hodler

18 May 2026, 13:38

Crypto funds endure first negative week in seven as $1.07B exit markets

Crypto funds recorded $1.07 billion in net outflows for the week ending May 16, the first negative weekly figure in seven weeks and the third-largest single-week outflow of 2026 to date. Only two weeks in late January saw larger withdrawals from the category, according to data from CoinShares. Total assets under management fell to $157 billion from $159 billion the previous week. The pullback came against a backdrop of renewed geopolitical risk-off sentiment tied to Iran-related developments. News flow around the CLARITY Act in Washington helped soften the tone at the margin, with Thursday breaking positive at $174 million in net inflows. Bitcoin and Ethereum drive crypto funds weekly outflow Bitcoin investment products accounted for $981.5 million of the weekly outflow total, the largest single-asset withdrawal across the category. Year-to-date inflows for Bitcoin products now stand at $3.94 billion, with total assets under management at $126.61 billion. The May figure pulls the running total back closer to early-April levels. Crypto funds flow by asset. Source: CoinShares Ethereum products posted $249.3 million in net outflows over the week, the largest weekly withdrawal for the category since January 30. Year-to-date inflows for Ethereum products now sit at $137 million, with total assets under management at $17.69 billion. The month-to-date figure has now turned negative at $73.1 million in outflows for May. United States drives the regional outflow picture On a regional basis, the entire negative reading was driven by the $1.14 billion weekly outflow figure from US-listed crypto funds. Year-to-date inflows for US-listed products now total $3.57 billion, with total assets under management of $131.15 billion. Month-to-date inflows for May are $363.8 million for the first three reporting weeks of the month. European-listed products did well the same week. Switzerland registered inflows of $22.8 million, Germany $22.0 million and Netherlands $7.5 million. Canada saw $12.6 million of inflows during this period. Total inflows into the major European markets and Canada combined to over $65m for the week. Sweden was the main negative outlier in Europe at $4.0 million in outflows, with the country’s year-to-date figure staying in the red at minus $162.6 million. Hong Kong also posted a smaller outflow of $2.0 million. Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, and New Zealand each recorded small positive flows of less than $5 million. XRP and Solana crypto funds buck the trend Altcoin-focused crypto funds held up well against the broader pullback. XRP products drew $67.6 million in net inflows over the week. Year-to-date inflows for XRP products now stand at $259 million, with total assets under management at $2.68 billion. Month-to-date inflows for May have reached $106.7 million across the first three reporting weeks. Solana products added $55.1 million in net inflows over the same period, also faster than recent weekly totals. Year-to-date inflows for Solana investment products now stand at $339 million, with total assets under management at $2.52 billion. Month-to-date inflows for May have reached $106.2 million. Smaller altcoin products posted positive flows for the week. Ton funds added $7.7 million, Sui $4.7 million, Ondo $4.1 million, Chainlink $3.9 million and Doge $3.2 million. Multi-asset products saw net inflows of $3.1 million, returning to positive territory following outflows the week prior. Litecoin saw smaller inflows of $0.1 million. Short-Bitcoin products experienced flat outflows of $0.5m during the week. iShares and ARK 21Shares lead the provider outflows By issuer, BlackRock’s iShares family saw $487 million leave its crypto funds over the week, the largest single-issuer outflow on the report. Year-to-date inflows for iShares still hold at $4.09 billion, with total assets under management at $73.65 billion. Month-to-date inflows for the iShares family stand at $584 million for May. ARK 21Shares recorded $323 million in net outflows over the same period, taking its year-to-date figure into negative territory at minus $300 million. Fidelity posted $305 million in outflows on the week, with its year-to-date figure staying in the red at minus $1.36 billion. Grayscale recorded $84 million in outflows, and ProFunds Group lost $62 million across the week. Three providers posted positive flows for the period. Bitwise drew $25 million in fresh capital, 21Shares AG took in $23 million, and CoinShares recorded $6 million in inflows. The smartest crypto minds already read our newsletter. Want in? Join them .

18 May 2026, 13:37

No, XRP Ledger Foundation Not Airdropping Ripple USD, It's Scam

The XRPL developers have confirmed that widespread social media offers of a Ripple USD (RLUSD) airdrop are a coordinated phishing scam.

18 May 2026, 13:35

XRP slips 2% as profit-taking knocks token back below $1.40

XRP gave back gains after a high-volume selloff erased the latest breakout attempt, though buyers stepped back in near support around $1.38.

18 May 2026, 13:34

Iran unveils Bitcoin-backed shipping insurance plan for Hormuz -reports

More on Bitcoin Bitcoin Holds The Recovery Zone, But The Options Tape Is Still Too Thin To Call A New Regime Market Brief: Will The SpaceX IPO Pop The U.S. Stock Bubble? BTC Cleared $80K - The Options Market Is Not Celebrating Yet MicroStrategy is "more than cash, equity, debt," says Phong Le, yet MSTR falls Everything selling off: BTC, ETH, Silver, SP500, Nasdaq—where's money going?

18 May 2026, 13:33

Cardano Card Expands to Japan via SecondFi and Slash Partnership

EMURGO, a Cardano co-founding entity, partners with Slash Vision Labs to bring the Cardano Card to Japanese consumers through SecondFi. Cardano card would allow Japanese users to do crypto payment via the QR code system for their everyday needs. Bear flag formation drives the short-term consolidation in Cardano price before the next breakdown. On Monday, May 18th, the Cardano price showed an insignificant loss of 0.1% to trade at $0.252. While the broader crypto market faced continued selling pressure due to Bitcoin’s breakdown attempt from $77,000, the ADA price shows resilience above the $0.25. The bottom buying pressure can be attributed to the recently announced partnership between SecondFi and Slash which plans to integrate Cardano card into the Japanese payment landscape. Cardano Enters Japanese Payments Market Through EMURGO-Slash Deal EMURGO, the commercial arm of Cardano announced a strategic partnership with financial technology firm Slash Vision Labs of Japan, with the goal of bringing the native cryptocurrency into the hands of regular Japanese consumers. The partnership will focus Cardano Card and will be handled by the Japanese card program manager, Slash Vision Labs. Slash’s stablecoin payment infrastructure, developed with Japan’s financial regulations and reality of domestic payment systems in mind, which are entirely different in Japan from the tap-and-go card culture prevalent in Western countries. The EMURGO’s participation is via its SecondFi self-custody platform, which operates more like a neobank than a traditional crypto wallet. The users can access financial tools commonly found in traditional banking products but do not give third party control of their assets. The Cardano Card bridges that platform with the real and virtual world of retail, so that users can spend money without having to convert it via a different exchange or interface. Japan’s Regulatory and Market Context Japan occupies a particular position in Cardano’s commercial history. The network’s token, ADA, has gained a lot of retail investors in Japan at the initial stages of the crypto adoption, and the market share has not seen much of a drop in comparison to other countries. Unlike many similar economies, Japan also settled many issues in relation to the classification of cryptocurrencies and licensing of exchanges, creating a more favorable environment for companies such as EMURGO to develop regulated financial products. The Financial Services Agency has taken a proactive approach in regulating cryptocurrencies for nearly a decade, making it more predictable than other markets in the region. Slash Vision Labs has been making strides towards integration into the Japanese market with its own stablecoin card, known as Slash Card. That infrastructure is expanded to SecondFi’s users with the Cardano Card partnership. The settlement flows, local funding procedures and Japanese financial regulations’ requirements on the onboarding of consumer products are all being executed within Slash’s current processes, and not newly developed for the EMURGO relationship. Since Cardano’s journey began in Japan, we have always wanted our Japanese ADA holders to be able to do more than just hold and stake. Partnering with Slash, a leading crypto-native payments infrastructure provider in Japan, is a natural pathway for us to deepen our commitment to this foundational market. Following the successful launch of the Cardano Card and the debut of SecondFi, expanding into Japan’s vibrant blockchain community was the clear next step.” said Phillip Pon, CEO of EMURGO Connecting Crypto to Everyday Spending The real-world impact for Japanese users would be the ability to use their crypto assets (via stablecoin protocols) at stores that accept the dominant QR code payment systems used by the Japanese public. The cashless payment system in Japan is a complex mix of competitive systems, all of which have become integrated into consumers’ routines and lifestyles when paying for their food, transportation, and everyday shopping. Having a crypto-backed card linked to those networks is one of the sticking points that has been a problem in making crypto holdings useful beyond the trading and investment environment. Stablecoins have the potential to become part of everyday payments, but delivering that experience in Japan requires infrastructure designed specifically for the local market. We are excited to partner with EMURGO and SecondFi to help bring practical, real-world stablecoin utility to users across Japan.” said Shinsuke Sato, CEO of Slash Vision Labs The Cardano Card has not yet launched for Japanese users. There is a waitlist available on the website of SecondFi at secondfi.io, where the companies have said that card seekers will be notified before the general rollout. The announcement materials do not specify a launch date. What This Means for Cardano and ADA This partnership contributes to the Cardano ecosystem in a few indirect, but cascading ways. Japanese users transacting via QR code create regular micro-transactions data flows, which contribute to real-world utility metrics that institutional watchers are beginning to pay attention to in addition to price. Stablecoin flows — primarily USDCX, Cardano’s privacy-focused cross-chain USDC — get locked into native wallets rather than sitting on external chains, gradually deepening the network’s total value locked. Each transaction on the stablecoin runs and completes on the Cardano network, which continues to charge network fees in ADA, all without the need for consumers to buy the token directly. More importantly, entering Japan’s highly-regulated Web3 landscape gives Cardano a seal of compliance that resonates in enterprise discussions around the world. Payment integration price effects are more likely to be subtle, gaining momentum gradually and creating a utility base under the speculative valuation over time. Cardano Price Face Major Breakdown Test at Bear Flag Pattern Over the past week, the Cardano price showed a V-top reversal from $0.288 to $0.252, registering a loss of 12.8%. An analysis of the daily chart shows this pullback as a bear cycle within the formation of an inverted pennant pattern. The chart setup is characterized by a sharp price drop, followed by a narrow consolidation within two converging trendlines. This temporary lateral trend typically allows sellers to regain their momentum and drive the next breakdown. If the pattern holds true, the Cardano ADA -2.64% price could drop another 2.85% and breach the bottom trendline to accelerate selling pressure. The post-breakdown fall could push the price $0.228 bottom support. ADA/USDT -1d chart However, the price breakout will determine the true completion of the pattern. If the coin price breaks above the overhead trendline, the buyers will regain control over the short-term trajectory.

18 May 2026, 13:32

XRP Holders Compare XRP’s Path to NVIDIA’s Historic Breakout From Under $1 to $225+

XRP holders are drawing parallels between XRP’s future outlook and the historic breakout in Nvidia’s stock price. A market watcher shared a chart showing that Nvidia traded under $1 for nearly two decades before eventually breaking out into triple-digit prices above $200. Visit Website