hodler

19 May 2026, 10:30

Bitcoin’s 2028 Halving Countdown Begins as Fewer Than 100,000 Blocks Remain

Bitcoin’s fourth halving is now well in the rearview mirror as fewer than 100,000 blocks remain. The network is entering the final stretch before the next reward cut, expected around April 2028. The Clock Is Ticking on Block 1,050,000 Live data shows fewer than 100,034 blocks remain between today and Bitcoin’s next halving, pegged at

19 May 2026, 10:30

ONDO Surges 16% As SEC Eyes Framework For Tokenized Stock Trading

ONDO jumped roughly 16% after reports that the US Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a framework that could allow tokenized versions of stocks to trade on crypto rails, potentially giving one of the real-world asset sector’s most visible names a fresh regulatory tailwind. ONDO traded near $0.390, up 15.5% over 24 hours, with about $228 million in daily volume and a market capitalization near $1.9 billion. The move followed a Bloomberg report, that the SEC could release an “innovation exemption” for tokenized stocks as soon as this week. The framework would reportedly create a path for digital versions of securities to trade outside traditional exchange venues and on decentralized crypto platforms, including tokens that may not have the consent or backing of the public companies whose shares they track. Why Is ONDO Profiting The Most From The News? For crypto markets, the report landed directly on one of the year’s strongest narratives: tokenized public equities. The Kobeissi Letter described the potential exemption via X as a “surprise move,” saying it could “reshape the landscape of the American stock market” and represent “one of the US’ biggest shifts into crypto infrastructure yet.” Related Reading: Warren Zeroes In On Crypto Deal Structure As $75M Loan Draws Attention The market reaction centered on projects already positioned around on-chain securities. ONDO led gains among major RWA-linked tokens, while traders also pointed to Hyperliquid as a potential beneficiary because of its role in on-chain derivatives. One account, The DeFi Investor, framed the report as “great news” for both HYPE and ONDO, arguing that it “legitimizes Ondo as the largest tokenized stocks issuer,” while Hyperliquid will be “one of the biggest beneficiaries as the largest DEX for RWA perps.” Ondo’s own data points have given traders a concrete reason to connect the SEC report to the token. Ondo Global Markets recently crossed $1 billion in total value locked less than eight months after its September 2025 launch. The platform holds more than 70% of the tokenized equity issuer market and has processed more than $18 billion in cumulative trading volume. It currently offers more than 260 tokenized US stocks and ETFs across Solana, Ethereum and BNB Chain. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Extend Six-Week Streak With $858M Inflows On CLARITY Act Progress Katie Wheeler, Managing Director of Global Partnerships at Ondo Finance, said in a recent interview that the platform’s growth could accelerate further. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we surpassed $5 billion by the end of the year. I know that seems a little advantageous, but we have a lot of interest and we’re really building up quite a pipeline.” Wheeler’s broader argument is that tokenized equities remain early relative to the size of public markets. “We are literally just scratching the surface. This is a very large industry. So even if we did 1%, I think that would be tremendous,” she said. Tokenized stocks are just getting started. Following Ondo tokenized stocks crossing $1B in TVL, Ondo’s @KatieAWheeler gave @TheStreet her year-end forecast: “I wouldn’t be surprised if we surpassed $5 billion by year-end. We have a lot of interest, and we’re building up quite a… pic.twitter.com/sFIoiXqi8G — Ondo Finance (@OndoFinance) May 18, 2026 Still, the reported SEC approach raises a core regulatory question: whether stock-linked tokens can scale without undermining shareholder protections. Bloomberg reported that the tokens may not provide traditional rights such as voting power or dividends, while the source material indicates platforms could lose eligibility if listed products fail to provide rights such as voting or dividends. At press time, ONDO traded at $0.3871. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

19 May 2026, 10:25

250 Million XRP in 24 Hours Hits Ledger Amid Rising Market Recovery Potential

XRP is passing through an unusual stage where institutional inflows drop severely, creating lack of volume on the network.

19 May 2026, 10:22

Expert sets condition for XRP’s drop to $1

With XRP largely remaining bearish, a trading expert has pointed out that technical indicators suggest that if the losses continue, the asset might drop toward the $1 zone. Indeed, XRP has invalidated recent gains, aligning with the broader cryptocurrency market sentiment as the asset continues to struggle to breach the $1.50 resistance level. Regarding the outlook, prominent cryptocurrency analyst Ali Martinez has identified a key technical level that could determine whether XRP declines toward the $1 psychological support or rallies toward higher resistance levels. In an X post on May 19, Martinez noted that XRP’s three-day chart is showing its tightest Bollinger Band squeeze in more than a year, a setup that often signals a sharp volatility spike after a prolonged period of price compression. XRP price analysis chart. Source: Ali Martinez XRP was trading around $1.38 while consolidating between $1.29 support and $1.50 resistance, with price action remaining largely sideways since late March as volatility continued to decline. According to Martinez, a decisive three-day candlestick close outside this range could determine XRP’s next major move. XRP’s path to $1 A breakout above $1.50 may fuel bullish momentum toward $1.80, while a drop below the $1.29 support zone could invalidate the near-term bullish outlook and raise the risk of a deeper correction toward $1. The analysis also highlighted XRP’s broader downtrend since February, when the token fell from above $1.90 before stabilizing in its current consolidation range. Since then, the cryptocurrency has struggled to sustain upward momentum, facing repeated resistance near the upper Bollinger Band . The tightening Bollinger Bands suggest XRP is approaching a critical inflection point, with traders closely watching whether the token can reclaim resistance or break lower. It is worth noting that XRP has been weighed down by the general weakness in the broader cryptocurrency market despite several bullish fundamentals. In this line, despite pulling back from 2025 highs near $3.65, XRP holders remain optimistic amid strong institutional signals. Spot XRP ETFs have recorded robust inflows, with a recent weekly high of $60.5 million and May totals exceeding $94 million so far. Cumulative assets under management for U.S. spot XRP ETFs now approach or surpass $1 billion to $1.28 billion, with no major net outflows in recent streaks, and XRP tokens locked in these products nearing 887 million. XRP price analysis By press time, XRP was trading at $1.37, having dropped 0.56% in the last 24 hours, while on the weekly timeframe, the asset has declined more than 5%. XRP seven-day price chart. Source: Finbold Technically, traders are closely watching key price levels as immediate support lies between $1.35 and $1.38, with stronger support around $1.29 to $1.32. On the upside, resistance stands between $1.42 and $1.50. A breakout above $1.50 could push XRP toward $1.60 to $1.70, while a drop below $1.35 may trigger further downside pressure. The post Expert sets condition for XRP’s drop to $1 appeared first on Finbold .

19 May 2026, 10:16

Ohio Man Gets 9 Years for $10M Bitcoin Trading Ponzi Scheme

Rathnakishore Giri falsely promised guaranteed returns on Bitcoin derivatives trading, using new investor funds to pay earlier participants.

19 May 2026, 10:15

The Ripple Factor: Why SBI Is Prioritizing XRP Over Ethereum for Japanese ETFs

SBI Holdings has filed for Japan’s first spot Ripple XRP ETF, deliberately skipping Ethereum and targeting $32 billion in institutional assets. It is seen as a structural decision that reflects Japan’s regulatory environment and SBI’s decade-long XRP infrastructure investments as much as it does pure market preference. Japan Moves Toward XRP ETF Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings is preparing Bitcoin $BTC and $XRP ETFs for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, pending regulatory approval, per XRP community figure Xaif. The proposal includes a dedicated SBI Bitcoin XRP ETF alongside a hybrid gold and… pic.twitter.com/apfNPEcS4d — BSCN (@BSCNews) May 19, 2026 The filing reveals two distinct products: a Crypto-Assets ETF tracking Bitcoin and XRP together, and a Digital Gold Crypto ETF allocating more than 50% to gold with added crypto exposure for risk-sensitive investors. Neither product includes Ethereum. Japan’s Financial Services Agency has been advancing a framework that would reclassify crypto more explicitly as financial products. A shift that makes regulated ETF wrappers structurally viable for pension funds and insurance capital for the first time ever. Why Ripple Over Ethereum? The Regulatory and Infrastructure Logic Behind SBI’s Decision SBI’s choice is not an endorsement of XRP’s technology over Ethereum’s. It is a product of institutional infrastructure and regulatory fit that has been building in Japan for years. SBI Ripple Asia, a joint venture between SBI Holdings and Ripple, has operated in Japan since 2016, giving SBI deep XRP liquidity access, established custody rails, and pre-existing compliance frameworks tied to Ripple’s payment network. Ethereum carries none of that domestic institutional weight in Japan’s specific market structure. WHY ASIA GOES HARD ON XRP Fiona Murray, Ripple APAC VP: "Low interest rate economies like Japan and Korea push retail toward ALTERNATIVE ASSETS the same way Japan built the world's biggest RETAIL FX CULTURE searching for yield." when your savings account pays 0%… you find… https://t.co/ZmaMvijs8A pic.twitter.com/MRm6YnTG5G — 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸XRP (@BankXRP) May 17, 2026 Yoshitaka Kitao, SBI Holdings’ CEO, has been one of Ripple’s most visible corporate advocates in Asia, and is making the XRP ETF filing a logical extension of a strategic relationship. SBI isn’t launching a Japan Crypto product opportunistically; it is converting existing infrastructure into a regulated investment wrapper. The U.S. market moved from Bitcoin ETF to Ethereum ETF approval in sequence, partly driven by SEC precedent and Ethereum’s regulatory classification as a commodity. Japan’s FSA is navigating a different framework, one where XRP’s deep local adoption and SBI’s Ripple partnership make it a more straightforward regulatory argument than Ethereum would be. Which crypto should President Trump add to this taxonomy next? The SEC/CFTC taxonomy listed 16 digital assets as digital commodity examples. These are the leaders: $BTC store of value. $ETH smart contracts. $XRP cross-border payments. $LINK oracle network. $HBAR … pic.twitter.com/qE8aPOT8n3 — X Finance Bull (@Xfinancebull) May 18, 2026 If approved, the XRP-linked ETF would be a first for Japan, giving local investors regulated spot-style exposure without the risk of offshore exchange. The regulatory clarity developing in major markets has accelerated institutional timelines globally, and Japan is moving on its own terms. Discover: Top Crypto Assets for Portfolio Diversification in 2025 XRP Price Impact: $32 Billion Institutional Demand The SBI filing is a medium-term demand catalyst, not an immediate price trigger. ETF approval timelines in Japan are measured in months, and the FSA’s reclassification framework is still in process. But the directional signal for institutional investment in XRP is unambiguous. Xrp (XRP) 24h 7d 30d 1y All time Japan’s FSA could advance the crypto reclassification framework by this year, so the $32 billion addressable market begins converting. Broader altcoin ETF momentum is also building globally. Grayscale and VanEck are both advancing BNB ETF filings in the U.S., confirming that regulated altcoin exposure is now a product category, not an experiment. SBI is positioning Japan at that frontier. Discover: Best Crypto Presales With Early-Mover Upside in 2025 The post The Ripple Factor: Why SBI Is Prioritizing XRP Over Ethereum for Japanese ETFs appeared first on Cryptonews .