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20 May 2026, 08:46
Vitalik Buterin Unveils 3 Steps That Will Change Privacy in Ethereum
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has mapped out a three-step protocol privacy upgrade to shield user metadata from AI surveillance and block builder censorship.
20 May 2026, 08:42
Zest Protocol crypto price soars 128%: here’s why altcoin is rising
The Zest Protocol (ZEST) coin has recorded a sharp upward move, gaining 128.9% in the past 24 hours to trade at $0.1787 at press time. The rally placed the cryptocurrency among the most actively traded altcoins of the day, with heavy activity recorded across multiple exchanges. The price action unfolded alongside intense trading activity, with 24-hour volumes reported near $98.6 million. This level of turnover reflected aggressive participation from both new entrants and short-term traders reacting to recent market developments around the token. Exchange listings and new liquidity channels drive momentum The strongest driver behind ZEST’s rally has been a wave of new exchange listings that significantly expanded access to the token. On May 19, 2026, KCEX introduced both spot and futures trading for ZEST, while BitMart also added support, opening additional entry points for retail and derivatives traders. The arrival of futures markets added leverage-based exposure, which typically amplifies both upside moves and volatility during early price discovery phases. Binance Alpha also played a role in the token’s visibility surge, alongside Binance Wallet perpetual trading support. The introduction of perpetual contracts on Binance Wallet lowered friction for derivatives participation, allowing traders to gain exposure without holding spot assets directly. Alongside this, a trading competition involving ZEST was launched on Aster, further increasing attention across derivative-focused participants. A separate but important catalyst was the Season 1 airdrop rollout, which created short-term demand as users positioned themselves to qualify for or claim distributions. Eligible Binance Alpha participants with at least 240 points could receive allocations of 800 ZEST tokens on a first-come, first-served basis, adding urgency around trading activity during the launch window. Liquidity expansion was further supported by Bitflow, which integrated ZEST into its decentralised exchange infrastructure. The introduction of liquidity pools allowed on-chain participants to provide capital directly, improving depth across decentralised markets. This combination of centralised exchange listings, derivatives access, and decentralised liquidity formation created multiple parallel channels for trading activity within a short period. ZEST coin price outlook ZEST’s price movement has taken place within a rapidly shifting market structure characterised by sharp volatility and fast-moving order flow. The token reached an all-time high of $0.1911 during the 24-hour period, while the lowest recorded level in the same window stood at $0.06573. This wide range highlights the intensity of price discovery following new listings and liquidity injections. At the current price of $0.1787, the asset remains close to its intraday peak, suggesting continued strong participation from buyers during the rally phase. However, trading conditions have remained highly reactive, with price movements closely tied to liquidity conditions across exchanges. A key short-term level being monitored is $0.15, which has emerged as a structural support zone following its role as a prior resistance area. Holding above this level has been associated with continued consolidation after sharp upward moves. If price fails to maintain support at this level, downside movement toward the $0.10 to $0.12 range has been identified as a potential area where earlier demand previously appeared. The post Zest Protocol crypto price soars 128%: here’s why altcoin is rising appeared first on Invezz
20 May 2026, 08:39
SEC Chair Paul Atkins Signals a New Era for Crypto — XRP Leads the Conversation
Why XRP’s Built-In Infrastructure Could Put It Ahead in the Institutional Crypto Vault Race As Washington signals a shift from crypto crackdowns toward formal rulemaking, a new concept is quietly moving into focus entailing crypto vaults. As a result, digital asset research firm Evernorth argues this transition could have significant implications for XRP and the XRP Ledger. Earlier this month, Paul S. Atkins drew a direct parallel between today’s digital asset landscape and the pre-1998 era before Regulation ATS redefined electronic trading, bringing it out of regulatory ambiguity and into Wall Street’s formal structure. In the same remarks, he specifically pointed to crypto vaults, signaling a potential move by the SEC toward formally defining blockchain-based yield products as a distinct regulatory category rather than continuing to address them primarily through enforcement. This distinction matters because a crypto vault is simply a pooled deposit system that executes predefined on-chain strategies such as yield generation, liquidity management, or treasury allocation. In most DeFi environments today, these vaults are built on top of multiple smart contracts layered over a base blockchain, which can add complexity and additional points of risk. The difference with the XRP Ledger is that this functionality is being brought into the protocol itself through XLS-66. Instead of relying on external DeFi stacks, vault mechanics are embedded directly into the ledger. This shift reduces fragmentation and standardizes execution at the base layer, creating a more predictable environment for structured strategies. For institutions, it means access to on-chain yield and asset management tools without the usual dependency on layered, third-party infrastructure. Why Institutional-Grade Infrastructure Could Tip the Balance For traditional finance institutions, this distinction is critical since they tend to favor systems that are auditable, deterministic, and embedded at the protocol level, rather than fragmented applications built across multiple smart contracts. Native vault architecture reduces operational complexity and attack surfaces, making it a far more compelling fit for regulated financial environments. This is where the Regulation ATS comparison becomes particularly relevant. Before ATS, electronic trading venues operated in regulatory ambiguity. Once a clear framework was introduced, institutional capital entered at scale and reshaped the market. Crypto vaults could be moving along a similar path, shifting from experimental DeFi structures to formally recognized pieces of financial infrastructure. If that trajectory holds, XRP may already be positioned ahead of the curve. For years, Ripple has positioned the XRP Ledger around institutional-grade use cases, such as compliant payments, liquidity provisioning, tokenization, and cross-border settlement. While many crypto ecosystems evolved from open experimentation toward compliance, the XRPL was designed with institutional interoperability in mind from the outset. Why XRP Ledger Is Emerging as Regulated Market-Ready Infrastructure Amid the SEC’s Crypto Vault Shift The XRPL architecture is increasingly aligned with the regulatory direction taking shape. According to on-chain analytics provider RippleXity, the XRP Ledger is being viewed as a settlement infrastructure that already maps to key requirements in regulated capital markets. As conversations around tokenized equities and blockchain-based financial rails mature, the focus is shifting away from long-term potential and toward which networks already meet institutional-grade standards today. Liquidity further reinforces this argument because unlike newer blockchains that rely on fragmented external liquidity solutions, the XRP Ledger integrates a native decentralized exchange and central limit order book at the protocol level. As a result, this built-in liquidity layer becomes especially significant as tokenized assets and on-chain treasury products move toward regulated, large-scale adoption within established legal frameworks. Meanwhile, the broader narrative is shifting in parallel. Ripple’s climb to 16th on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 signals growing recognition that the real battleground in blockchain is financial infrastructure, not just the trading aspect. If the SEC ultimately defines a formal category for crypto vaults, XRP could stand to benefit not by chasing the trend, but because much of the infrastructure regulators are beginning to describe what already exists on the XRP Ledger.
20 May 2026, 08:15
Vitalik Buterin Details Short-Term Roadmap for Native Privacy on Ethereum
BitcoinWorld Vitalik Buterin Details Short-Term Roadmap for Native Privacy on Ethereum Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined a set of short-term technical goals aimed at introducing native privacy features to the Ethereum network. The announcement, made in response to community criticism on X (formerly Twitter), addresses a long-standing gap in the network’s functionality: the lack of built-in privacy for transactions. Key Short-Term Privacy Goals Buterin detailed three primary objectives to enhance privacy without compromising network security or decentralization. The first involves supporting privacy protocol transactions through Account Abstraction (AA) and a censorship resistance mechanism known as FOCIL. This approach would allow users to execute private transactions more seamlessly while preventing censorship by block proposers. The second goal focuses on restructuring frame transaction structures to support independent processing via the new Ethereum Improvement Proposal, EIP-8250. This proposal is designed to make privacy-preserving transactions more efficient by enabling them to be processed independently within the network’s architecture. The third objective is to enable simultaneous withdrawals from shared senders in privacy protocols. By using nullifiers as keys, the system would allow multiple users to withdraw funds from a shared privacy pool at the same time, a critical feature for user experience and scalability. EIP-8250 and the Hegota Upgrade Buterin confirmed that EIP-8250 is slated for inclusion in the next major network upgrade, tentatively named Hegota. While no specific timeline has been provided, the inclusion of this proposal signals a concrete step toward integrating privacy at the protocol level, moving beyond reliance on third-party solutions like Tornado Cash. Parallel efforts are also underway for the data query stage. Buterin mentioned solutions like Kohaku and Private Read, which aim to protect user privacy when querying blockchain data, a often-overlooked aspect of on-chain privacy. Why This Matters for Ethereum Users Privacy has been a contentious topic in the Ethereum ecosystem. While the network offers pseudonymity, all transactions are publicly visible on the ledger, creating risks for individuals and institutions that require financial confidentiality. Buterin’s roadmap directly addresses this by proposing native solutions rather than relying solely on external protocols, which have faced regulatory and technical challenges. For developers and users, these changes could unlock new use cases in decentralized finance (DeFi), supply chain management, and identity verification, where privacy is not just a preference but a requirement. The integration of Account Abstraction and FOCIL also suggests a broader push toward user-friendly, secure, and censorship-resistant interactions with the network. Conclusion Vitalik Buterin’s latest outline represents a significant shift in Ethereum’s approach to privacy, moving from reactive, third-party solutions to proactive, native integration. With EIP-8250 scheduled for the Hegota upgrade and parallel initiatives like Kohaku and Private Read, the Ethereum network is positioning itself to offer more robust privacy protections. While the timeline remains fluid, the direction is clear: native privacy is becoming a core priority for Ethereum’s development roadmap. FAQs Q1: What is the main goal of Buterin’s privacy roadmap? A1: The primary goal is to introduce native privacy features to Ethereum, enabling private transactions directly on the network rather than relying on external protocols. Q2: What is EIP-8250 and when will it be implemented? A2: EIP-8250 is an Ethereum Improvement Proposal that restructures frame transactions for independent processing in privacy protocols. It is slated for inclusion in the next network upgrade, Hegota. Q3: How will these changes affect everyday Ethereum users? A3: Users will gain the ability to conduct private transactions and withdrawals without exposing their financial activity on the public ledger, improving security and usability for DeFi and other applications. This post Vitalik Buterin Details Short-Term Roadmap for Native Privacy on Ethereum first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
20 May 2026, 08:00
MEXC May Proof of Reserves Report Shows Major Cryptocurrencies Over-Collateralized
BitcoinWorld MEXC May Proof of Reserves Report Shows Major Cryptocurrencies Over-Collateralized Global cryptocurrency exchange MEXC has released its May Proof of Reserves (PoR) report, prepared in collaboration with blockchain security audit firm Hacken. The report indicates that reserve ratios for major cryptocurrencies exceeded user deposit liabilities, with Bitcoin reserves at 293%, Ethereum at 123%, USDT at 117%, and USDC at 120%. Audit Scope and Methodology Hacken, a well-known blockchain security auditor, confirmed it conducted a thorough review that included verifying the Merkle tree structure, confirming wallet ownership, and assessing the adequacy of reserves against user balances. The audit concluded that MEXC’s user assets are fully collateralized, providing an independent layer of verification for the exchange’s claims. MEXC has published its reserve reports on a monthly basis, a practice that has become increasingly common among major exchanges following the collapse of FTX in late 2022, which highlighted the critical need for transparent asset verification in the industry. Expanding the Guardian Fund and Dual Reserve Structure Beyond the PoR report, MEXC is in the process of expanding its Guardian Fund — a dedicated user protection fund — to $500 million. The exchange also recently purchased an additional 1,000 BTC to establish a dual reserve structure composed of both USDT and Bitcoin. This move is intended to provide an extra layer of security for user assets and further strengthen the exchange’s financial standing. Why This Matters for Traders For users of the platform, these figures offer a degree of reassurance that their funds are backed by actual reserves, a key concern in the post-FTX era. Over-collateralization means that even in the event of a significant market downturn, the exchange holds more assets than it owes to users, reducing the risk of a liquidity crisis. The dual reserve structure, combining stablecoin and Bitcoin reserves, also diversifies the exchange’s asset base. MEXC has announced it will continue its partnership with Hacken for regular reporting, aiming to maintain a consistent standard of asset transparency. This ongoing commitment to third-party audits is a signal to the market that the exchange is prioritizing trust and accountability. Conclusion MEXC’s May Proof of Reserves report, verified by Hacken, demonstrates that the exchange holds substantial over-collateralization across its major cryptocurrency holdings. With the expansion of its Guardian Fund and the addition of a dual reserve structure, MEXC is taking steps to enhance user confidence and operational transparency in a sector where trust remains a critical factor. FAQs Q1: What does over-collateralized mean in the context of a crypto exchange? A: It means the exchange holds more assets in reserve than the total amount its users have deposited. For example, a 293% reserve ratio for Bitcoin means MEXC holds nearly three times the amount of BTC needed to cover all user Bitcoin balances. Q2: Who is Hacken and why is their audit significant? A: Hacken is a blockchain security and audit firm that specializes in verifying the integrity of crypto platforms. Their independent verification adds credibility to MEXC’s reserve claims by confirming the Merkle tree structure and wallet ownership. Q3: What is the MEXC Guardian Fund? A: The Guardian Fund is a dedicated pool of assets set aside by MEXC to protect user funds in case of unforeseen events. The exchange is currently expanding this fund to $500 million, which serves as an additional safety net for users. This post MEXC May Proof of Reserves Report Shows Major Cryptocurrencies Over-Collateralized first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
20 May 2026, 07:02
Pundit to XRP Holders: The Rails Are Already Built, Raoul Pal Confirms
Crypto blockchain researcher Bank XRP highlighted comments from Raoul Pal about the future of crypto adoption among major financial institutions in the United States. In a recent tweet, Bank XRP stated that banks are preparing to move aggressively into digital assets once lawmakers provide clear rules through the proposed CLARITY Act. The post focused on Pal’s belief that financial institutions are essentially waiting for official approval before making large-scale commitments to crypto infrastructure. Bank XRP connected those remarks directly to XRP, arguing that the asset already has a strong position because it has been “battle-tested,” “SEC-cleared,” and held by institutions for years. Bank XRP also suggested that XRP already has the infrastructure needed for institutional use, adding that banks may prefer networks with a long operating history once regulations become more defined. BANKS ARE JUST WAITING FOR THE GREEN LIGHT Raoul Pal: "Once the CLARITY ACT passes ALL the banks are going to come in and build out their CRYPTO RAILS fast and which token has been battle-tested, SEC-cleared, and institutionally held for years? the rails are already built… https://t.co/T1ptX0PBis pic.twitter.com/7KyZW4g1W2 — 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸XRP (@BankXRP) May 18, 2026 Raoul Pal Says Wall Street’s Entry Into Crypto Is Happening In the video captioned in the tweet, Pal spoke about the change of attitude toward crypto since he first entered the industry in 2013. He explained that early participants in the market believed Wall Street would eventually enter the crypto sector, and he said that process is now taking place. Pal stated that sovereign wealth funds are already adding crypto exposure to their investment portfolios. He also pointed to growing support for digital assets from influential political and financial figures in the United States, including President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. According to Pal, many major financial institutions are currently developing systems connected to stablecoins and blockchain payment rails. However, he explained that uncertainty around regulation continues to slow adoption among banks and corporations. CLARITY Act Could Speed Up Institutional Adoption A key part of Pal’s comments focused on the proposed CLARITY Act. Supporters of the legislation believe it could clearly define how digital assets should be treated under U.S. law. Pal argued that banks, corporations, and asset managers need regulatory certainty before fully committing to blockchain technology. He said that once the legislation passes, banks will begin building crypto rails for a wide range of financial services. Pal added that institutions want clear answers about security assets and how compliance rules will apply to the industry. Pal also stressed the efficiency of blockchain-based systems. He argued that financial firms have strong incentives to adopt crypto infrastructure because transactions can move faster and operate more efficiently than many traditional financial systems. Community Members Share Their Views Several users on X also reacted to Bank XRP’s post. X user Clint Eastwood said regulatory clarity could encourage greater institutional participation. However, he noted that banks usually move slowly and still need to address compliance requirements, infrastructure development, and real-world integration before adoption grows significantly. Another commenter, Ayla, said the passage of the CLARITY Act could accelerate participation from banks and major institutions. She also argued that XRP could naturally become a preferred option due to its history of institutional involvement. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Pundit to XRP Holders: The Rails Are Already Built, Raoul Pal Confirms appeared first on Times Tabloid .
