Invest ideasNews
18 May 2026, 14:59
Goldman cuts crypto ETF bets as ETH holdings fall 70%
Goldman Sachs sharply scaled back its holdings from altcoin ETFs during the first quarter of 2026. It fully exited both XRP and Solana ETF positions. However, the investment giant has also slashed its Ethereum ETF holdings by around 70%. Fresh SEC 13F filings show that the bank no longer has any holdings tied to XRP ETFs during Q1. This marks a major reversal from its position in Q4 2025. Goldman had disclosed nearly $154 million in XRP-linked ETFs. The list held products from Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, and 21Shares. This move comes in when XRP ETFs recently recorded their strongest week of inflows of 2026. XRP ETF inflows climb while Goldman exits In the case of SOL ETFs , Goldman held positions in Grayscale Solana Trust ETF (GSOL), Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL), and Fidelity Solana Fund (FSOL). Both Solana and XRP ETFs began trading in late 2025 as issuers rushed to expand beyond Bitcoin and Ether products. According to SoSoValue data , XRP ETFs added around $60.5 million during the May 11-15 trading week. Its Cumulative inflows across have now climbed to around $1.39 billion. However, its total net assets stand at $1.18 billion. Bitwise reportedly led the weekly inflow rankings. Its XRP ETF pulled in around $25.67 million during the week. Its cumulative inflows into the product are now reaching close to $460 million. Franklin Templeton followed closely behind. Its XRPZ ETF is adding around $21 million during the same period. XRP price has dipped by almost 6% in the last 7 days. XRP is trading at $1.38 at the press time. Solana saw a massive sell-off as its price slumped by around 12% in the same period. SOL is trading at $84.46 at the press time. Bitcoin stays, Ethereum shrinks Goldman might have abandoned XRP and Solana ETF exposure entirely but it still maintains sizable positions in Bitcoin-related products. The filing showed Goldman still holds around $690 million in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). It carried $25 million in Fidelity’s FBTC. However, both positions were trimmed by roughly 10% during the quarter. The bank also dramatically reduced its Ether ETF allocation. It moved ahead to cut its position in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) by about 70%. This leaves the bank with around 7.2 million shares (approx worth $114 million). Bitcoin price has dropped by 5.3% over the last 7 days. BTC is trading at $76,707 at the press time. Ether price saw a sell-off of almost 9% in the same period. ETH trades below the $2,200 mark. The filing suggests Goldman is not fully retreating from crypto exposure altogether. Instead, the bank appears to be repositioning toward a more Bitcoin-heavy allocation while reducing exposure to altcoin ETF products. Outside ETFs, the bank actually increased exposure to several crypto-linked equities. Its position in Circle surged roughly 249% during the quarter. However, it also holdings in Galaxy Digital jumped around 205%. The bank also added to positions in Coinbase, Robinhood, and PayPal. Goldman has reportedly reduced exposure to several Bitcoin mining and infrastructure firms. The bank trimmed positions tied to Strategy, IREN, Bit Digital, and Riot Platforms. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .
18 May 2026, 14:55
Vitalik Buterin: AI-Powered Formal Verification Could Transform Crypto Security
BitcoinWorld Vitalik Buterin: AI-Powered Formal Verification Could Transform Crypto Security Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has predicted that integrating artificial intelligence with formal verification technology could significantly strengthen the security of cryptocurrency systems and broader internet infrastructure. The remarks, reported by CoinDesk, highlight a growing intersection between AI and blockchain development. What is Formal Verification? Formal verification is a rigorous method of mathematically proving that a piece of software operates exactly as intended. Unlike traditional testing, which can only find bugs, formal verification provides a high level of assurance that certain classes of errors do not exist. However, it has historically been a slow and labor-intensive process, limiting its widespread adoption in fast-moving fields like crypto development. AI as a Catalyst for Security Buterin explained that recent advances in AI are making the process of writing both code and verification proofs far more efficient. While AI can rapidly generate large volumes of code—some of which may be inaccurate—formal verification can re-establish the accuracy of that code. This synergy, he argued, could be transformative. “AI can generate code at a massive scale, but it also generates a lot of incorrect code. Formal verification is the tool that can bring that accuracy back,” Buterin stated, according to the report. He emphasized that the combination allows developers to move faster without sacrificing security. Key Areas of Impact Buterin identified several critical areas within the cryptocurrency ecosystem where this combined approach will become increasingly important: Smart Contracts: Verifying that complex DeFi protocols and NFT contracts behave as expected, reducing the risk of exploits. Zero-Knowledge (ZK) Proofs: Ensuring the correctness of ZK circuits, which are foundational to privacy and scalability solutions. Consensus Mechanisms: Proving the mathematical soundness of protocols that secure proof-of-stake networks. Quantum-Resistant Cryptography: Validating the security of new cryptographic algorithms designed to withstand future quantum computing attacks. Why This Matters Now The crypto industry has suffered billions of dollars in losses from smart contract bugs, bridge hacks, and protocol exploits. Traditional auditing, while valuable, is not infallible. Formal verification offers a higher standard of proof, but its adoption has been limited by cost and complexity. Buterin’s comments suggest that AI is on the cusp of removing those barriers, potentially making mathematically verified code a standard practice rather than a luxury. Not a Silver Bullet Buterin also offered a cautionary note, stating that formal verification is not a panacea. He pointed out that it cannot solve all problems, particularly those arising from incorrect underlying assumptions or hardware-level vulnerabilities. If the specification itself is flawed, or if the hardware executing the code has a bug, formal verification of the software will not catch those issues. Conclusion The combination of AI and formal verification represents a pragmatic evolution in crypto security. By leveraging AI to accelerate the verification process, developers can aim for higher assurance without the traditional time penalties. While not a cure-all, this approach could become a critical tool in the ongoing effort to build more resilient and trustworthy decentralized systems. FAQs Q1: What is formal verification in simple terms? It is a mathematical method to prove that a piece of code will always behave exactly as designed, eliminating entire categories of bugs and vulnerabilities. Q2: How does AI help with formal verification? AI can automate the generation of verification proofs and help write code that is easier to verify, dramatically reducing the time and expertise required to use formal methods. Q3: Will formal verification make crypto completely hack-proof? No. Formal verification can only prove correctness relative to its specifications. It cannot protect against flawed design assumptions, oracle manipulation, or hardware failures. This post Vitalik Buterin: AI-Powered Formal Verification Could Transform Crypto Security first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
18 May 2026, 14:52
Bitmine Buys 71,672 ETH in One Week as Tom Lee Targets 5% of Ethereum Supply
Bitmine Immersion Technologies now holds 5.28 million ethereum tokens worth more than $11.5 billion, putting the company within reach of controlling 5% of the entire ETH supply. Tom Lee Says Bitmine Will Hit 5% of ETH Supply Sometime in 2026 The Norwalk, Conn.-based company reported the figures as of May 18, 2026, disclosing total crypto,
18 May 2026, 14:50
Strategy Leverages Preferred Stock Issuance for $2 Billion Bitcoin Buy
Strategy purchased 24,869 Bitcoin last week for $2 billion, channeling billions of dollars that came from its flagship preferred stock.
18 May 2026, 14:49
ReYuu Japan and Universal Digital back out of $100M crypto treasury deal as trend goes cold
ReYuu Japan (TYO: 9425) and Canadian investment firm Universal Digital ( CNSX: LFG) have terminated their $100 million loan facility agreement, adding to a growing list of companies that are abandoning their crypto holding strategies. The $100 million loan was supposed to help the Japanese electronics reseller buy digital assets, but now that the deal has been dissolved, ReYuu will now be looking to move on with plans such as developing AI technology in collaboration with a Chinese-based company. Why did the ReYuu Japan deal with Universal Digital fall apart? ReYuu Japan and Universal Digital signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) in October 2025. The deal was supposed to give ReYuu (TSE: 9425), a device resale company, access to external capital for buying digital assets. However, no loan was ever drawn, no interest rate was ever set, and no financing framework was ever finalized. Universal Digital initiated the termination , citing a review of its own business direction and fundraising plans, while ReYuu explained that the deal fell through due to changes in capital market conditions and an increase in investor caution toward listed companies running digital-asset treasury strategies. Both companies have experienced significant declines in their stock values since the announcement was made. ReYuu Japan extended a prolonged 15% decline over the last five days, dropping to its lowest point in 52 weeks. Meanwhile, Universal Digital has seen an 89% long-term crash and is trading at an all-time low of $0.04. ReYuu Japan’s stock is down to its lowest level in one year. Source: Google Finance. Cryptopolitan previously reported that the corporate crypto treasury trade that peaked with Strategy’s aggressive Bitcoin accumulation is cooling across multiple fronts. For instance, Bhutan , which went through the trouble of mining Bitcoin in secret, has been offloading its holdings. Publicly listed miners, including MARA Holdings, IREN, and DMG, sold over 32,000 BTC in the first quarter of 2026 alone to retire debt and fund their entrance into AI infrastructure. ReYuu stressed that the MOU’s termination does not mean it is abandoning its crypto treasury strategy entirely. The company shared that it would continue evaluating based on market conditions, balance-sheet health, and shareholder impact. Crypto treasuries are not so hot anymore Just like ReYuu Japan, other companies have realized that investors have become incredibly cautious of Bitcoin holding strategies, making capital harder to get. MARA Holdings recently sold 20,880 BTC worth $1.5 billion in the first quarter to pay down convertible debt and fund a $1.5 billion acquisition of a 505-megawatt power campus in Ohio for AI data center development. The company fell from second to fourth among public Bitcoin holders and reported a $1.26 billion net loss for the quarter. Last year, Universal Digital attempted to raise money to buy Bitcoin, announcing a separate $50 million convertible debenture offering. 80% of the proceeds were intended to go toward buying Bitcoin, but the plan was abandoned early this year. The largest corporate Bitcoin buyer, Strategy, is one of the few to have persisted with adding assets on a regular basis. The company announced earlier today that it added 24,869 BTC for ~$2.01 billion over the last week, bringing its total stash to 843,738 BTC, which it bought for ~$63.87 billion. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .
18 May 2026, 14:46
Shiba Inu sees 303 billion SHIB flood to exchanges in 24 hours
🚨 Over 303 billion SHIB flooded into exchanges within 24 hours. Large SHIB holders are driving a surge in sell activity in $SHIB. 📈 Critical data shows both prices and reserves are declining. Continue Reading: Shiba Inu sees 303 billion SHIB flood to exchanges in 24 hours The post Shiba Inu sees 303 billion SHIB flood to exchanges in 24 hours appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
