern called inverted pennant. With today’s price drop, the Cardano ADA -0.40% price is just 1.3% away from challenging the pattern’s support trendline at $0.244. A potential bearish breakdown below the bottom trendline will complete the chart pattern and drive a prolonged correction towards $0.22 support. ADA/USDT -1d chart Alternatively, if the buyers continue to defend the support trendline, the Cardano price will prolong its consolidation within pennant structure till late-May.

21 May 2026, 13:15

Curve Finance to Temporarily Halt UI for Database Upgrade on May 25

BitcoinWorld Curve Finance to Temporarily Halt UI for Database Upgrade on May 25 Curve Finance, a leading decentralized exchange (DEX) for stablecoin trading, has announced a scheduled database upgrade and maintenance window for May 25. The platform confirmed the work is expected to last between 20 minutes and one hour, during which the Curve user interface will be temporarily inaccessible. Planned Maintenance Details The upgrade, disclosed via Curve’s official communication channels, is part of ongoing efforts to improve backend infrastructure. While the user interface will be offline, the underlying smart contracts on the blockchain will continue to operate as normal. Users can still interact with Curve’s pools directly through third-party interfaces or by using the protocol’s smart contract functions during the maintenance window. What This Means for Users For most retail users, the temporary outage means they will be unable to execute trades, add liquidity, or withdraw funds via Curve’s official website for the duration of the upgrade. The platform has advised users to complete any time-sensitive transactions before the maintenance begins. Curve has not indicated whether the upgrade will introduce new features or solely focus on performance and stability improvements. Broader Context for DeFi Protocols Scheduled maintenance is a standard practice for DeFi protocols, though it highlights a tension between the ethos of decentralized, always-available systems and the practical need for backend improvements. Unlike centralized exchanges, which can pause all activity, DeFi protocols often rely on users to understand that the underlying blockchain remains operational even when the front-end is down. This upgrade is a routine but necessary step for Curve to maintain its competitive position as one of the most liquid DEXs in the ecosystem. Conclusion Curve Finance’s database upgrade on May 25 is a routine maintenance event that will temporarily restrict access to the platform’s user interface. Users should plan accordingly and ensure any critical transactions are completed beforehand. The brief downtime is unlikely to have a significant market impact on the CRV token or the broader DeFi sector, but it serves as a reminder of the operational realities behind decentralized protocols. FAQs Q1: Will my funds be at risk during the Curve Finance maintenance? No. Your funds remain secure in the smart contracts. The upgrade only affects the user interface; the blockchain continues to process transactions normally. Q2: Can I still use Curve Finance during the maintenance window? You cannot use the official Curve user interface, but you can interact with Curve’s smart contracts directly through blockchain explorers or compatible third-party interfaces. Q3: Why is Curve Finance performing this upgrade? While Curve has not detailed the specific changes, database upgrades typically improve performance, security, or scalability. The upgrade is part of standard platform maintenance. This post Curve Finance to Temporarily Halt UI for Database Upgrade on May 25 first appeared on BitcoinWorld .