hodler

18 May 2026, 16:30

Gov. Walz Signs Bitcoin Custody Bill, Letting Minnesota Banks Hold Crypto Aug. 1

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed HF 3709 into law this past week, authorizing state-chartered banks and credit unions to hold bitcoin and other virtual currencies on behalf of customers. State-Chartered Banks in Minnesota Will Be Able to Custody Bitcoin Under New Law The legislation, now Chapter 93 of the 2026 Session Laws, takes effect Aug.

18 May 2026, 15:30

Minnesota signs bill allowing banks and credit unions to offer crypto custody services

BitcoinWorld Minnesota signs bill allowing banks and credit unions to offer crypto custody services Minnesota has enacted a new law that explicitly permits banks and credit unions operating within the state to offer cryptocurrency custody services to their customers. The legislation, signed by Governor Tim Walz, creates a formal regulatory pathway for traditional financial institutions to securely store digital assets such as Bitcoin and other virtual currencies on behalf of clients. What the new law means for financial institutions Under the bill, which passed with bipartisan support in the Minnesota legislature, state-chartered banks and credit unions are now authorized to act as custodians for virtual assets. This means these institutions can legally hold private keys and manage the storage of cryptocurrencies, a service that has largely been provided by specialized crypto firms or unregulated entities. The law requires financial institutions to establish comprehensive policies covering risk management, cybersecurity protocols, internal controls, and business continuity planning. The Minnesota Department of Commerce will oversee compliance and supervise the custody activities to ensure consumer protection and financial stability. Why this matters for consumers and the crypto industry The move is significant because it bridges the gap between the traditional banking system and the digital asset economy. For consumers, having a regulated bank or credit union offer crypto custody could provide a more familiar and trusted environment for storing digital wealth, potentially reducing reliance on standalone crypto exchanges or uninsured wallets. For the broader cryptocurrency industry, Minnesota’s legislation adds to a growing patchwork of state-level regulatory frameworks in the United States. Unlike federal-level uncertainty, several states have moved to clarify the legal status of digital asset services, aiming to attract crypto-related businesses while maintaining oversight. Key provisions of the bill Authorizes state-chartered banks and credit unions to provide cryptocurrency custody services Mandates risk management, cybersecurity, and internal control policies Requires business continuity planning for digital asset operations Places supervision under the Minnesota Department of Commerce Applies to virtual assets like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies Comparison with other states Minnesota joins a growing list of states that have enacted crypto custody laws, including Wyoming, Nebraska, and Texas. However, Minnesota’s approach is notable for explicitly including credit unions alongside banks, which broadens access for smaller financial institutions and their members. Wyoming, for example, created a special-purpose depository institution charter for crypto firms, while Nebraska established a digital asset banking framework. Minnesota’s law is more focused on allowing existing institutions to expand their services rather than creating new charter types. Implications for the future of digital asset regulation This state-level action comes amid ongoing debate at the federal level about how to regulate cryptocurrencies and digital assets. While Congress has yet to pass comprehensive legislation, states like Minnesota are filling the gap with tailored laws that provide clarity for local financial institutions. The law could also influence other states considering similar legislation. By providing a clear regulatory framework, Minnesota aims to position itself as a favorable jurisdiction for crypto innovation while maintaining consumer safeguards. Conclusion Minnesota’s new law represents a measured step toward integrating cryptocurrency services into the mainstream financial system. By allowing banks and credit unions to offer crypto custody under state supervision, the legislation balances innovation with consumer protection. For residents and businesses in Minnesota, this means greater access to regulated digital asset storage options in the near future. FAQs Q1: What exactly is cryptocurrency custody? Cryptocurrency custody refers to the secure storage of private keys that control access to digital assets like Bitcoin. Custodians hold these keys on behalf of clients, providing security against theft or loss, similar to how a bank safeguards traditional assets in a safe deposit box. Q2: Does this law require banks to offer crypto custody? No, the law is permissive, not mandatory. It allows banks and credit unions to offer these services if they choose to, but does not require them to do so. Institutions must still develop appropriate policies and receive regulatory approval before launching custody services. Q3: When will Minnesota banks start offering crypto custody? The law takes effect upon signing, but institutions will need time to develop compliant policies, implement security measures, and receive supervisory approval from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Consumers may see services become available over the coming months to a year, depending on each institution’s readiness. This post Minnesota signs bill allowing banks and credit unions to offer crypto custody services first appeared on BitcoinWorld .

18 May 2026, 14:00

Did The Cardano Founder Help To Derail XRP’s Growth? Ripple Community Draws Out Hoskinson

A member of the Ripple community has called out Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson for helping derail XRP’s growth through the ETHgate saga. In response, Hoskinson has defended himself, arguing that it is impossible he was involved in the XRP lawsuit. Cardano Founder Accused Of Derailing XRP’s Growth In an X post , Ripple community member Wino opined that the Cardano founder was involved in the ETHgate, which negatively impacted XRP’s growth. The ETHgate involves allegations that the U.S. SEC favored Ethereum over XRP by declaring that the former wasn’t a security. The Commission also eventually sued Ripple, arguing that XRP was a security . This notably impacted XRP’s growth as the altcoin stagnated for most of the lawsuit and failed to record any significant gains even during the 2021 bull run. XRP and Ethereum were notably ranked as the largest altcoins by market cap at the time, making them direct competitors and fueling speculation that the ETHgate was aimed at bringing XRP down. Meanwhile, in response to claims that he was involved in the ETHgate, the Cardano founder noted that he was “pushed” out of Ethereum in June 2014. He added that since then, they have spent 12 years attacking him. As such, he questioned how it was possible that he decided, years later, to coordinate with them to help Ethereum attack XRP. It is worth noting that the Cardano founder was one of Ethereum’s co-founders but left in June 2014 over differences with Vitalik Buterin and the other co-founders. Since then, Hoskinson has criticized Ethereum on several occasions, including once predicting that the network wouldn’t survive the next ten to fifteen years. Wino, who had accused the Cardano founder of being part of ETHgate, later revealed that his accusation was based on hearsay and that he was hoping the truth would come out someday. He added that he was rooting for the CLARITY Act to pass, so that ADA and XRP could both record parabolic rallies. Focus Is On The CLARITY Act Wino’s accusations stemmed from a discussion of the CLARITY Act , in which the Cardano founder had warned that the crypto bill was far from perfect. He further remarked that, under the bill, there was a risk that the SEC would classify new crypto projects as securities. However, pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton had before now mentioned that failure to pass the crypto bill risks a ‘Gensler 2.0.’ The CLARITY Act advanced to the full Senate last week as the Senate Banking Committee voted in favor of the bill. The crypto market structure bill will provide regulatory clarity for crypto assets such as XRP and Cardano, classifying them as commodities. However, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse opined that XRP will be okay whether or not the crypto bill passes, as Judge Analisa Torres already ruled that the crypto isn’t a security.

18 May 2026, 13:04

Bitcoin Depot Shuts ATM Network as Chapter 11 Pushes Asset Sale

Bitcoin Depot entered Chapter 11 to wind down operations, sell assets, and shut its bitcoin ATM network as state rules tighten. The company cited new compliance burdens, transaction limits, and restrictions affecting BTM operators. Bitcoin Depot Begins Chapter 11 Process Amid Regulatory Pressure Bitcoin Depot Inc. (Nasdaq: BTM) announced on May 18 that it initiated

18 May 2026, 13:02

Shocking Amazon Vs. XRP Price Chart: This Is How XRP Can Hit $100

A chart comparison is making its way through the crypto community, and the analysts behind it believe XRP is sitting on one of the most significant setups in digital asset history. On a recent episode of the Good Evening Crypto podcast, host Abs Nassif and co-host Johnny Krypto broke down the case. Their argument centers on a direct parallel between XRP’s current price structure and Amazon’s trajectory following the dot-com crash. THIS Is How $XRP Can HIT $100 Per Coin! SHOCKING Amazon vs. XRP Price Chart! CLICK BELOW TO WATCH NOW!! https://t.co/T22IKar1gS — Good Evening Crypto (@AbsGEC) May 16, 2026 The Amazon Comparison In a featured clip, Waters Above laid out the technical case. Amazon did not break out into price discovery from late 2005 to 2007. Instead, it formed a double top and then experienced a 70% crash before stabilizing. It eventually pushed into price discovery in 2010 alongside Apple. He pointed out that XRP has already followed the same path. “XRP has already had around a 70% correction,” he noted, adding that he believes that the XRP bottom is in . From there, Amazon climbed from under $2 at its bottom to more than $260 over the following decade. Nassif connected that trajectory directly to XRP, citing regulatory clarity as the catalyst that mirrors what unlocked Amazon’s growth era. The Regulatory Catalyst The CLARITY Act passed the Senate Banking Committee last week. Nassif sees that as a signal that the legislation has institutional backing. He expects a full Senate vote between now and late June, with a potential presidential signature by the July 4 deadline cited by Senator Lummis. Nassif argued that once that clarity arrives, U.S. banks, payment providers, and corporations can confidently adopt XRP. “That clarity flips the switch from speculation into real-world utility,” he said. Institutional Demand and RLUSD Nassif also pointed to the RLUSD stablecoin as a driver of structural demand. Any institution running RLUSD on the XRP ledger must have enough XRP to ensure the network stays live. He believes large companies are already secretly accumulating XRP . We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Johnny Krypto added context from the technology side. He expects a valuation correlation between the volume of activity running on the XRP ledger and the price of XRP. The $100 Target Nassif put a direct number on the long-term potential. He said XRP “could easily be a multi-hundred dollar asset” within 5 to 12 years, based on comparisons to Tesla’s move from $13 to over $430 after breaking its all-time high, and Amazon’s run following regulatory and technological tailwinds. Nassif noted that only about 1 million wallets worldwide hold more than 2,000 XRP, with 85% of eventual digital asset holders still on the sidelines. That scale of incoming capital is central to its rise to $100. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Shocking Amazon Vs. XRP Price Chart: This Is How XRP Can Hit $100 appeared first on Times Tabloid .

18 May 2026, 12:54

Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) Announces ETH Holdings Reach 5.28 Million Tokens, and Total Crypto and Total Cash Holdings of $12.6 Billion

Bitmine owns more than 4.37% of the total ETH coin supply of 120.7 million Bitmine is 87% of the way to the 'Alchemy of 5%' in just 11 months Ethereum continues to benefit from the dual tailwinds of Wall Street tokenizing on the blockchain and from agentic AI systems increasingly needing public and neutral blockchains Bitmine uplisted to the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") from the NYSE American effective as of April 9, 2026 Bitmine has 4,712,917 staked ETH, representing $10.3 billion at $2,191 per ETH MAVAN (Made in America VAlidator Network) is a premier Ethereum staking destination for BMNR and institutional investors, with a focus on security, performance, and resilience Bitmine owns $83 million of Eightco (NASDAQ: ORBS), now one of the only publicly listed equities in the world to provide investors indirect exposure to OpenAI Bitmine Crypto + Total Cash Holdings + "Moonshots" total $12.6 billion, including 5.28 million ETH tokens, total cash of $685 million, and other crypto holdings Bitmine leads crypto treasury peers by both the velocity of raising crypto NAV per share and by the high trading liquidity of BMNR stock Bitmine is the 133rd most traded stock in the US, trading $857 million per day (5-day avg) Bitmine remains supported by a premier group of institutional investors including ARK's Cathie Wood, MOZAYYX, Founders Fund, Bill Miller III, Pantera, Kraken, DCG, Galaxy Digital and personal investor Thomas "Tom" Lee to support Bitmine's goal of acquiring 5% of ETH NORWALK, Conn., May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- (NYSE: BMNR) Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc. ("Bitmine" or the "Company") a Bitcoin and Ethereum Network company with a focus on the accumulation of crypto for long term investment, today announced Bitmine crypto + total cash + "moonshots" holdings totaling $12.6 billion. The Company recently announced its uplisting to the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") from the NYSE American on April 9, 2026. The Company's common stock continues to trade under the symbol "BMNR". As of May 17, 2026 at 4:00pm ET, the Company's crypto holdings are comprised of 5,278,462 ETH at $2,191 per ETH (Coinbase NASDAQ: COIN), 202 Bitcoin (BTC), $200 million stake in Beast Industries, $83 million stake in Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS) ("moonshots") and total cash of $685 million. Bitmine's ETH holdings are 4.37% of the ETH supply (of 120.7 million ETH). On May 11, 2026, Bitmine released the latest Chairman's Message ( link here ) for May 2026. The CLARITY Act cleared the Senate Banking Committee last week, and will move to the full Senate for a vote later this year. This proposed legislation provides the necessary regulatory framework for the crypto industry and properly defines decentralization, strengthens consumer protection and AML (anti-money laundering). "The CLARITY Act provides the necessary regulatory clarity for the crypto industry and Wall Street to build the next generation set of financial products and architecture." stated Thomas "Tom" Lee, Chairman of Bitmine. "There are still many steps and hurdles to overcome before the CLARITY Act becomes law. But we believe the probability of passage is higher than the 61% reflected on Polymarket.com ." "Over the past week, we acquired 71,672 ETH. We view the recent pullback of ETH to below $2,200 as an attractive opportunity. Bitmine is expected to reach the 'alchemy of 5%' sometime in 2026." stated Lee. Bitmine recently launched MAVAN (the Made in American VAlidator Network), the institutional grade staking platform. While MAVAN was originally developed to support Bitmine's own Ethereum treasury, MAVAN intends to expand to serve institutional investors, custodians, and ecosystem partners seeking best-in-class staking infrastructure. A portion of Bitmine's ETH is already staked on the MAVAN platform. As of May 17, 2026, Bitmine total staked ETH stands at 4,712,917 ($10.3 billion at $2,191 per ETH). "Bitmine has staked more ETH than other entities in the world. At scale (when Bitmine's ETH is fully staked by MAVAN and its staking partners), the projected ETH staking reward is $324 million annually (using 2.80% 7-day BMNR yield)," stated Lee. "Annualized staking revenues are now $289 million. And this 4.7 million ETH is over 89% of the 5.28 million ETH held by Bitmine. Bitmine's own staking operations generated a 7-day yield of 2.80% (annualized)," continued Lee. Bitmine crypto holding reigns as the #1 Ethereum treasury and #2 global treasury, behind Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ: MSTR), which reportedly owns 818,869 BTC valued at $64.1 billion. Bitmine remains the largest ETH treasury in the world. Bitmine is one of the most widely traded stocks in the US. According to data from Fundstrat, the stock has traded average daily dollar volume of $857 million (5-day average, as of May 15, 2026), ranking #133 in the US, behind Applied Digital Corp (rank #132) and ahead of Capital One Financial Corp (rank #134) among 5,704 US-listed stocks ( statista.com and Fundstrat research). The GENIUS Act and Securities and Exchange Commission's (the "SEC") Project Crypto are as transformational to financial services in 2025 as US action on August 15, 1971 ending Bretton Woods and the USD on the gold standard 54 years ago. This 1971 event was the catalyst for the modernization of Wall Street, creating the iconic Wall Street titans and financial and payment rails of today. These proved to be better investments than gold. The Chairman's message can be found here: https://www.Bitminetech.io/chairmans-message The Fiscal Full Year 2025 Earnings presentation and corporate presentation can be found here: https://Bitminetech.io/investor-relations/ To stay informed, please sign up at: https://Bitminetech.io/contact-us/ About Bitmine Bitmine (NYSE: BMNR) is a Bitcoin miner with operations in the US. The company is deploying its excess capital to be the leading Ethereum Treasury company in the world, implementing an innovative digital asset strategy for institutional investors and public market participants. Guided by its philosophy of "the alchemy of 5%," the Company is committed to ETH as its primary treasury reserve asset, leveraging native protocol-level activities including staking and decentralized finance mechanisms. The Company launched MAVAN (Made-in America VAlidator Network), a dedicated staking infrastructure for Bitmine assets, in 2026. For additional details, follow on X: https://x.com/bitmnr https://x.com/fundstrat Forward Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." The statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. This document specifically contains forward-looking statements regarding: (i) progress and achievement of the Company's goals regarding ETH acquisition, including the 'Alchemy of 5%' initiative and the long-term value of Ethereum; (ii) the Company's beliefs regarding Ethereum's performance relative to other assets, including its characterization as a "wartime store of value" and its performance during geopolitical events; (iii) the Company's expectations regarding the current state and future trajectory of the cryptocurrency market, including statements that ETH may be in the "final stages of the mini-crypto winter"; (iv) continued growth and advancement of the Company's Ethereum treasury strategy and the applicable benefits to the Company; (v) the Company's share repurchase program, including statements regarding shares trading below intrinsic value, the Company's ability to accretively retire common shares, and the execution of repurchases through open market transactions; (vi) the Company's digital asset accumulation strategy and staking operations, including MAVAN, its expansion to serve institutional investors, custodians, and ecosystem partners, and projected annual staking revenues and rewards; (vii) statements regarding the benefits of Wall Street tokenization on the blockchain and agentic AI systems utilizing public blockchains; (viii) expectations regarding the potential impact of regulatory developments, including the GENIUS Act and SEC Project Crypto, on financial services and digital assets; and (ix) the Company's financial flexibility to support its treasury operations and expanded repurchase authorization. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors, including: Bitmine's ability to keep pace with new technology and changing market needs; Bitmine's ability to finance its current business, Ethereum treasury operations, share repurchase program, and proposed future business; the competitive environment of Bitmine's business; market conditions affecting the trading price of the Company's common stock; regulatory developments affecting digital assets, including the ultimate enactment and implementation of pending legislation and SEC initiatives; geopolitical events and their impact on cryptocurrency markets; the volatility and unpredictability of digital asset prices; and the future value of Bitcoin and Ethereum. Actual future performance outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond Bitmine's control, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of Bitmine's Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 21, 2025, as well as all other SEC filings, as amended or updated from time to time. Copies of Bitmine's filings with the SEC are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . Bitmine undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. Disclaimer: This is a sponsored press release and is for informational purposes only. It does not reflect the views of Bitzo, nor is it intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.