hodler

15 May 2026, 17:30

South Korea’s Hana Bank Makes History With $670 Million Bet In Top Crypto Exchange

Hana Financial Group, one of South Korea’s four largest banking conglomerates, announced on May 15 that its flagship Hana Bank has approved the purchase of a 6.55% stake in Dunamu — the operator of Upbit, South Korea’s dominant crypto exchange — from Kakao Investment for approximately 1 trillion Korean won, equivalent to roughly $670 million, marking the largest single investment ever made by a South Korean bank into a digital asset company. The deal, disclosed in a regulatory filing the same day the Hana Bank board approved it, will make Hana Financial the fourth-largest shareholder in Dunamu, per Korea Herald reporting. The current shareholder structure places founder and Chairman Song Chi-hyung at 25.51%, Vice Chairman Kim Hyoung-nyon at 13.10%, and Woori Technology Investment at 7.2%. Kakao Investment, currently the third-largest shareholder, will retain approximately 4% after the transaction closes. Beyond The Equity: What The Partnership Covers The investment is not a passive financial bet. Alongside the share purchase, Hana Financial and Dunamu signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a new generation of services combining traditional banking infrastructure with digital assets, per the Korea Herald. The joint roadmap covers four areas. The first is blockchain-based foreign currency remittances — the two firms have been building a system to run SWIFT-style international transfers over Dunamu’s proprietary Giwa Chain network since late 2025, completing a proof of concept in February 2026 and signing a three-way commercial testing agreement with POSCO International in April. The second is won-backed stablecoin infrastructure, covering issuance, circulation, and redemption. The third is a hybrid wealth management service that links Upbit’s digital asset infrastructure directly to Hana’s existing fund, pension, and trust platforms. The fourth is international expansion, combining Hana’s global banking network with Dunamu’s blockchain technology to pursue new digital asset businesses and service partnerships abroad, per the Korea Herald and Yonhap. Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo described the investment as a strategic move to accelerate financial innovation in digital assets, with the group aiming to help shape Korea’s blockchain ecosystem and bring the country’s digital asset industry to global standing, per the Korea Herald’s report of his statement. The Consolidation Race In Korean Crypto The Hana-Dunamu deal arrives as South Korea’s financial sector moves with unusual speed to establish positions inside the country’s crypto exchange infrastructure. Mirae Asset Consulting’s approximately $96.7 million acquisition of a 92.06% stake in Korbit and the separate discussions between OKX and Korea Investment & Securities to each acquire approximately 20% of Coinone — reported by Yonhap the same day — reflect a broader institutional reconfiguration of who controls South Korea’s regulated digital asset venues. Dunamu itself reported assets of 13.17 trillion won at the end of last year, generating 709 billion won in net profit on 1.56 trillion won in sales, per Korea Times. Upbit handles more than 80% of South Korea’s domestic crypto trading volume, per Yonhap, making Hana’s new position one of the more strategically consequential equity stakes in the Asian digital asset market. This development marks a pivotal moment for the nascent sector’s integration with traditional finance in Asia. A trillion-won commitment from a systemically important Korean bank is not a pilot program or an exploratory allocation — it is a structural repositioning that signals the country’s largest financial institutions now view digital asset infrastructure as core to their long-term competitive strategy. As of this writing, Bitcoin trades at around $80,000, consolidating above its 200-day moving average as institutional positioning across Asia continues to deepen. Cover image from Grok, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

15 May 2026, 17:10

Arthur Hayes Endorses Hyperliquid Over CME and ICE, Escalating Exchange Debate

BitcoinWorld Arthur Hayes Endorses Hyperliquid Over CME and ICE, Escalating Exchange Debate BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has publicly thrown his weight behind the Hyperliquid (HYPE) platform, declaring it superior to established traditional exchanges like the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). The statement, posted on X, marks a significant endorsement from a prominent figure in the crypto industry and intensifies the ongoing debate between decentralized and centralized trading venues. Hayes’ Endorsement and the Regulatory Context Hayes’ comments come at a time of heightened regulatory scrutiny for Hyperliquid. Both CME Group and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) have previously called for the regulation of the platform, signaling that traditional financial institutions view Hyperliquid as a competitive threat that operates outside established regulatory frameworks. Hayes’ public backing directly counters this push, framing Hyperliquid as a technological advancement rather than a regulatory anomaly. The endorsement is notable given Hayes’ history as a co-founder of BitMEX, a platform that itself faced regulatory challenges from U.S. authorities. His perspective carries weight within the crypto community, where his views on market structure and decentralization are widely followed. Hyperliquid’s Position in the Market Hyperliquid has positioned itself as a high-performance decentralized exchange (DEX) offering derivatives trading with low latency and deep liquidity, directly competing with traditional centralized exchanges like CME and ICE. The platform’s native token, HYPE, has seen increased attention as traders seek alternatives to established financial infrastructure. Industry observers note that the clash between Hyperliquid and traditional exchanges is not merely about technology but also about regulatory philosophy. CME and ICE operate under strict oversight from bodies like the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), while Hyperliquid aims to operate in a more permissionless environment. Implications for Traders and Investors For traders, Hayes’ endorsement could drive further interest and capital toward Hyperliquid, potentially increasing its market share and liquidity. However, it also raises questions about the platform’s long-term viability if regulators decide to take enforcement action. The situation highlights a broader trend where crypto-native platforms challenge traditional financial institutions, forcing regulators to adapt. Investors should weigh the potential for high returns against the regulatory risks. The endorsement from a figure like Hayes may lend credibility to Hyperliquid, but it does not change the fundamental uncertainty surrounding its legal status in major jurisdictions. Conclusion Arthur Hayes’ public support for Hyperliquid over CME and ICE adds a high-profile voice to the debate over the future of financial exchanges. While the endorsement may boost Hyperliquid’s profile, the platform still faces significant regulatory headwinds. The coming months will be critical in determining whether decentralized exchanges can coexist with or ultimately replace their traditional counterparts. FAQs Q1: Why did Arthur Hayes endorse Hyperliquid over CME and ICE? Hayes believes Hyperliquid offers superior technology and a more innovative trading experience compared to traditional exchanges like CME and ICE. His endorsement reflects a broader preference for decentralized platforms within the crypto community. Q2: What are the regulatory risks for Hyperliquid? Hyperliquid faces potential regulatory action from U.S. authorities, as both CME Group and the NYSE have called for its regulation. The platform operates in a legal gray area, and any enforcement could impact its operations and token value. Q3: How does Hyperliquid compare to traditional exchanges like CME and ICE? Hyperliquid is a decentralized exchange offering derivatives trading with lower fees and faster settlement times than traditional exchanges. However, it lacks the regulatory oversight and institutional protections that CME and ICE provide, which may be a drawback for some investors. This post Arthur Hayes Endorses Hyperliquid Over CME and ICE, Escalating Exchange Debate first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

15 May 2026, 16:32

Wall Street energy exchanges urge U.S. crackdown on Hyperliquid

CME Group (CME) and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the company that owns the NYSE, are asking U.S. regulators to put Hyperliquid under tougher review. Bloomberg claims that both companies raised concerns about market manipulation and possible sanctions risk, and they want Hyperliquid to register with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. If that happens, the platform would need proper customer identity checks and systems that watch trades for abuse. CME and ICE ask regulators to bring Hyperliquid under CFTC control Hyperliquid has been called decentralized, but its structure still has clear control points, starting with HyperEVM (which now runs with 31 validators meant to be a better than the old setup, but still small compared with larger open networks). The bigger concern is that user deposits sit behind one custody route, and that bridge is protected by a 3-of-4 multisig wallet. So, four signers matter a lot, because three can control the door and that is not a tiny detail when billions in trading activity are involved. That design gives U.S. regulators a clear path if they decide to act. If American users are trading on Hyperliquid, even with the platform saying they should not, the CFTC can argue that the venue is touching the U.S. market. The IP block is weak. The trading activity is large. The platform is not some tiny DeFi experiment sitting in a corner of the internet. The pressure from CME and ICE also set off crypto Twitter. On-chain investigator ZachXBT wrote , “Interesting how NYSE only has issue with HL but not Polymarket. Never mind it all makes sense now.” After that, another user replied to Zach by pointing out the irony around U.S. access. The person wrote, “Its just funny that both are still restricted in the US lmao, while all this talk is going on with them we cant even use them legitimately.” Ansem had a different take after Coinbase (COIN) became the main treasury deployer for USDC on Hyperliquid. He wrote that “Coinbase becoming main treasury supplier of USDC is extremely bullish for Hyperliquid, not only adds ~$150M of yearly recurring revenue on the $5B in stables on the platform, but CB has a lot of what Hyperliquid needs to scale longterm, US regulatory wise & distribution wise.” Coinbase gives Hyperliquid more stablecoin reach as ETF demand rises The Coinbase link came at the same time as fresh ETF activity. 21Shares’ Hyperliquid ETF had stronger trading volume and net inflows on Thursday after Coinbase became the official treasury deployer for the perpetual trading platform. USDC has been the main stablecoin on Hyperliquid since the platform launched in 2023, based on Coinbase’s statement. Now, Native Markets, the operator of USDH, has given Coinbase the right to buy the USDH brand assets. The 21Shares HYPE ETF was the first spot fund tied to Hyperliquid. Bitwise launched its own product, the Bitwise Hyperliquid ETF (BHYP), on Thursday. Together, the two funds have brought in almost $8.2 million in net inflows, based on SoSoValue data. Hyperliquid was designed by Hyperliquid Labs, a team of engineers and researchers connected to Harvard, MIT, and Caltech, as well as individuals who previously worked for traditional trading and tech companies. At present, the Hyperliquid protocol is managed by the Hyper Foundation. Unlike other decentralized exchanges, Hyperliquid doesn’t use any automated market makers, but has a complete on-chain order book for spot and perpetual trades, aiming to reduce slippage. Hyperliquid’s architecture consists of three major elements. First, HyperBFT represents the network’s high-performance consensus algorithm based on the HotStuff consensus algorithm. Second, HyperCore is a Rust-based engine responsible for processing order books, margin, settlement, liquidations, spot markets, and perpetuities, supporting up to 200,000 transactions per second. HyperEVM provides developers with the ability to run Solidity-based smart contracts within the same consensus layer while allowing integration with HyperCore liquidity without utilizing the bridge solution. The native cryptocurrency of Hyperliquid is HYPE, used for staking, delegation of validators, governance, HyperEVM gas fees, and discounts on trading fees. Currently, with a valuation of around $10.8 billion, Hyperliquid occupies a significant part of weekly blockchain fee revenue earned by derivatives trading. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .

15 May 2026, 16:00

USD1 enters Binance Futures as a primary settlement stablecoin: Details

Can USD1 climb to global top three stablecoin list with the recent Binance scaling partnership?

15 May 2026, 15:58

Bitcoin Large Holders Move Over $700 Million in BTC to Coinbase

Large Bitcoin holders have moved over 10,450 BTC to large exchanges like Coinbase, FalconX and others, suggesting that whales may be taking profits.

15 May 2026, 15:55

Can Bitwise’s new ETF push HYPE price beyond $50?

Hyperliquid's native token HYPE has climbed more than 20% in the past 24 hours on the back of a number of bullish developments. According to market data, HYPE rallied from $38.41 on May 14 to as high as $46.67 before stabilising around $44. Fresh demand arrived alongside the launch of new US-listed Hyperliquid investment products. Earlier on Thursday, Bitwise Asset Management announced the start of trading for its spot Hyperliquid ETF on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BHYP. The company stated that the product is among the first spot Hyperliquid exchange-traded products in the United States and the first to include in-house staking through Bitwise Onchain Solutions. In a statement released by the firm, Matt Hougan said Hyperliquid had become “one of the most compelling investment opportunities in crypto today,” while pointing to the network’s role during February’s geopolitical tensions, when Bloomberg reportedly cited Hyperliquid’s crude oil perpetual market for price discovery, while traditional markets remained closed. Bitwise also stated that Hyperliquid processed roughly $2.9 trillion in trading volume during 2025, more than 400% higher than the previous year. The company added that the platform currently accounts for nearly 60% of global on-chain derivatives open interest and can process approximately 200,000 orders per second. ETF inflows and Coinbase partnership add momentum At nearly the same time, trading activity surrounding 21Shares’ Hyperliquid ETF accelerated following Coinbase’s latest integration with the network. Speaking to crypto media, 21Shares Director of Capital Markets Michael Friedman said the ETF recorded its “best day yet” on Thursday, generating $8.1 million in trading volume and around $4.9 million in net inflows. Friedman said that Coinbase’s announcement may have contributed to stronger trading activity. Earlier this week, Coinbase confirmed it would become the treasury deployment partner for USDC on the Hyperliquid network under the platform’s Aligned Quote Asset framework. Additional figures from SoSoValue showed that the Bitwise and 21Shares Hyperliquid ETFs have collectively attracted nearly $8.2 million in net inflows since launch. Behind the ETF activity, on-chain accumulation by major crypto investors has also strengthened bullish sentiment around the token. According to on-chain data, wallets linked to venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) acquired nearly $67.5 million worth of HYPE in the weeks leading up to the ETF launches. Market participants interpreted the purchases as a sign of institutional confidence in Hyperliquid’s Layer 1 infrastructure and trading ecosystem. At the policy level, regulatory developments in Washington added another catalyst for crypto markets. The US Senate Banking Committee recently advanced the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, a move that improved sentiment across digital assets as traders positioned for a more defined regulatory structure in the country. Alongside its derivatives exchange, Hyperliquid has continued expanding into lending, borrowing, spot trading, and Ethereum-compatible smart contract infrastructure through HyperEVM. Ongoing development tied to the network’s CoreWriter upgrade has also encouraged developers to build decentralised applications connected directly to Hyperliquid’s liquidity layer. HYPE price analysis According to the 4-hour HYPE/USDT price chart, Hyperliquid’s token has broken above its recent consolidation range after surging from around $38 to nearly $47 within a single trading session. HYPE/USDT 4-hour price chart. Source: TradingView. The rally pushed HYPE well above both the 9-period and 20-period exponential moving averages, with the shorter-term EMA crossing firmly above the longer-term EMA, a structure that typically signals strengthening bullish momentum. At the same time, trading volume expanded significantly during the breakout move, indicating that buyers actively supported the rally rather than the move being driven by thin liquidity. The latest candles, however, also show signs of volatility near the $46 to $47 region after sellers stepped in close to local highs. Momentum indicators suggest the uptrend remains intact, though traders may face short-term turbulence if buying pressure slows. The Relative Strength Index on the 4-hour timeframe recently climbed above the 70 level before cooling to around 56, showing that overheated conditions have eased slightly following the sharp run-up. A reset in RSI without a major price breakdown often indicates that bulls are attempting to establish support at higher levels rather than fully exiting positions. Meanwhile, the $43 area has started emerging as an important short-term support zone because both moving averages are now converging around that region. Holding above that level could allow HYPE to make another attempt toward the recent $46.67 high. If buyers regain control above that resistance band, traders may begin targeting the psychological $50 level next. On the downside, failure to defend the $43 to $42 range could expose HYPE to a deeper retracement toward the $40 region, where the previous breakout structure and rising EMAs may attract renewed demand. Beneath that, the chart shows a stronger liquidity pocket near $38 to $39, which previously acted as the launch point for the latest rally. Despite the recent pullback from local highs, the current chart structure still favors bullish continuation as long as HYPE remains above its short-term moving averages and volume stays elevated around breakout zones. The post Can Bitwise’s new ETF push HYPE price beyond $50? appeared first on Invezz