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17 May 2026, 14:04
Ethereum News: Donald Trump-Linked World Liberty Sells 4,870 ETH for $10.61M

A wallet linked to the Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial project sold 4,870 ETH for about $10.61 million in USDC, according to market data shared by crypto trackers. The sale was executed at an average price of roughly $2,178 per ETH. Ethereum traded near $2,185 after the transaction, moving slightly lower during the session as the asset continued to face pressure from exchange-traded fund outflows and broader market caution. ETH has been trading near the lower part of a recent channel, with analysts watching whether buyers defend the $2,150 support zone. The World Liberty sale comes as the project remains under public and legal scrutiny. The Trump-linked crypto venture has faced questions over its governance token, treasury activity, investor restrictions, and reported disputes with early backers. World Liberty Sells ETH as Market Watches Treasury Activity The 4,870 ETH sale adds to recent treasury management activity tied to World Liberty Financial. The project has previously drawn market attention because of its political links, token structure, and reported asset movements. The latest sale converted ETH into USDC, a dollar-pegged stablecoin widely used in crypto trading and treasury management. Such transactions are often watched by traders because large wallet sales can affect market sentiment, especially when they involve politically connected or widely followed projects. World Liberty’s WLFI governance token has also faced heavy volatility. The token was recently trading near $0.08, far below its earlier high. However, as of now, early investors are allowed to unlock 20% of their holdings, creating new supply dynamics in the market. The project has also faced scrutiny over a reported $75 million loan using WLFI tokens as collateral. Lawmakers and legal observers have questioned whether the structure raises investor protection and liquidity concerns. Ethereum ETFs Record Heavy Weekly Outflows Ethereum’s market backdrop remains weak after another week of U.S. spot crypto ETF outflows. Spot Ethereum ETFs recorded about $255.11 million in net outflows for the week of May 11 to May 15, according to data cited by market reports. BlackRock’s Ethereum ETF reportedly sold about 77,567 ETH during the week, while Fidelity sold about 25,770 ETH. Grayscale sold about 7,409 ETH, and ARK 21Shares sold 637 ETH. VanEck was among the few issuers listed as buying ETH during the same period. The broader U.S. spot crypto ETF market recorded roughly $1.13 billion in total net outflows last week, including about $1 billion from Bitcoin ETFs. The outflows show that institutional fund flows remained negative across both major crypto assets. Ethereum’s price has held near $2,150 to $2,185 despite the fund withdrawals. Analyst Ali Martinez noted that ETH had returned to the lower end of its channel and said a rebound could occur if the $2,150 support area holds. If buyers defend that zone, traders are watching possible moves toward $2,280 and $2,390. A break below the lower support area could weaken the setup and increase attention on deeper demand levels. Legal Pressure Builds Around WLFI World Liberty Financial is also facing legal and regulatory pressure. Senator Elizabeth Warren has reportedly requested that the Securities and Exchange Commission investigate the project for possible securities law issues and investor disclosures. Legal analysts have argued that WLFI may face questions under the Howey test, which is used to assess whether an asset is an investment contract. The project has not been found liable in court on those claims. The project is also involved in a dispute with Tron founder Justin Sun, who reportedly invested $45 million in World Liberty. Sun has alleged that his tokens were unfairly frozen and that the project used account controls to restrict his ability to sell or move assets. World Liberty executives, including Zach Witkoff and Eric Trump, have rejected Sun’s claims and described them as meritless, according to reports. The dispute remains part of a wider legal fight around investor rights, token controls and project governance.
17 May 2026, 11:23
Will XRP Explode as CLARITY Act Passes Senate Stage? ChatGPT Sees One Big Catch

After months of negotiations and delays, a US Senate panel on Thursday finally approved the CLARITY Act with a 15-9 vote. Although there’s still a long way to go until the bills become law, since there’s a lot of opposition left and it would need to clear the full Senate, the cryptocurrency market already experienced a notable price boost once the news went live on Thursday. The question we asked ChatGPT is what sort of impact would the CLARITY Act’s potential approval have on XRP, since many analysts in the past have noted that the asset requires further regulatory clarity (no pun intended) to unlock its next major phase up. Impact on XRP The bill’s structure is designed to finally clarify one of the most controversial and important questions in the cryptocurrency industry: when is a token a security, and when it is not. Given Ripple’s (and XRP’s) history with the US SEC on the topic and how much it haunted them for years, it’s safe to say that the cross-border token and the company behind it should look forward to the most for a clear answer. As mentioned above, analysts are adamant that XRP will be among the most spectacular beneficiaries, with some expecting multi-billion-dollar inflows toward the spot ETFs tracking its performance. ChatGPT agreed to a large extent, as Ripple has always positioned XRP as a utility asset and a cross-border liquidity tool. It’s infrastructure for payments rather than a traditional investment contract, the company says. “XRP’s underperformance in recent months or even years on broader scales was caused less by technology weakness and more by regulatory pressure… Remove that pressure, and the narrative changes fast,” said the AI tool. Will the Price Explode? The bullish scenario for XRP is if the bill continues to progress, while the overall market sentiment remains positive and institutions interpret the asset as safer from future SEC attacks, said ChatGPT. Then, the token could see “renewed exchange activity, increased institutional interest, and potentially a major breakout attempt.” The first major psychological line for XRP would be the $2.00 resistance: flipping it into support “could happen surprisingly quickly if momentum accelerates.” However, there’s a big catch, the AI platform warned. If XRP indeed relies on the CLARITY Act’s full approval, then the fact that it might take months or even years for the complete resolution could spell trouble or consolidation for the asset. As such, ChatGPT concluded that passing Senate now was a “huge milestone,” but it’s far from “being the finish line.” The post Will XRP Explode as CLARITY Act Passes Senate Stage? ChatGPT Sees One Big Catch appeared first on CryptoPotato .
17 May 2026, 09:35
BlackRock dumped over $650 million of these cryptocurrencies in a week

BlackRock’s cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds ( ETFs ) recorded more than $650 million in combined outflows over the past five trading days, coinciding with weakening sentiment across the market. Specifically, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ( BTC ) Trust (IBIT) accounted for most of the withdrawals, posting total outflows of about $461.2 million between May 11 and May 15. The steepest single-day decline came on May 13, when the fund lost $284.7 million, followed by another $136.2 million in outflows on May 15. Although IBIT briefly rebounded with $144.1 million in inflows on May 14, the overall weekly trend remained negative. Total Bitcoin spot ETF inflows. Source: Coinglass Ethereum ( ETH )-focused products also faced heavy selling pressure during the same period. BlackRock’s ETHA fund recorded cumulative outflows of $186.7 million, while ETHB saw an additional $6 million withdrawn, bringing combined Ethereum ETF outflows to roughly $192.7 million for the week. The largest Ethereum ETF decline occurred on May 12, when ETHA alone posted $102 million in outflows, followed by another $50.4 million withdrawn on May 15. While some Ethereum ETFs, including Fidelity’s FETH and VanEck’s ETHV, posted modest inflows, they failed to offset the broader sector weakness. BlackRock’s combined Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF outflows totaled about $653.9 million over the five days. Total Ethereum spot ETF inflows. Source: Coinglass Wider market crypto ETF outflows The wider cryptocurrency ETF market also experienced heavy redemptions, with spot Bitcoin ETFs recording more than $630 million in outflows on May 13 alone, while Ethereum ETFs posted mostly negative daily flows throughout the week. Despite the pullback, cumulative net inflows since launch remain above $58 billion following strong inflow streaks earlier in May. The withdrawals came amid rising Treasury yields, persistent inflation concerns, and geopolitical tensions that pressured risk assets. Additionally, the outflows came even as U.S. regulators advanced the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act through the Senate Banking Committee in a bipartisan vote on May 14. The bill seeks to clarify crypto oversight by granting the CFTC authority over digital commodities such as Bitcoin while introducing additional consumer protections. Analysts view the legislation as a potential boost for long-term institutional adoption, although recent ETF flows suggest investors remain cautious amid profit-taking and macroeconomic uncertainty. This came as Bitcoin dropped below $80,000, while Ethereum hovered around $2,100 as markets reacted to U.S. economic data and broader risk sentiment. The post BlackRock dumped over $650 million of these cryptocurrencies in a week appeared first on Finbold .
17 May 2026, 09:32
Ripple CTO backs Deaton’s Senate run with XRP donation

🚨 Ripple CTO donated XRP to support Deaton’s Senate run. John Deaton is seeking office with backing from the crypto community. Continue Reading: Ripple CTO backs Deaton’s Senate run with XRP donation The post Ripple CTO backs Deaton’s Senate run with XRP donation appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
17 May 2026, 09:20
A Lawsuit Just Demanded Tether Hand Over $344 Million in Frozen Iranian Funds, Could This Rewrite Stablecoin Law?

Attorney Charles Gerstein filed a claim in Manhattan federal court Thursday seeking to force Tether to transfer 344,149,759 USDT, roughly $344 million, frozen at two Tron wallet addresses designated by OFAC as belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The plaintiffs, are asking the Southern District of New York to compel Tether to zero out the blocked wallets and reissue an equivalent amount of USDT to a wallet controlled by their counsel. The filing is a direct expansion of Gerstein’s earlier litigation targeting frozen funds in the North Korea-linked Arbitrum case and separate claims against Railgun DAO. Legal bid targets Tether: Charles Gerstein asks a federal judge to order transfer of OFAC-frozen USDT tied to Iran's Revolutionary Guard to victims holding unpaid terrorism judgments. Case could test crypto firms' sanctions obligations. #Tether #Sanctions #Iran pic.twitter.com/4ARj6j3XyK — Liquidity Sniper (@Liqui_Sniper) May 15, 2026 Bearish signal for stablecoin issuer confidence. If courts accept this liability theory, Tether’s administrative freeze controls, designed for sanctions compliance, become a litigation target in every jurisdiction where judgment creditors hold unpaid terrorism awards. Discover: The best crypto to diversify your portfolio with How the Liability Theory Works Mechanically, and Why Tether Freeze Function Is the Fulcrum The mechanism here is worth understanding precisely. Unlike bitcoin or ether, USDT includes issuer-level administrative controls: Tether can freeze wallets, blacklist addresses, zero out balances, and reissue tokens to a new destination address. Gerstein’s filing argues that because Tether already immobilized the funds in response to OFAC’s sanctions designation of the two Tron addresses, the company has demonstrated both the technical capability and the practical willingness to act unilaterally on those holdings. The chain of events runs as follows. OFAC designated the two Tron wallet addresses as IRGC property. Tether froze the 344,149,759 USDT held there. Source: Arkham The plaintiffs, holders of billions of dollars in unpaid U.S. court judgments tied to Iranian-backed terrorism, now argue that the frozen USDT constitutes blocked property of a state sponsor of terrorism, making it subject to execution under federal law. The ask is not a seizure of Tether’s own reserves. It is a court order compelling Tether to use controls it has already used, directed at a different destination address. That distinction matters analytically. Tether has already frozen $4.2 billion in USDT across more than 5,000 wallets linked to criminal activity and assisted the DOJ in seizing over $6 million connected to a Southeast Asian fraud scheme. The plaintiffs are arguing Tether is not being asked to do something unprecedented, only to redirect an existing freeze toward judgment creditors rather than leaving the funds in limbo. The legal precedent being constructed here is that administrative control over an asset is functionally equivalent to possession, and that possession creates liability to judgment creditors under the right statutory framework. Discover: The best pre-launch token sales The post A Lawsuit Just Demanded Tether Hand Over $344 Million in Frozen Iranian Funds, Could This Rewrite Stablecoin Law? appeared first on Cryptonews .
17 May 2026, 09:02
Pundit Says Hold Your XRP Through the Shake Out Until July 4. Here’s What Is Coming

Crypto commentator X Finance Bull has urged XRP and digital asset holders to remain patient during ongoing market volatility, noting growing expectations that major cryptocurrency legislation could reach President Donald Trump’s desk by July 4. In a recent tweet, X Finance Bull asked followers whether they could continue holding XRP and other digital assets through what he described as a coming “shakeout” period before the July deadline. He warned that the coming weeks could bring heightened market turbulence but said his personal strategy was to continue accumulating digital assets while remaining calm. The post focused heavily on expectations surrounding U.S. crypto legislation, featuring Blockchain Association Chief Policy Officer Lindsay Fraser discussing the progress of legislation in Washington. Can you hold your $XRP and digital assets through the shakeout before July 4? These next few weeks could be one hell of a ride. My move? Accumulate more and stay chill. Remember, President Trump wants crypto legislation on his desk by July 4 LOCK TF IN! pic.twitter.com/hhxLLuz4EX https://t.co/ph3gVrUd1U — X Finance Bull (@Xfinancebull) May 15, 2026 Bipartisan Momentum Could Speed Up Process In the attached video, Fraser explained that lawmakers still need to reconcile differences between separate legislative proposals before a final package can move forward. However, she stated that bipartisan cooperation in recent committee discussions could accelerate the process. According to Fraser, lawmakers may be able to combine bills into a single package and bring it to the floor within approximately a month. She also referenced President Donald Trump’s previously stated goal of having crypto legislation finalized by July 4. Fraser said she believes that timeline remains achievable, although she acknowledged that important developments over the next several weeks will determine whether Congress can maintain the current pace. Her comments added to growing speculation within the crypto industry that regulatory clarity in the United States may arrive sooner than many market participants initially expected. Linking Market Volatility to Long-Term Positioning X Finance Bull used Fraser’s remarks to support his argument that current market uncertainty should not distract long-term investors. His post suggested that short-term price swings may represent a temporary phase before larger structural developments emerge in the digital asset sector. The commentator encouraged followers to remain focused on long-term adoption trends rather than reacting emotionally to market fluctuations. He argued that investors who maintain conviction during volatile periods may ultimately benefit if legislation creates clearer rules for the industry. The post specifically referenced XRP alongside the wider digital asset market, reflecting ongoing interest among XRP holders regarding how future U.S. regulations could affect institutional adoption and blockchain-based financial services. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Community Reaction Focuses on Institutional Adoption An X user known as Stela of the North FSD responded to the post with an extended commentary focused on tokenization and institutional adoption of blockchain technology. The user argued that recent growth in real-world asset activity reflects structural developments rather than retail-driven speculation. The comment pointed to initiatives involving major financial institutions and blockchain companies, including JPMorgan Chase, Ripple, and Ondo Finance. The response also referenced the CLARITY Act and ongoing legislative developments in Washington, claiming that the regulatory environment surrounding digital assets is beginning to improve significantly. According to the user, the combination of institutional adoption, tokenized asset settlement activity, and potential regulatory clarity could mark an important transition point for the crypto industry. The comment argued that digital assets are gradually moving toward recognition as a legally defined institutional asset class rather than remaining purely speculative instruments. The exchange reflects growing attention for regulations within the crypto community in the United States and the possible impact on XRP and the wider digital asset market. 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 Pundit Says Hold Your XRP Through the Shake Out Until July 4. Here’s What Is Coming appeared first on Times Tabloid .








































