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20 May 2026, 12:30
XRP institutional demand declines in May
The institutional demand for XRP , the native token of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), declined in May after a notable accumulation in April 2026. The XRP institutional accumulation model on Binance – a tool tracking net buying activity from large wallets on the exchange – slipped back below zero in May, according to on-chain data from CryptoQuant analyzed by Finbold on May 20. The indicator dropped to approximately -0.0059 at the time of reporting, signaling that whale demand for the token has softened. Institutional accumulation mode on Binance for this token. Source: CryptoQuant As a result, April’s brief breakout, which marked the first positive readings in six months, has ended. However, the slowdown in its institutional accumulation in May remains close to zero, suggesting investors may be exercising caution after a notable increase in demand since early February 2026. “Despite this decline, the index remains close to neutral territory, indicating that the market has not yet entered a phase of strong distribution or widespread institutional exit,” Arab Chain noted on CryptoQuant. Furthemore, large XRP holders have already withdrawn nearly 403 million XRP, valued at more than $548 million, from the Binance exchange between May 1 and 15, based on recent insights from CryptoQuant . XRP price outlook amid institutional distributions Amid the recent decline in institutional demand for XRP, the token’s price has signaled bearish sentiment. Despite strong institutional demand in April, the token’s price has failed to rally beyond a crucial supply level around $1.50 over the past few weeks. As such, the token has dropped by more than 3% in the past 30 days, trading at roughly $1.36 at the time of reporting. This altcoin’s market cap shrank by $475 million over the past 24 hours to hover about $84.3 billion on Wednesday. XRP/USD 30-day chart. Source: Finbold Consequently, if the large XRP holders continue to distribute in the near future, further sell-off could be inevitable and vice versa. The post XRP institutional demand declines in May appeared first on Finbold .
20 May 2026, 12:30
Solana risks 30 dollar drop after support at 81.30 breaks
🚨 SOL threatens to fall to $30 if $81.30 support fails. Short-term price is stuck near $84 while buyers lose momentum. 🔑 Key point: A strong move in $SOL above $96 could trigger a new rally, but failure may lead to larger declines. Continue Reading: Solana risks 30 dollar drop after support at 81.30 breaks The post Solana risks 30 dollar drop after support at 81.30 breaks appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
20 May 2026, 12:28
Vitalik Buterin outlines three near-term moves to bring native privacy to Ethereum
Ethereum’s co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, has revealed three technical initiatives that are already underway to move the network toward built-in transaction privacy. With growing demand for privacy and quantum resistance, Vitalik has presented his own proposals for how the network can deliver on what some individuals argue could lead to higher network fees and maximize relevance. What is Ethereum doing to add native privacy? In a post on X , Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum co-founder, named three live technical efforts to solve the problem of transaction privacy. Account abstraction paired with FOCIL (a forced inclusion list mechanism) A new proposal called keyed nonces Access-layer work, including a project called Kohaku and private read capabilities. FOCIL (Fork-Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists) makes it harder for anyone to block private transactions. Keyed nonces change how the Ethereum network counts and orders transactions. And the access-layer changes are aimed at preventing data leakage when wallets check the blockchain. Short-term things being done to shift Ethereum toward native privacy: * AA + FOCIL (makes privacy protocol txs, among many other things, first-class with strong inclusion guarantees) * Keyed nonces: https://t.co/BeTJvFhxiV * Access-layer work (Kohaku, private reads…) https://t.co/MImWVYXBQv — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) May 20, 2026 The keyed nonces effort already has a formal specification. EIP-8250 replaces Ethereum’s single sender nonce with a two-part system. This gives frame transactions independent replay domains. The new system prevents observers from linking transactions that originate from the same account but belong to different contexts. The proposal aims to support up to 500 billion privacy-related records over eight years without damaging decentralization. Vitalik argued that storing these 500 billion “nullifiers” is actually easier for the network than storing regular data, because nullifiers have a simple structure that allows for sharding and bloom filters. That keeps Ethereum decentralized even at a massive scale. Aside from the replay problem, privacy protocols like Privacy Pools and Railgun currently depend on external relayers to broadcast transactions on a user’s behalf, adding cost and a single point of failure. Account abstraction lets these protocols verify signatures natively, while FOCIL’s inclusion lists make it harder for block builders to censor the resulting transactions. Combined, the two eliminate the relay dependency that has kept privacy tools expensive and fragile to maintain. In April 2025, Buterin posted a nine-step roadmap that includes changes like migrating wallets to a one-address-per-application model, replacing trusted execution environments with cryptographic private information retrieval for RPC calls, and building proof aggregation so multiple privacy transactions can share a single on-chain proof. On the same day as Buterin’s update, crypto analyst MilliΞ argued on X that native privacy is “the type of feature that can give an asset true ‘moneyness’ qualities” and predicted that layer-1 privacy could drive higher mainnet transaction fees. Ethereum is juggling privacy with quantum resistance Ethereum’s privacy upgrades are linked to its other defensive priorities. The Ethereum Foundation has announced that it is preparing quantum-resistant cryptography across four areas: consensus signatures, data availability commitments, account signatures, and application-layer zero-knowledge proofs. These areas overlap directly with Buterin’s privacy roadmap . Account abstraction, for instance, is an important part of both efforts. EIP-8141, which could arrive in the Hegotá hard fork in the second half of 2026, would let individual accounts adopt quantum-safe signature schemes without waiting for the whole network to change. Cryptopolitan has previously reported on how privacy and quantum preparedness often advance in tandem, since both depend on upgrading the same cryptographic primitives. The Ethereum Foundation formed a dedicated post-quantum security team in January 2026 and is aiming to complete the core infrastructure by approximately 2029. If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter .
20 May 2026, 12:27
ZEC Price Surges 10% as SEC Ends Zcash Foundation Probe With No Action
ZEC price rose 10% over the past 24 hours to trade near $564.30 after the Zcash Foundation said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission closed its investigation without recommending enforcement action. The update was included in the Zcash Foundation’s Q1 2026 report. The foundation said the SEC inquiry began with a subpoena in August 2023 and has now ended with the agency informing the organization that it does not intend to pursue enforcement action. The announcement removes a regulatory issue that had remained over the Zcash ecosystem for more than two years. Zcash is a privacy-focused blockchain network whose native token, ZEC, is used for payments and shielded transactions. SEC Closes Zcash Foundation Investigation The Zcash Foundation said the SEC’s decision gives it greater clarity as it continues work on protocol governance, network infrastructure, and future upgrades. The report described the first quarter of 2026 as one of the most active periods in the foundation’s history. The foundation also said the Zcash network continued operating normally during governance uncertainty involving Electric Coin Company. Governance disputes at ECC led much of its development team to leave during the quarter, according to the report. Despite that disruption, the foundation said Zcash continued producing blocks and settling transactions. It also said user funds and privacy were not affected, adding that the network’s decentralized structure allowed operations to continue without relying on one organization. Zcash Foundation Reports $36.7M in Liquid Assets As of March 31, the Zcash Foundation reported about $36.7 million in liquid assets. The holdings included 85,412 ZEC, 41.8 BTC, around 506,600 USDC, and a small amount of ETH. The foundation also reported average monthly operating expenses of about $272,500. The figures provide a view of its treasury position as it continues supporting Zcash development, governance, and network infrastructure. During Q1, the foundation said it deployed new DNS seeders in the United States and Europe after ECC’s DNS seeders stopped responding. DNS seeders help users and nodes discover peers on the network. The foundation also announced work on a native Rust DNS seeder built on the zebra-network crate. The system includes rate limiting, a lock-free architecture, and Prometheus metrics for monitoring. Engineering work also continued on Zebra, the Zcash Foundation’s node implementation. Zebra 4.0.0 focused on observability and developer experience, while Zebra 4.1.0 added broader Prometheus monitoring. The team also advanced work tied to Network Upgrade 7, known as NU7. ZEC Price Tests Key Technical Levels ZEC’s price move followed the SEC update and renewed attention on Zcash’s technical structure. Market analyst Ardi said ZEC has broken through both a descending trendline and the $540 macro resistance level. The analyst also noted that ZEC closed back above a prior lower high near $560 for the first time since the corrective structure began. Holding that zone as support could allow price to move toward the $590 to $600 resistance area. Source: X If the ZEC price fails to hold near $560, traders may look back to $540 as the next key support. The analyst said the clearest trade setups remain either a retest of $540 with invalidation below, or a break above the $640 highs. The current range places ZEC between restored support and overhead resistance. A sustained move above $600 could increase attention on the $640 level, while a move below $540 would weaken the short-term breakout structure.
20 May 2026, 12:25
Bitcoin’s $60K February Low May Be the Bottom, On-Chain Data Suggests
BitcoinWorld Bitcoin’s $60K February Low May Be the Bottom, On-Chain Data Suggests Fresh on-chain analysis suggests that Bitcoin’s drop to roughly $60,000 in February may have marked the cycle’s bottom, with several key indicators mirroring patterns seen during the 2022 bear market trough. Realized Cap and RHODL Ratio Signal Bottom Formation According to a report from CoinDesk, Bitcoin’s Realized Cap — a metric that calculates the network’s total value based on the price at which each coin last moved — has stabilized near $1.08 trillion after declining from a peak of $1.12 trillion last October. This stabilization closely resembles the behavior observed during the 2022 bear market bottom, when Realized Cap flattened after a prolonged decline. The RHODL Ratio, which compares short-term to long-term holder behavior, is also showing patterns consistent with prior cycle lows, suggesting that long-term holders are accumulating while short-term selling pressure subsides. Perpetual Futures Funding Rates Reflect Extreme Bearish Sentiment Another critical signal comes from the perpetual futures market. Funding rates — periodic payments between long and short traders — remained negative for an extended period from February through May. This indicates that short sellers dominated the market and that bearish sentiment was unusually persistent. Historically, prolonged negative funding rates have preceded major price bottoms, as they reflect an overcrowded short trade that eventually unwinds. The current pattern is similar to what was seen in late 2022, just before Bitcoin began its recovery from the $16,000 low. Why This Matters for Investors While these on-chain signals are historically reliable, analysts caution that they are not definitive predictors of immediate upward momentum. The broader macroeconomic environment — including Federal Reserve interest rate decisions and global liquidity conditions — remains a significant variable. Additionally, the trajectory of spot Bitcoin ETF fund flows will likely influence price action in the coming months. For investors, the data suggests that the worst of the selling pressure may be behind us, but the path to a sustained recovery is far from guaranteed. Conclusion Bitcoin’s on-chain metrics are flashing signals that have historically accompanied market bottoms. The stabilization of Realized Cap and the extended period of negative funding rates point to a potential turning point. However, external factors such as macroeconomic policy and institutional flows will ultimately determine whether the $60,000 level holds as a long-term floor. Investors should treat these signals as part of a broader analysis rather than a standalone buy signal. FAQs Q1: What is Realized Cap and why is it important? Realized Cap values each Bitcoin at the price it last moved on-chain, providing a more accurate picture of aggregate cost basis than market cap. A stabilizing Realized Cap suggests that selling pressure is exhausting and that the market is finding a floor. Q2: How do perpetual futures funding rates indicate a bottom? Prolonged negative funding rates mean short sellers are paying to maintain their positions, reflecting extreme bearish sentiment. Historically, such conditions have preceded major price bottoms as short positions get squeezed. Q3: Can on-chain data alone predict Bitcoin’s price? No. On-chain data provides valuable signals about market structure and sentiment, but price is influenced by many factors, including macroeconomic conditions, regulation, and capital flows. These metrics are best used in combination with other analysis. This post Bitcoin’s $60K February Low May Be the Bottom, On-Chain Data Suggests first appeared on BitcoinWorld .
20 May 2026, 12:21
BTC tops popularity list among Poland's 2.5 million crypto holders
Bitcoin is the most popular digital asset with cryptocurrency owners in Poland, according to a new study ordered by the EU nation’s central bank. The monetary authority wants to know the true number of people holding cryptocurrencies in the country, which is preparing to finally adopt European rules. The results have come out after the leading crypto market in the eastern half of the Union was recently stunned by the crash of a major coin trading platform in the region. How many Poles really own cryptocurrencies? Cryptocurrencies are enjoying significant interest from Polish investors, despite the recent challenges, but their central bank wants to know exactly how popular they are. According to a survey commissioned by the National Bank of Poland (NBP), 6.4% of the country’s adult population, around 2.5 million people, actually own digital assets. The regulator noted that the figure comes with 95% probability, pointing out that the real number is somewhere in the range of 5% to 8.1% (approx. 1.9 – 3 million). The poll was conducted by the market and opinion research firm Ipsos among 1,000 respondents and widely quoted by Polish media. The news outlets Puls Biznesu and Super Biznes remarked that it paints a more muted picture of the market than suggested by other surveys. It indicates that while crypto assets are gaining popularity, they are not a mass investment tool yet, analysts say, but is this really the case? A study carried out by the Dutch-licensed fintech company ARI10 and USE Research claimed that around 10 million Poles, over 35% of all, keep digital coins. The finding featured in the “Cryptocurrency Adoption in Europe 2026” report , published earlier this year, put Poland among leading European nations in terms of ownership. That research covered more than 11 000 respondents from 11 countries on the Old Continent, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Norway, as recently reported by Bankier.pl. Commenting on its own poll, Poland’s central bank admitted it treats the data with some caution, acknowledging its estimates are quite conservative. Which coins do Polish investors pick? The NBP study also looks into the portfolios of Polish crypto investors, who tend to choose the best-known currencies, especially those with the largest market capitalization. Bitcoin (BTC) often serves as the gateway to the market, with 3.5% of all respondents holding some. It’s followed by Ethereum (ETH), with 2.2%, while 3.1% have put money into other coins. It’s worth noting that a relatively small share of the polled, 0.9%, keep fiat-pegged stablecoins such as Tether’s USDT or Circle’s USDC and EURC. The authors of the report attempt to profile the average cryptocurrency owner in Poland, remarking that their findings aren’t much different from those in other EU countries. Men are relatively more likely to acquire digital assets than women, and younger people are typically more eager to invest in them than the representatives of older generations. Meanwhile, Bitcoin.pl highlighted another aspect that may have influenced the answers of participants in the poll, hence its results. Taxation unveils the truth better than surveys, the crypto portal wrote in an article on Tuesday, recalling that only around 20,000 Poles reported crypto holdings on their tax returns last year. Regardless of whether the true number of crypto holders is closer to 2 or 10 million, it signals that cryptocurrency is no longer a niche thing, the publication emphasized. The latest polling data comes in the aftermath of the collapse of a major exchange in Poland, Zondacrypto, and amid political turmoil over the adoption of legislation introducing the EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets ( MiCA ) regulations in the country. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .
