Invest ideasNews
18 May 2026, 09:00
Strategy steps in as Bitcoin weakens – Can Saylor stall BTC’s correction?
Macro uncertainty vs. institutional support: Can Saylor offset post-Fed chair correction risk?
18 May 2026, 09:00
Anthropic tokens keep trading interest as early sale ban holds
Thousands of crypto traders still hold tokenized ANTHROPIC pre-IPO shares, in a risky bid for early ownership and high returns. The recent decision of Anthropic to clear unauthorized buyers from its IPO list, however, questions the real value and backing of the currently traded tokens. Anthropic’s pre-IPO shares, tokenized on Solana, were one of the most actively traded in its asset class, alongside SpaceX pre-IPO tokens. As Cryptopolitan reported earlier, Anthropic made all secondary market trades void for its pre-IPO token sales. This means all special purpose vehicle (SPV) purchases may be void. The recent pre-IPO rush coincides with a general shift to tokenization , as traders seek exposure beyond pure crypto assets. ANTHROPIC still trades on Solana ANTHROPIC is one of the high-profile tokenized pre-IPO stocks on Solana. As of May 18, the token has 3,663 on-chain owners. Most of the supply is held by whales or market makers, as it still behaves like a niche asset. ANTHROPIC mostly relies on various Meteora trading pairs, essentially trading similar to meme tokens or other risky assets. Following Anthropic’s announcement, the token slid from its peak above $1,400 down to around $956.89. Anthropic and other pre-IPO tokens corrected their price, but remain in demand. | Source: Dune Analytics . Tokenized shares are still trading way above the Forge retail price of $254.57, due to the more speculative nature of Meteora liquidity pairs. ANTHROPIC retains just $1.7M in liquidity, potentially going through bigger price swings. Overall, pre-IPO shares lost some of their previously inflated valuations. Traders have not given up on this asset class, and still value SpaceX (SPCX) at $11.78B . On Solana, SPCX shares are priced at around $161 after the 1:5 split. Will tokenized ANTHROPIC remain useless? For now, the tokenized assets have not seen total capitulation. Traders may be more cautious of tokenized pre-IPO shares, but the platforms still offer a tool for price discovery. ANTHROPIC still achieves around $1M in trading volumes and serves as a prediction market for the actual IPO price. PreStocks, the issuer of ANTHROPIC on Solana, has tried to calm the markets by exposing its approach to acquiring shares before the actual sale. PreStocks claimed it avoids low-tier SPV, instead relying on approved offshore buyers. The company also tries to diversify across SPVs to achieve the best share of actual ANTHROPIC shares at launch. “ At PreStocks, we mitigate counterparty risk by avoiding 3rd or lower layer SPVs, verifying actual ownership up to the cap table, and vetting and reference checking fund managers before tokenization,” explained the team in an X post. The company assured traders that ANTHROPIC and all other pre-IPO tokens remain fully backed according to the terms and conditions, and trading will continue to operate normally. PreStocks uses Reg S debt instruments issued outside the US, and only available to offshore users. This way, traders gain economic exposure without using SPVs. Minting and redemption require KYC and eligibility screening, meaning the platform has not allowed unvetted traders to rush in on pure hype. This differentiates ANTHROPIC tokens from unbacked memes. For now, the biggest risk for ANTROPIC is price volatility, as whales take profits. The biggest holder of ANTHROPIC has sold some of the tokens in the past few days, contributing to the price correction. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .
18 May 2026, 09:00
XRP News: Ripple CTO Backs John Deaton’s Senate Bid with XRP Donation
In the latest XRP News, Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has made a personal financial contribution in XRP to John Deaton’s Senate campaign, publicly confirming his support for the pro-crypto lawyer who rose to national prominence defending XRP holders during the SEC v. Ripple lawsuit. The donation positions Schwartz as one of the most senior crypto executives to directly back Deaton’s political bid using the very asset at the center of that regulatory fight. Sent some XRP. — David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) May 16, 2026 Bullish signal for crypto-aligned political momentum. When a principal architect of the XRP Ledger puts his own tokens behind a Senate candidate, the symbolic weight compounds the financial one. Discover: The best crypto to diversify your portfolio with XRP News: Why a Personal XRP Donation Is Not the Same as a PAC Check, and Why That Distinction Matters The mechanism here is worth understanding precisely. Schwartz’s contribution is a personal donation, not a disbursement from a corporate super PAC. Those are not the same thing. Ripple, the company, has already pledged $25 million to the pro-crypto super PAC Fairshake, which operates independently of any candidate campaign and can raise and spend unlimited funds. A personal contribution to a federal campaign is subject to FEC individual donor limits, must be reported by the campaign, and is valued in USD at the time of receipt, meaning the XRP is converted to a dollar figure on the books even if it arrives as a digital asset. That compliance structure matters for what this move signals. Schwartz is not routing money through an intermediary. He is attaching his name, his title, and his preferred asset directly to Deaton’s campaign in the public record. For the XRP community, which tracked every courtroom development in the SEC litigation, that personal identification carries a different register than a line item in a PAC disclosure. Photo: John Deaton Deaton’s campaign has leaned into small-donor and community-driven optics, positioning him in contrast to industry-heavy PAC infrastructure. Schwartz’s XRP donation threads both narratives: it is personal and community-adjacent, while also coming from a figure whose technical decisions shape a $30-billion-plus asset class. That combination is deliberately difficult to dismiss as either grassroots noise or pure corporate capture. The political target is equally specific. Deaton is challenging Senator Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, one of Washington’s most vocal critics of the crypto industry and the architect of what supporters of the sector have labeled the “anti-crypto army” posture in the Senate. JUST IN: Senator Elizabeth Warren says the crypto Clarity Act will "blow up the economy." "It pushes more of the economy into crypto!" pic.twitter.com/4LbDiU2hUV — Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) May 14, 2026 Warren’s regulatory pressure has been a direct backdrop to the broader legislative battles over digital asset frameworks now moving through Congress. A competitive Senate race in Massachusetts puts that pressure point on the electoral map. Discover: The best pre-launch token sales The post XRP News: Ripple CTO Backs John Deaton’s Senate Bid with XRP Donation appeared first on Cryptonews .
18 May 2026, 09:00
SUI Group Allocates $6M to AI Trading Lab and Research
SUI Group invested $3 million each into AI trading lab Nof1 and research firm Recursive Superintelligence. Recursive's funding round totalled $650 million at a $4.65 billion valuation.
18 May 2026, 08:55
Bitcoin Faces $421.87M Short Squeeze Risk Above $77,654, Data Shows
BitcoinWorld Bitcoin Faces $421.87M Short Squeeze Risk Above $77,654, Data Shows Bitcoin is approaching a critical price threshold that could trigger a significant short squeeze, according to data from CoinGlass. If BTC surpasses $77,654, short positions worth $421.87 million on major centralized exchanges face automatic liquidation. Understanding the Liquidation Data The data, aggregated by CoinGlass, tracks open positions across major exchanges. At the current price level, the liquidation risk is asymmetrical. If Bitcoin rises above $77,654, short sellers holding leveraged positions would be forced to buy back BTC to cover their positions, potentially accelerating upward momentum. Conversely, if Bitcoin drops below $76,196, long positions valued at $375.62 million would be liquidated, creating downward pressure. This creates a narrow $1,458 range where the market is highly sensitive to price movement. What This Means for Traders Liquidation data is a widely used tool for gauging market sentiment and potential volatility. The concentration of leverage at these levels means that any significant move toward $77,654 or $76,196 could trigger cascading liquidations, amplifying price swings. For traders, this highlights the risk of holding leveraged positions near these thresholds. The data does not predict direction but reveals where the market is most vulnerable to sudden moves. Market Context Bitcoin has been trading in a relatively tight range in recent sessions, with the $75,000 to $78,000 zone acting as a key battleground. The liquidation levels provided by CoinGlass offer a data-driven view of where the next major volatility event may originate. Similar patterns have historically preceded sharp, short-lived price movements in both directions. Conclusion The $421.87 million in short positions above $77,654 and $375.62 million in long positions below $76,196 represent significant leverage in the market. While liquidation data alone does not determine price direction, it provides traders with actionable risk management information. As Bitcoin approaches these levels, market participants should prepare for increased volatility. FAQs Q1: What is a short squeeze? A short squeeze occurs when a rising price forces short sellers to buy back the asset to close their positions, which further drives up the price. The $421.87 million in shorts above $77,654 creates the potential for such an event. Q2: How accurate is CoinGlass liquidation data? CoinGlass aggregates data from major centralized exchanges. It is widely used by traders for real-time liquidation tracking, but it does not capture off-exchange or OTC activity. The data is considered reliable for understanding market leverage concentration. Q3: Should I trade based on this liquidation data? Liquidation data is a useful risk management tool, not a trading signal. It shows where leveraged positions are concentrated, which can indicate potential volatility. Traders should use it alongside other analysis and never risk more than they can afford to lose. This post Bitcoin Faces $421.87M Short Squeeze Risk Above $77,654, Data Shows first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
18 May 2026, 08:54
Bitcoin Depot Files for Bankruptcy as Regulatory Pressure and Revenue Collapse Force Shutdown of 9,000 ATMs
Bitcoin Depot North America’s biggest Bitcoin ATM firm has reached an important point in its journey by submitting for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This news represents a sharp decline for a firm that was once at the forefront of retail crypto access, but is now gearing up to methodically turn off more than 9,000 devices globally. The report, courtesy of PANews on the Bitcoin Depot bankruptcy filing via X (Twitter), underscores the rising pressures facing crypto-adjacent businesses as they operate in an increasingly difficult regulatory environment. It had formerly been seen as a high-flying industry, but gaped now at shrinking revenues, rising compliance cost and reputational pressures. 北美最大比特币 ATM 运营商申请破产了 北美最大比特币 ATM 运营商 Bitcoin Depot 已向法院申请第 11 章破产，将逐步关停全球超 9000 台机器。 公司 CEO 称监管环境变化导致商业模式不可持续，各州合规义务趋严，部分司法管辖区已直接限制或禁止比特币 ATM 运营。 一季度营收同比下降… pic.twitter.com/AFvVy3u7mg — PANews丨APP全面升级 (@PANews) May 18, 2026 A Change in Regulation Kills the Bitcoin ATM Business Model The rapid increase in its regulatory landscape is at the core of Bitcoin Depot, which has fundamentally destroyed the feasibility of its operations. The CEO of the company has pointed out that tightening compliance mandates in several U.S. states have led to a sharp increase in operational costs. In some regions, regulators have taken it a step further by banning Bitcoin ATM services or introducing crippling restrictions. Such regulatory interventions have stifled Bitcoin Depot’s ability to grow, turning a simple retail operation into a fragmented and heavily regulated business. Bitcoin ATMs, which allow consumers to buy or sell digital currency for cash, have existed in the compliance twilight between financial services and technology for years. Governments are closing these gaps, especially through improved AML and KYC regulations, but that leaves operators, like Bitcoin Depot, with pressure to continue making a profit. This behavior is indeed part of a larger industry trend, where more well-defined regulatory frameworks are often accompanied by increased enforcement and steadily rising compliance costs. A Collapse in Revenue Suggests a Deeper Financial Hole Such regulatory pressures have had a visible impact on the earnings of Bitcoin Depot which came up as criticism against cryptocurrencies. It reported that its first-quarter revenue fell 49.2% to $136,000 on a year-over-year basis, highlighting the weakening market and pressure on operations. But more notable is the swing in profitability: from a net profit of $12.2 million in the same quarter last year to a net loss of $9.5 million this time around. That reversal shows just how quickly the tides can turn in crypto land. What was once a sustainable business model is proving ever harder to maintain as user behaviour and regulatory expectations change. Security Breach Adds To Mounting Challenges On top of Bitcoin Depot’s economic and regulatory challenges, a security breach that shook faith in the platform even further weighed on its plans. In April, the firm revealed that it lost a total of about $ 3.7 million by means of a hack. The timing around the incident was also particularly poor, with not a lot of details revealed from the full story. The breach came on the heels of revenue declines and a strengthening regulatory scrutiny making their precarious position even riskier. Crypto-Firms suffer from severe fallout after any security breach. They can erode user trust, attract regulatory scrutiny, and expose operational vulnerabilities, all of which are likely contributing to the challenges Bitcoin Depot currently faces. ZachXBT Questions Reporting and Business Practices ZachXBT, a well-known on-chain analyst, has also taken issue with Bitcoin Depot and what it called reaction to the ongoing situation. ZachXBT also referenced a three-day lag between the exploit of $3.6 million in the company, before it was disclosed by way of analysis in the ZachXBT investigation thread. The time lag also poses critical challenges to transparency and incident response protocols, which are crucial to upholding stakeholder trust in the crypto ecosystem. Interesting timing. I recently exposed Bitcoin Depot for a 3 day time gap in reporting a $3.6M exploit and highlighted how its Bitcoin ATM business depends on predatory practices via user fraud. pic.twitter.com/yMR0n8bLHC — ZachXBT (@zachxbt) May 18, 2026 Apart from the delay in reporting, ZachXBT noted deep-seated concerns about how profit is made by Bitcoin ATMs in the first place. According to his report, the industry at times has opened the door for scams and cons by providing a way to vulnerable users. On top of the financial problems and regulatory headaches at Bitcoin Depot, these allegations represent a challenge to its reputation bubble. Global Shutdown Reflects Broader Industry Shift The loss of over 9,000 machines worldwide is among the largest shrinkage events in Bitcoin ATM industry history for Bitcoin Depot. In what was perhaps the peak of their power and influence, at that time a massive proportion of the world’s entire crypto ATM estate (outside traditional exchanges) consisted of this company’s ATMs giving real world access to users. Its fall is an indication of a larger shift in the way users use cryptocurrency markets. The increasing professionalism of mobile applications, centralized exchanges and decentralized finance (DeFi) pave the way for gradually reducing the function of physical ATMs. This trend, in combination with regulatory obstacles, is forcing the Bitcoin ATM model into a question mark in the long term. The Bitcoin Depot episode may, in the end, be the watershed moment, not just for an individual outfit but for an entire swath of the crypto ecosystem. Industry Faces Critical Moment As Pressures Converge At the same time that Bitcoin Depot’s bankruptcy is the story of one company going under, it represents a convergence of forces, increasing regulation, changing user behavior, new risks to security and business conduct being more thoroughly monitored, about altering the path of the future for crypto. The implications for companies in related fields are obvious. Adaptation is imperative. Complex regulatory landscapes need to be navigated, security infrastructures secured and transparency maintained for firms to remain viable. At the same time, the industry has to grapple with the more systemic ramifications of these changes. With cycle weaning physical access centers like BTC ATMs, the methods by which users engage with cryptos are developing permanently, and rethinking the market of a year from now or more down the road. The rise of Bitcoin Depot, long a story of blisteringly fast growth, is now a more cautionary tale. It highlights the speed with which momentum can turn against firms in crypto, and how sensitive proven business models can be to exogenous shocks. Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services. Follow us on Twitter @nulltxnews to stay updated with the latest Crypto, NFT, AI, Cybersecurity, Distributed Computing, and Metaverse news !
