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1 Jun 2026, 05:30

Upbit to Temporarily Halt IOTX Deposits and Withdrawals Ahead of IoTeX Hard Fork

BitcoinWorld Upbit to Temporarily Halt IOTX Deposits and Withdrawals Ahead of IoTeX Hard Fork Upbit, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume, has announced a temporary suspension of deposits and withdrawals for IoTeX (IOTX) and its native network. The scheduled maintenance will begin at 9:00 a.m. UTC on June 7, 2025, to support an upcoming hard fork on the IoTeX blockchain. Why the Suspension Matters Hard forks represent significant protocol upgrades that often introduce new features, improve security, or change consensus mechanisms. During such events, exchanges must temporarily pause network activity to ensure transaction integrity and prevent potential loss of funds. For IOTX holders and traders, this means no deposits or withdrawals will be processed during the maintenance window. Upbit has not specified the exact duration of the suspension, but similar pauses typically last several hours, depending on the complexity of the fork and network stability after the upgrade. Users are advised to complete any pending transactions before the cutoff time. What Is the IoTeX Hard Fork? The IoTeX network, known for its focus on the Internet of Things (IoT) and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), is undergoing a planned protocol upgrade. While specific details of the fork have not been fully disclosed by the IoTeX team, such upgrades often aim to enhance scalability, reduce transaction fees, or introduce new smart contract capabilities. The hard fork is part of IoTeX’s ongoing roadmap to improve its blockchain infrastructure. Impact on Traders and Investors For users holding IOTX on Upbit, the suspension primarily affects the ability to move tokens in or out of the exchange. Trading pairs involving IOTX may continue to operate during the suspension, but this varies by exchange policy. Investors should monitor Upbit’s official announcements for real-time updates on the resumption of services. Historically, hard forks can create short-term volatility as markets react to network changes. However, the impact is often muted when the upgrade is non-contentious and widely supported by the community. IoTeX has a track record of successful upgrades, which may reassure holders. How to Prepare If you hold IOTX on Upbit, consider the following steps before June 7: Complete any pending deposits or withdrawals well before the 9:00 a.m. UTC deadline. Avoid initiating transfers close to the suspension time, as they may be delayed or fail. Check Upbit’s status page or official social media channels for updates on the resumption timeline. If you need to move IOTX to a personal wallet, do so before the cutoff. Conclusion Upbit’s temporary suspension of IOTX deposits and withdrawals is a standard precautionary measure to ensure a smooth hard fork transition. While the interruption is brief, it underscores the importance of planning ahead for network upgrades. The IoTeX community and Upbit users alike will be watching for a successful fork and the subsequent restoration of full network services. FAQs Q1: Will IOTX trading be affected during the suspension? Upbit has not confirmed whether trading pairs will remain active. Typically, exchanges may allow spot trading during network suspensions, but users should verify with Upbit’s official communications. Q2: How long will the suspension last? Upbit has not provided a specific end time. Suspensions for hard forks often last between 2 to 8 hours, depending on network stability after the upgrade. Q3: Is my IOTX safe during the hard fork? Yes. Hard forks are planned upgrades designed to improve the network. Exchanges pause activity to prevent transaction errors, and funds remain secure. Once the fork completes and the network is stable, deposits and withdrawals will resume. This post Upbit to Temporarily Halt IOTX Deposits and Withdrawals Ahead of IoTeX Hard Fork first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

1 Jun 2026, 02:45

Upbit to Temporarily Halt MEGA Deposits and Withdrawals for Network Upgrade

BitcoinWorld Upbit to Temporarily Halt MEGA Deposits and Withdrawals for Network Upgrade South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit has announced a temporary suspension of deposits and withdrawals for Megaether (MEGA), scheduled to take effect at 11:00 a.m. UTC on June 4. The exchange cited an upcoming network upgrade as the reason for the pause. Suspension Details and Timeline According to Upbit’s official notice, the suspension will begin at 11:00 a.m. UTC on June 4. During this period, users will be unable to deposit or withdraw MEGA tokens through the platform. The exchange has not yet specified when normal services will resume, though such suspensions typically last until the network upgrade is completed and stability is confirmed. Upbit advised users to complete any pending MEGA transactions before the cutoff time to avoid delays or processing failures. The exchange also noted that trading of MEGA on its order books may continue during the suspension, depending on market conditions. Why Network Upgrades Trigger Suspensions Network upgrades, often implemented through hard forks or protocol changes, can temporarily disrupt blockchain operations. Exchanges like Upbit routinely suspend deposits and withdrawals during such events to prevent transaction errors, double-spending risks, or the processing of transactions on an incompatible chain. This is a standard precautionary measure across major cryptocurrency trading platforms. For MEGA holders, the suspension means that tokens cannot be moved into or out of Upbit during the upgrade window. However, balances held on the exchange remain unaffected and will be credited after the network stabilizes. What This Means for Traders For active traders on Upbit, the suspension introduces a temporary liquidity constraint for MEGA. Those looking to move tokens to other exchanges or wallets should plan ahead. The suspension may also affect arbitrage opportunities between Upbit and other platforms that continue to support MEGA deposits and withdrawals. Upbit has not disclosed the exact nature of the network upgrade, but such events often involve improvements to scalability, security, or smart contract functionality. Traders are advised to monitor Upbit’s official announcements for updates on resumption timing. Conclusion Upbit’s temporary suspension of MEGA deposits and withdrawals on June 4 is a routine operational measure tied to a network upgrade. While the pause may cause short-term inconvenience for some users, it is designed to ensure transaction integrity and network stability. Affected users should complete transfers before the deadline and stay tuned for further updates from the exchange. FAQs Q1: Will my MEGA balance on Upbit be affected by the suspension? No. Your MEGA balance will remain safe and unchanged during the suspension. Only deposits and withdrawals are paused. Q2: Can I still trade MEGA on Upbit during the suspension? Yes, trading may continue as usual on Upbit’s order books, though this is subject to the exchange’s discretion. Q3: How long will the suspension last? Upbit has not specified an exact end time. Suspensions typically last until the network upgrade is completed and the exchange confirms network stability. This post Upbit to Temporarily Halt MEGA Deposits and Withdrawals for Network Upgrade first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

30 May 2026, 13:05

RWAs, Stablecoins & Decentralized Liquidity: The Institutional DeFi Wave That Could Redefine XRP Utility

XRP’s Shift From Bridge Asset to Institutional DeFi Backbone Gains Momentum Across XRPL Ecosystem According to crypto market intelligence firm Messari, XRP is steadily evolving from a simple bridge asset into a broader utility token embedded within the expanding institutional DeFi ecosystem on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). In its State of XRP Q1 2026 report , Messari notes that this shift is being driven by both direct protocol upgrades and indirect network effects. On the direct side, upcoming features such as native lending will allow XRP to be lent and borrowed on-chain, expanding its role beyond payments into credit markets and collateralized finance. This positions XRP as a more capital-efficient asset within DeFi, rather than just a settlement intermediary. On the indirect side, growing institutional adoption of XRPL infrastructure, particularly in tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), stablecoins, and decentralized liquidity, continues to deepen XRP’s integration across the network. As usage expands, XRP plays multiple structural roles, for instance, it’s used for transaction fees, reserve requirements for account creation, liquidity provisioning across markets, and as a neutral bridge between tokenized assets and currencies. As a result, these functions tie demand directly to network activity rather than speculation alone. XRPL Gains Institutional Momentum as Transactions Surge, RLUSD Expands, and RWA Market Hits $2.25B Record Messari also points to XRPL’s architectural advantage. Unlike many blockchains that depend heavily on complex smart contracts, XRPL builds core financial functions into the protocol itself. Features such as native token issuance, compliance tools, identity support, and a built-in decentralized exchange make it well-suited for regulated institutional use, where predictability and efficiency matter. This shift is already reflected in on-chain data. In Q1 2026, XRPL processed 2.48 million average daily transactions, up 35.3% quarter-over-quarter, signaling broad-based growth across payments, DeFi activity, and tokenized asset flows. Stablecoin momentum is also strengthening, with Ripple’s RLUSD reaching $340.3 million in market capitalization on XRPL, a 45% quarterly increase, becoming the network’s largest stablecoin. Furthermore, XRPL’s real-world asset market surged to $2.25 billion, a 124% jump, placing it among the leading blockchains for RWA activity. XRPL’s Next Leap: How Native Lending Could Turn XRP Into a Yield-Driven Liquidity Asset A key upcoming catalyst is the XRPL native lending protocol, which will enable users to lend and borrow XRP directly on-chain. This introduces a new yield-generating layer to the ecosystem and expands XRP’s role from a passive settlement asset into a productive financial instrument integrated into decentralized credit markets. At the protocol level, XRP remains structurally fixed. Its total supply is permanently capped at 100 billion, with no possibility of additional issuance and no single entity capable of altering that limit. This built-in scarcity continues to shape long-term supply dynamics as utility expands. Meanwhile, ecosystem developments are adding further momentum. Reports across the XRPL ecosystem point to growing DeFi integration, including wallet-level innovations such as biometric hardware with built-in swaps, yield features, and fiat on-ramps, signaling a shift toward full-service self-custody finance. Other developments in tokenized payments and real-world spending tools using QR-based systems are also contributing to the expanding utility narrative. What’s the takeaway? Well, Messari’s analysis paints a consistent picture that XRP is transitioning from a transactional bridge asset into a core liquidity and settlement layer for tokenized finance, with expanding roles in stablecoins, RWAs, and institutional DeFi infrastructure.

29 May 2026, 10:54

Vitalik’s Vision for Ethereum: CROPS Not Speed

Vitalik Buterin wants Ethereum to stop competing primarily on speed and focus instead on what the Ethereum Foundation calls CROPS, the cypherpunk properties of censorship resistance, openness, privacy and security. The success of that bet will ultimately depend on whether anyone values those properties enough to matter. Against a backdrop of growing competition from rival low-fee, high-throughput Layer-1 (L1) blockchains, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a personal note on May 24, 2026, outlining his vision of the future for both Ethereum and the Ethereum Foundation (EF). For Buterin, that future does not lie in trying to outperform faster chains but committing to CROPS. These are the cypherpunk properties the EF wants Ethereum to preserve: censorship resistance, openness, privacy and security. That may not sound like an institutional story at all. At least not on the surface. Banks and other financial institutions have so far generally preferred permissioned infrastructure. The regulatory framework also enforces this approach. However, if demand for settlement between public and private blockchains grows, the cypherpunk principles Ethereum is trying to pursue may still prove relevant in ways that are not immediately obvious. The question is whether anyone — institutions, users, developers or ETH holders — will value those principles enough to restore Ethereum’s momentum. The Case for CROPS CROPS, as outlined in the Ethereum Foundation’s March 2026 mandate , is an operational and philosophical framework prioritising censorship and capture resistance, openness, privacy and security. In practice, it is less a slogan than a filter for what the EF believes Ethereum should optimise to become “deeply impressive” as the Foundation itself adjusts to a more limited but more focused role. Those priorities point to a more specific technical agenda centered on goals such as making Ethereum “provably bug-free” through AI-assisted formal verification, stronger consensus resilience and minimising dependence on intermediaries. The common thread is improved long-term resilience. Ethereum should not depend on users trusting relayers, block builders, social coordination or emergency intervention any more than necessary. Ethereum’s next major protocol upgrade, Glamsterdam , continues that work at the protocol level. The goal is to continue improving scalability and speed, while the path to scale Ethereum rests on stronger trust guarantees than simply higher throughput. In Buterin’s framing, Ethereum should be “unreasonable” about those properties because they are the ones that are most important and the market is least likely to protect on its own. Faster chains can compete on speed, fees and UX. Ethereum’s bet is that what’s harder to copy is credible neutrality and infrastructure that remains open, secure and resistant to capture as it scales. One of the key tensions is that CROPS does not obviously serve Ethereum’s existing user base in the near term. Users generally choose chains based on fees, speed and where the applications they want actually live, not on formal verification or censorship resistance, which are mostly invisible until they matter. From the user perspective, a chain that has never had a transaction censored can look identical to one that is structurally harder to censor. In other words, with CROPS Ethereum is prioritising properties its users rarely experience day to day over the ones that already drive activity elsewhere. The Foundation’s Narrower Mandate Ethereum’s strategic narrowing is mirrored in the EF itself. Originally chartered to execute the initial technical roadmap outlined in Ethereum’s Whitepaper — a task effectively completed by the 2022 Merge —, according to Buterin, the Foundation was never designed to be Ethereum’s permanent centre of gravity. Rather than seeking to maximise every part of Ethereum’s growth, its role going forward should instead be focused on work critical to the network’s long-term neutrality and resilience. The logic for this is clear. A smaller EF with less overarching influence is, in theory, harder to capture by regulators, larger holders or coordinated political pressure. It is also less likely to crowd out independent teams and better aligned with the idea that Ethereum should be able to survive even if the Foundation itself were to one day suddenly disappear. But it also reflects real constraints. According to Buterin, the EF holds around 0.16 percent of all ETH and has signalled it intends to sell less going forward. The Foundation has also seen a series of senior departures in 2026, alongside visible disagreement over what role it should play. For example, former EF researcher Dankrad Feist proposed a separate organisation in May 2026. This alternative organisation would be backed by at least $1 billion in ETH focused directly on ETH performance, user growth and the “number go up” concerns that CROPS does not obviously address. The Institutional Case For Using Ethereum The common assumption is that the institutional case for Ethereum relies on banks and other financial institutions moving their operations on-chain, an assumption until now not borne out by reality. Institutions are already building their own private infrastructure driven partly by regulatory and compliance obligations. For instance, under Basel’s prudential rules , many permissionless-chain exposures fall into higher-risk categories unless they meet strict classification and hedging criteria. DORA, the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act , goes further in requiring financial institutions to demonstrate operational resilience across their digital systems, something easier to evidence on permissioned infrastructure. JPMorgan’s Kinexys , a private, permissioned blockchain platform for institutional transactions, is one example of that direction. Ethereum could eventually find a role among those institutional systems. As institutional infrastructure fragments across private ledgers, permissioned L2s, public networks and tokenised asset platforms, demand may grow for a neutral coordination and settlement layer. Few institutions building private rails are likely to want to rely on a competitor’s private rail for settlement, which is where public infrastructure may have an advantage. Bitcoin is the obvious benchmark. Its base layer already represents the strongest example of neutral, censorship-resistant settlement, but its intentionally limited scripting model means complex institutional workflows tend to be built around it rather than directly on it. Bitcoin-native infrastructure such as Liquid extends settlement and tokenised asset issuance without requiring Bitcoin itself to become a more complex smart contract platform. Ethereum’s claim is different in its attempt to combine public-chain neutrality with programmable settlement. The institutional argument for Ethereum is not that it replaces private infrastructure, but that it sits between the private systems institutions are building and will keep controlling themselves. Whether institutions ultimately value CROPS properties enough to rely on public blockchain infrastructure in a meaningful way remains an open question. Ethereum’s Real Test Ethereum’s CROPS pivot gives Ethereum a clearer answer to what it wants to be: not the fastest execution environment but a more neutral, resilient and harder-to-capture settlement layer. It is a coherent long-term strategy and potentially a useful one if public and private blockchain infrastructure continues to fragment. What remains to be seen is whether the market will reward it. CROPS may strengthen Ethereum’s claim as public infrastructure, but the demand for ETH depends on whether settlement demand between fragmented systems materialises and users notice the value of this new optimisation approach. The post Vitalik’s Vision for Ethereum: CROPS Not Speed appeared first on Bitfinex blog .

29 May 2026, 06:21

ETH Below $2,000: Why Record Futures Open Interest Could Make Ethereum More Volatile

Ether sliced through the $2,000 mark this week, jolting a market that had grown comfortable trading ranges and funding drifts. The breakdown came just as futures open interest in ETH notched a record high in coin terms — a combustible mix for price stability. With leverage stacked and spot flows turning defensive, the path of least resistance can be choppy. The question now isn’t simply “where is support,” but “how does the market behave when positioning is this crowded?” Below, we unpack how record open interest, ETF outflows, and a well-telegraphed options expiry could magnify Ethereum’s next moves — in both directions. The Big Picture Editor's note: In late Q1 and through Q2 2026, I watched ETH’s tape transition from orderly rotations to leverage-heavy chop. Conversations with desk heads kept circling the same points: coin-denominated OI was climbing even as spot bids thinned, and ETF flow reversals were stripping away a key buffer. I ran a few small delta-hedged structures around expiry weeks and noticed how quickly dealer hedging swung the market once round numbers broke. That experience reinforced a simple takeaway — in this regime, open interest is a volatility signal first, and a directional tell only sometimes. — Lena Carter ETH’s slide below $2,000 on May 28, 2026 — the first time since late March — arrived alongside a paradox: leverage kept climbing even as spot price fell. Per reporting that cited Coinglass data, aggregate ETH futures open interest reached a record 16.39 million ETH (roughly $32.5 billion notional at the time) on the same day. Meanwhile, U.S.-listed spot Ether ETFs swung to net outflows in May, reversing April’s net inflows. Specifically, CoinDesk noted ETH fell nearly 8% over seven days and over 5% in 24 hours into the break, while open interest in futures still edged higher to 16.39 million ETH. May saw about $401 million in cumulative net outflows from U.S. spot ETH ETFs, after roughly $354 million of net inflows in April, according to SoSoValue figures cited by CoinDesk. Those cross-currents help explain why price action felt disorderly rather than directional. When leverage expands into a weakening spot tape, volatility is no longer a tail risk — it becomes the base case until positioning resets. Why Record Open Interest Can Turbocharge Moves Open interest (OI) tallies how many futures contracts remain outstanding. Record coin-denominated OI implies a lot of exposure is riding on ETH’s next leg. High OI isn’t inherently bearish; but when it pairs with declining spot demand and thin resting liquidity, even routine moves can snowball into outsized swings. Leverage vs. liquidity: the knife’s edge Futures allow traders to control large notional exposure with relatively little margin. As OI climbs, so does the aggregate sensitivity of the market to adverse moves. A 2% drop might be trivial in spot, but on levered books it can trigger margin calls, forced de-risking, and algorithmic hedges. If liquidity has stepped back, the mechanical selling (or buying) required to rebalance positions can push price further than fundamentals alone would suggest. Where the positions sit matters While OI is a headline metric, its distribution across venues, maturities, and participant types shapes outcomes. If OI clusters in perpetual swaps with high retail participation, liquidation cascades can be more dramatic than in dated futures dominated by basis traders. Conversely, concentrated institutional basis exposure can lead to large spot-futures hedging flows when volatility spikes. These dynamics are why record OI often correlates with bigger realized swings, especially around key levels like $2,000. Spot Signals Are Diverging from Derivatives One reason the sub-$2,000 break stung: spot demand softened just as derivatives positioning thickened. U.S.-listed spot Ether ETFs saw about $401 million of net outflows in May 2026, reversing April’s net inflows of roughly $354 million, per SoSoValue figures relayed by CoinDesk . Outflows don’t mean a secular bear; they do suggest a near-term reduction in structural spot bids. ETFs as marginal buyers (or sellers) ETFs aren’t the whole market, but they can be decisive at the margin. Net inflows add steady spot accumulation; net outflows can reverse that, handing supply back into a market already trying to digest forced sells from derivative deleveraging. In May, the ETF pivot likely removed a cushion just as leverage swelled. Funding, basis, and what to watch Derivatives price signals — funding rates for perpetuals and the basis between futures and spot — contextualize OI. Persistently positive funding with price drifting lower can be a sign longs are crowded and vulnerable. Conversely, deeply negative funding may indicate capitulation. While exact prints shift hour by hour and across venues, the combination of record OI with a weaker spot tape is a classic recipe for higher realized volatility. Liquidations, Options, and the Volatility Loop The week’s selloff coincided with heavy liquidations across crypto and a sizable options expiry window — two ingredients that can reinforce each other. Over a 24-hour span into May 28, roughly $958.8 million in crypto positions were liquidated, with about $897 million being longs, according to CoinDesk . In that same window, CoinDesk reported ETH open interest still rose about 0.61% to 16.39 million ETH. Simultaneously, approximately $8 billion of options notional were set to expire on Deribit around May 29, including roughly $1.4 billion tied to ETH — a near-term gamma event that can amplify realized swings, as noted by CoinDesk . How a selloff becomes a cascade Price breaks a round number (e.g., $2,000), tripping stops and prompting hedges. Perp funding turns, and levered longs face margin calls; forced sells hit thin liquidity. Options dealers adjust delta and gamma hedges into a falling market, selling spot or futures. Downside liquidity gaps widen; more stops and liquidations fire as mark prices slide. Volatility spikes; some shorts cover, others press. The move overshoots until hedging flows subside. That loop can run in reverse on sharp squeezes if shorts are crowded. The key is not direction but asymmetry: when leverage is high, small triggers can create outsized moves. Levels, Flows, and Playbooks Amid Sub-$2K ETH Psychological thresholds matter because they align with positioning. The $2,000 level featured in options strikes, liquidation bands, and narrative anchor points. Once breached, liquidity often steps back until new ranges establish. Data points shaping the tape MetricRecent ReadingContext / SourceETH spot priceBreak below $2,000 on May 28, 2026 CoinDesk Futures open interest16.39M ETH (~$32.5B notional)Coinglass via CoinDesk U.S. spot ETH ETF flows (May)-$401M net outflowsSoSoValue via CoinDesk U.S. spot ETH ETF flows (April)+$354M net inflowsSoSoValue via CoinDesk Crypto liquidations (24h)$958.8M total; $897M longs CoinDesk Options expiry (around May 29)~$8B notional; ~$1.4B in ETH options CoinDesk Practical playbooks (not advice) There’s no universal approach, but market participants often focus on: Position sizing: reducing gross and net exposure when ranges expand can limit slippage. Liquidation buffers: maintaining higher margin ratios on perps to avoid forced exits. Staggered orders: using ladders and resting bids/offers to catch dislocations without chasing. Hedge flexibility: mixing options with futures to cap downside while preserving upside. Event calendars: planning around expiry, CPI/Fed dates , major unlocks, and protocol upgrades. What could calm volatility Stabilizing factors could include a turn back to net ETF inflows, a visible reduction in coin-denominated OI, or a compression in funding rates toward neutral. Clear catalysts — like progress on scaling roadmaps, liquidity returning to order books, or macro relief — can also temper realized swings. The absence of those ingredients tends to keep price action jumpy. Risks & What Could Go Wrong Leverage spiral: Elevated OI increases the odds of liquidation cascades on both sides. ETF supply overhang: Persistent outflows from spot ETH ETFs could remove a structural bid. Options-driven whipsaws: Dealer hedging around expiries and large gamma pockets can create sharp, transient moves. Liquidity fractures: Thin books during off-hours or venue outages can magnify gaps. Regulatory headlines: New rulings or enforcement actions may shift flows abruptly. Smart-contract and custody risks: On-chain exploits or custodian incidents can spark de-risking unrelated to macro. Warning: High open interest is not a direction call — it’s a volatility regime signal. Manage leverage and liquidity assumptions accordingly. If you want continuing context on how derivatives and flows intersect with ETH’s spot narrative, Crypto Daily tracks market structure and catalysts across cycles. You can find more timely research and news at Crypto Daily . Frequently Asked Questions Why can record futures open interest make ETH more volatile? Because more leverage is at stake. With large coin-denominated OI, relatively small price moves can trigger margin calls and hedging flows. If spot liquidity is thin or stepping back, those forced trades can push price further, producing bigger swings than fundamentals alone would imply. Did ETFs cause ETH to drop below $2,000? ETFs were likely a contributing factor, not the sole cause. U.S.-listed spot ETH ETFs saw about $401M in net outflows in May 2026 after $354M of inflows in April, per SoSoValue data cited by CoinDesk. That shift removed a supportive spot bid just as leverage rose, increasing fragility around the $2,000 level. How do liquidations and options expiry interact with price? Liquidations occur when levered positions can’t meet margin requirements, forcing sells (or buys) into the market. Around options expiries, dealer hedging can intensify directional flows. CoinDesk highlighted roughly $8B of options notional set to expire near May 29, including ~$1.4B in ETH — a setup that can amplify intraday volatility. Is high open interest bullish or bearish? Neither by itself. High OI is a positioning metric. It signals potential energy in the system. Combined with soft spot demand and key level breaks, it can skew realized volatility higher. Paired with rising spot demand and strong liquidity, it can support trend extensions without disorderly moves. What indicators should I monitor in this regime? Watch coin-denominated OI across major venues, perp funding rates, spot-futures basis, ETF flow trends, and liquidation maps. Also track options open interest and put/call skew into expiries. None are definitive alone; together they frame risk and positioning. Could ETH rebound quickly after sub-$2,000? It could. If shorts crowd in and funding flips deeply negative while liquidity reappears, a squeeze can be swift. Conversely, persistent ETF outflows or fresh macro shocks may keep ranges wide. The near-term path depends on how positioning resets and whether spot demand returns. How should traders think about leverage right now? Carefully. Elevated OI means liquidation thresholds can be closer than they appear, especially if volatility rises. Many participants increase buffers, reduce leverage, and diversify hedges around key levels and event dates. This is general market commentary, not financial advice. Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

28 May 2026, 12:17

Cardano millionaire wallets hold record ADA since December 2017

Cardano ( ADA ) whales, wallets with a balance of at least 1 million units, have increased their holdings to the highest level since December 2027. As of May 28, Cardano whales held 25.11 billion ADA, representing over 67% of the total circulating supply, according to data from Santiment . The supply of ADA held by this group of investors has gradually increased since the fourth quarter of 2023, which marked the end of the 2022 bear market. On-chain analysis for Cardano whales. Source: Santiment With ADA price hovering around $0.23 at press time, these holdings are valued at approximately $5.77 billion. Notably, their holdings have accelerated over the past two years despite the altcoin being trapped in a downtrend. As such, it signals strong investors’ conviction in Cardano, with a long-term perspective. Moreover, this group of investors has continued to aggressively accumulate ADA since early 2021, potentially due to the network’s improved performance amid regulatory backing. “When key stakeholders accumulate, this is generally a sign of confidence from the groups that are most deeply invested and have the most to gain/lose,” Santiment noted . Notably, the Cardano whales could be bullish on the network, as it has achieved greater decentralization over the past few years through several upgrades, including the Chang Hard Fork and Goguen. Additionally, ADA has gained significant regulatory clarity in the United States, and more is expected after a potential enactment of the Clarity Act – a proposed federal regulation aimed at legalizing the crypto space – in 2026. What’s next for Cardano price amid aggressive whales’ appetite Amid aggressive accumulation of Cardano by whale investors, ADA price has found strong support around $0.23. Moreover, the altcoin rebounded from the same buy wall after the 2022 bear market. ADA/USD all-time chart. Source: Finbold Meanwhile, Finbold AI Agent , an advanced financial assistant that leverages multiple AI models, has predicted further downside risk in June 2026. Cardano price prediction for Jun 30. Source: Finbold The Finbold AI Agent predicted that Cardano price could drop 9.54% to $0.208 by the end of next month. However, if the whale investors continue with their buying spree, a potential rebound could follow soon. The post Cardano millionaire wallets hold record ADA since December 2017 appeared first on Finbold .