Invest ideasNews
14 May 2026, 14:41
Coinbase now manages $5B in USDC on Hyperliquid
🚨 Coinbase now manages $5 billion in $USDC on Hyperliquid. Hyperliquid’s trading volume and on-chain activity are surging. Continue Reading: Coinbase now manages $5B in USDC on Hyperliquid The post Coinbase now manages $5B in USDC on Hyperliquid appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
14 May 2026, 14:30
TAC labels $2.8M bridge exploit a white hat incident as hacker claims 10% bounty
TAC, a cross-chain protocol that has marketed itself as a bridge between TON and Ethereum, has now reclassified its $2.8 million exploit from May 12 as a white hat event, after the hacker apparently took the team up on its offer to keep 10% of the “moved” funds in exchange for returning the rest to its multisig wallets. According to TAC’s disclosures of the event, the exploit targeted the TON side of its cross-chain layer, draining funds across USDT, BLUM, and tsTON. TAC said the vulnerability was isolated to native TON Jettons bridged from the TON network, and that the TAC token itself, TON, and all ERC-20 tokens were unaffected. The TAC token has taken a beating since the exploit, with price dropping more than 21% over the last week. Market cap is down to $79 million from over $91 million before the May 12 disclosure of the hack. TAC Protocol’s token price is down over the last week. Source: CoinMarketCap. TAC’s total value locked sits at approximately $2.74 million as of May 14, per DefiLlama , meaning the $2.8 million exploit roughly equaled the protocol’s entire TVL. TAC’s total value locked (TVL). Source: DeFiLlama. How did the TAC Protocol exploit happen? TAC first disclosed that it had been hacked on May 12. The message from the team on X claimed that it had paused the bridge after receiving reports from security partners. The team quickly moved to allay fears by insisting that the issue was limited in scope, affecting only a subset of bridged assets rather than the protocol’s broader infrastructure. As for how it would handle the coming days, the TAC Protocol team said: “Our focus is on making users whole and fully restoring bridge liquidity through a legally structured sale of Foundation’s TAC token treasury reserves.” By May 14, TAC had positive news to share. The team said that after the exploiter took its offer to return funds to the designated multisig wallet on Ethereum and a corresponding address on TON, it came to the decision not to pursue litigation, a decision that it coordinated with its security partners and law enforcement. The TAC team has paused investigations and litigation action and promised a 10% fee as a white hat bounty on its May 12 exploit. Source: @ TacBuild via X/Twitter . With the refunds, the TAC Protocol hack quickly went from exploit to white hat incident, with a 10% bounty offered up as incentive, which comes to about 13 ETH + 300ZEC. It is standard practice in Web3 to offer hackers a percentage of stolen funds in exchange for returning the majority of the loot. Transit Finance took a page from that book earlier this week after it lost $1.88 million from a deprecated TRON smart contract. The team sent an on-chain message to its attacker offering a percentage of stolen funds as a bug bounty in exchange for cooperation, with a 48-hour response window. Hackers drag cross-chain protocols through the wringer TAC’s exploit adds to a pattern of bridge and cross-chain vulnerabilities in early May 2026. Transit Finance attributed its breach to a contract that had been deprecated since 2022 but still held exploitable code. Security firm GoPlus Security flagged two private key compromises on May 12 totaling $238,000, and blockchain security company Blockaid identified a $456,000 exploit on Aurellion Labs’ uninitialized Diamond proxy contract on Arbitrum, according to Cryptopolitan’s reporting . The losses follow a rough April. CertiK reported approximately $651 million lost to exploits across the sector that month, the highest since March 2022, when excluding the Bybit incident in February 2025. The KelpDAO bridge exploit ($293 million) and Drift Protocol hack ($285 million) accounted for most of April’s damage. May’s individual incidents are smaller by comparison, but the frequency suggests the underlying conditions that enabled April’s record losses have not been addressed. TAC Protocol’s bridge remains paused. The team has not disclosed a timeline for resuming operations, but it said it will direct the remaining balance, minus the white hat bounty, to its multisig wallets. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
14 May 2026, 14:30
Bitfinex: Bitcoin On-Chain Metrics Improve, but New All-Time High Unlikely
BitcoinWorld Bitfinex: Bitcoin On-Chain Metrics Improve, but New All-Time High Unlikely Bitcoin’s on-chain indicators are showing their most positive signs since early February, but a new all-time high remains unlikely due to persistent selling pressure and cautious derivatives positioning, according to a recent report from Bitfinex. The analysis, cited by CoinDesk, highlights a nuanced recovery that still faces significant headwinds. Improving Metrics, Persistent Losses Bitfinex noted that several on-chain metrics have improved, suggesting a potential stabilization in network activity and investor sentiment. However, the daily average realized loss remains elevated at $479 million. The exchange stated that a true on-chain recovery cannot be confirmed until this figure drops to around the $200 million level, indicating that many recent buyers are still underwater on their positions. This high level of realized loss acts as a drag on price momentum, preventing a sustained rally. Macro Headwinds and Market Structure The report identifies two primary factors creating a macro ceiling for Bitcoin’s price. First, outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs have resumed, reducing demand from institutional investors who had been a key driver of the previous rally. Second, the Federal Reserve’s hawkish policy stance, characterized by higher-for-longer interest rates, is tightening financial conditions and reducing risk appetite across all asset classes. Bitfinex argues that without a significant geopolitical shift or a change in Fed policy, surpassing previous peaks will be difficult. What This Means for Investors For investors, the Bitfinex report suggests that while the worst of the sell-off may be over, a rapid return to all-time highs is not imminent. The improving on-chain metrics offer a cautiously optimistic signal, but the high realized losses and macro pressures indicate that Bitcoin may trade in a range for the foreseeable future. The focus should remain on monitoring the realized loss figure and ETF flows as key indicators of a genuine recovery. Conclusion Bitfinex’s analysis provides a balanced view of the current Bitcoin market: on-chain fundamentals are slowly healing, but the path to a new all-time high is blocked by significant selling pressure and a restrictive macroeconomic environment. Investors should temper expectations for a quick breakout and instead watch for a sustained decline in realized losses as the primary signal of a true recovery. FAQs Q1: What are Bitcoin on-chain metrics? On-chain metrics are data points derived from the Bitcoin blockchain, such as transaction volume, active addresses, and realized profits/losses. They provide insights into the health and behavior of the network and its users. Q2: Why is the realized loss figure important? The daily average realized loss measures the total losses incurred by sellers moving Bitcoin. A high figure indicates that many investors are selling at a loss, which creates downward price pressure. A drop to around $200 million would suggest that selling pressure has eased significantly. Q3: How does the Federal Reserve affect Bitcoin? The Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy influences the broader financial market. Higher interest rates make riskier assets like Bitcoin less attractive compared to safer, yield-bearing investments, reducing demand and capping price gains. This post Bitfinex: Bitcoin On-Chain Metrics Improve, but New All-Time High Unlikely first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
14 May 2026, 14:01
Coinbase Wins USDC Treasury Deployer Seat on Hyperliquid, Circle Handles Cross-Chain Infrastructure
Coinbase is stepping in as the official treasury deployer for USDC on Hyperliquid under a new framework called AQAv2, ending a fragmented stablecoin setup on one of decentralized finance’s most active perpetuals platforms. Coinbase Becomes USDC Treasury Deployer on Hyperliquid as Native Stablecoin USDH Winds Down Announced Thursday, the arrangement places Coinbase at the center
14 May 2026, 14:00
Oobit’s Colombia launch signals a bigger shift in crypto payments
Oobit , the crypto payments platform backed by stablecoin issuer Tether, has officially launched in Colombia, its ninth live market and the latest leg of a regional expansion that already spans Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. The announcement comes as the region's crypto economy, valued at roughly $44 billion, continues to attract fintech operators betting on practical, everyday use of digital assets. Colombia has quietly become one of the world's most stablecoin-heavy crypto markets. Chainalysis data shows the Colombian Peso ranked second globally in its share of centralized exchange stablecoin purchases, a sign that for most Colombian crypto users, stablecoins are not one option among many but a reliable entry point into accessing dollar-backed digital assets. The country's macro conditions explain much of that. Persistent peso volatility and heavy remittance dependence have conditioned households to think in digital dollars. Oobit’s expansion into the country is part of preparation for the next phase of crypto adoption – spending the digital dollars at everyday merchant stores. Oobit is not alone in the launch. Last month, Meta quietly launched stablecoin payouts for select creators in Colombia and the Philippines, its first re-entry into digital currency since the collapse of its Libra project. MoneyGram, meanwhile, chose Colombia as the debut market for its stablecoin remittance app, citing the country's heavy reliance on US-to-Colombia transfers and the volatility of the peso. The convergence of these moves suggests Colombia has crossed a threshold from interesting frontier market to active investment target for crypto payments infrastructure. With stablecoins now the dominant holding across Colombian exchanges and major platforms paying out in dollar-backed digital assets, Oobit is optimistic that the country is ready to spend crypto, not just hold it. Brazil shows what happens when stablecoins become spendable The clearest evidence is what has already happened in Brazil. Since launching in November 2024, Oobit has recorded over 200% growth in activity. Active Brazilian users are spending an average of roughly $400 a month across around 20 transactions, figures that describe a daily-use payment tool rather than a crypto experiment. USDT dominates volume across all of Oobit's LATAM markets, with the platform's native token second and USDC a distant third. The spending categories are equally telling. Across the LATAM region, grocery stores and supermarkets account for 35% of transactions, followed by restaurants at 8.8%, miscellaneous food outlets at 7.2%, department stores at 5.3%, and fast food at 4.1%. In Brazil, the merchant mix is broader, with beauty and barber shops at 5.5%, fuel retailers at 5%, and electronics and automotive outlets all featuring. These are not luxury or speculative purchases but the recurring costs of ordinary life. Oobit CEO Amram Adar commented on the milestone, noting that the company is proud to be part of changing how crypto holders in the region are using their digital assets. "Latin America is becoming a global leader in the real-world utility of digital assets. We are seeing a regional shift where crypto is no longer just an investment, but a primary way to pay for groceries and healthcare." Oobit operates as a non-custodial platform, meaning users hold their own private keys throughout. Spending works via a virtual Visa card accepted at over 150 million merchants across 80-plus countries, with crypto converted at the point of purchase and no manual offramp or bank account required. The post Oobit’s Colombia launch signals a bigger shift in crypto payments appeared first on Invezz
14 May 2026, 13:30
Bitcoin’s Rally Past $80K Fueled by Leverage, Not US Spot Demand: CryptoQuant
BitcoinWorld Bitcoin’s Rally Past $80K Fueled by Leverage, Not US Spot Demand: CryptoQuant Bitcoin’s recent surge past the $80,000 mark was primarily driven by leveraged futures trading rather than genuine spot buying pressure from U.S. investors, according to a new analysis from on-chain data firm CryptoQuant. The report, covered by CoinDesk, raises questions about the sustainability of the current rally. Coinbase Premium Signals Weak US Demand CryptoQuant’s analysis highlights a key metric known as the Coinbase Premium, which tracks the price difference between Bitcoin on Coinbase (a major U.S. exchange) and other global platforms. Since the end of April, this premium has remained consistently negative. This indicates that Bitcoin is trading at a higher price on overseas exchanges than on Coinbase, signaling relatively weak spot buying from U.S. institutional investors. In contrast, the analysis points to significant demand emerging from the perpetual futures market, a type of derivative contract that allows traders to speculate on price movements with leverage. This divergence between futures and spot markets is a critical warning sign for analysts. Why a Futures-Driven Rally Is Less Sustainable The report warns that a rally fueled by leveraged futures positions is often less stable than one backed by direct spot purchases. When prices are driven by leverage, a sudden shift in market sentiment or a cascade of liquidations can trigger sharp corrections. In a spot-driven rally, buyers take direct ownership of the asset, creating a more solid base of demand. This pattern has been observed in previous market cycles, where excessive leverage has led to rapid price increases followed by equally rapid declines. For investors, understanding the underlying drivers of price movements is crucial for risk assessment. Key Support Level Identified at $70,000 CryptoQuant also identified a critical support level for Bitcoin should the current upward trend lose momentum. According to the firm, the key level to watch is around $70,000. This price point corresponds to the on-chain realized price for short-term investors—the average price at which recent buyers acquired their coins. If Bitcoin’s price were to fall toward this level, it could act as a floor, as short-term holders may be reluctant to sell at a loss. Conversely, a decisive break below this support could signal a more significant market shift. Conclusion The current Bitcoin rally above $80,000 appears to be a product of leveraged speculation rather than a broad-based increase in U.S. spot demand. While futures markets can amplify upward momentum, they also introduce additional risk. Traders and investors should monitor the Coinbase Premium and futures market activity closely for signs of a potential trend reversal. The $70,000 level remains a key support to watch if the rally begins to stall. FAQs Q1: What is the Coinbase Premium and why does it matter? The Coinbase Premium measures the price difference for Bitcoin between Coinbase (a major U.S. exchange) and other global exchanges. A negative premium, as seen recently, suggests weaker demand from U.S. investors compared to international buyers. It is a key indicator of regional buying pressure. Q2: Why is a futures-driven rally considered less sustainable? Futures-driven rallies are fueled by leveraged positions, which can be unwound quickly through liquidations. This can lead to sudden and sharp price drops. In contrast, spot buying involves direct ownership of the asset, creating a more stable and long-term demand base. Q3: What does the $70,000 support level mean for Bitcoin? The $70,000 level corresponds to the on-chain realized price for short-term Bitcoin investors. It represents the average cost basis for recent buyers. Historically, such levels can act as strong support, as holders may be less willing to sell at a loss, potentially slowing a price decline. This post Bitcoin’s Rally Past $80K Fueled by Leverage, Not US Spot Demand: CryptoQuant first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
