Stablecoins are no longer a side conversation in digital finance. With transaction volumes rising, regulators moving faster and major institutions building around blockchain-based settlement, the question for investors is now where the pressure lands first.

In this exclusive interview with the Champions Speakers Agency, Guarda discusses why stablecoins are becoming part of mainstream financial infrastructure, which sectors face the most disruption, and why regulatory clarity around the GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act could shape the next phase of institutional digital asset adoption.

Q1. Stablecoins are moving closer to mainstream payments and financial infrastructure. Which sectors are most… Read more on Benzinga

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse sees the crypto industry entering a critical policy window in the U.S., even as markets show strength, with Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) trading above $80,000.

Key Legislative Window Narrowing

Speaking at Consensus Miami 2026, Garlinghouse said the weeks of May 11, and May 18 could be decisive for advancing federal cryptocurrency legislation.

He warned that if momentum stalls in the Senate Banking Committee, the probability of passing a comprehensive crypto bill could decline sharply.

In that case, regulatory progress may be delayed further as political attention shifts toward the upcoming election cycle.

Garlinghouse said bipartisan efforts are still underway to…

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The Pricing War Begins

Morgan Stanley’s 50-basis-point fee is about half of Robinhood’s 95 basis points. Coinbase charges 60 basis points, while Schwab announced 75 basis points last month.

“This is much bigger than trading crypto at a cheaper rate,” Jed Finn, Morgan Stanley’s head of wealth management, stated. “In a way, the strategy is disintermediating the disintermediators.”

Morgan Stanley’s Broader Crypto Push

Spot trading on E*Trade is one piece of Morgan Stanley’s crypto expansion over the last year. 

The bank debuted a Bitcoin ETF last month, the first Wall Street bank to do so, and made it the cheapest fund in the category.

Morgan Stanley has Ether and Solana ETFs…

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Zcash (CRYPTO: ZEC) is up 30% in the last 24 hours as Multicoin Capital disclosed a significant position and the privacy coin’s quantum resistance narrative gains traction.

Multicoin Reverses 2019 Stance On Privacy Coins

Multicoin Capital built a significant Zcash position, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Tushar Jain revealed at Consensus Miami. 

The disclosure marks a sharp reversal from Multicoin’s 2019 essay arguing that “privacy is a feature of valuable cryptocurrencies, not a product offering in and of itself.”

Jain explained that Bitcoin can withstand protocol-level freezes, but public ownership still leaves holders exposed if a government, creditor, or other actor can connect…

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Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is above the 200-day exponential moving average for the first time in three months as U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $467 million in inflows and oil crashed 6% on U.S.-Iran peace deal hopes.

Iran Peace Deal Hopes Trigger Risk-On Rally

Bitcoin climbed to $82,000, alongside a more than 1% rise in Nasdaq futures amid reports of progress toward a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.

Axios reported Wednesday that Washington and Tehran are close to a one-page memorandum aimed at ending the war. 

The draft agreement includes negotiations between U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Iranian officials conducted directly and through intermediaries.

The report…

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Bitcoin trades above $82,000 on Wednesday morning, supported by improving sentiment and four consecutive days of spot ETF inflows as U.S.-Iran tensions eased.

Bitcoin ETFs saw $467.4 million in net inflows on Tuesday, while Ethereum ETFs reported $97.6 million in net inflows.    

Meme coin market capitalization is trading 8.2% higher to $40 billion over the past 24 hours.

Trader Commentary: 

Crypto trader Jelle Bitcoin said Bitcoin is maintaining strong upward momentum after clearing multiple liquidity zones. A breakout from a rising wedge pattern has reinforced the bullish structure.

The next key test lies at the 200-day moving average and exponential moving average cluster, a critical…

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Cryptocurrency punters have slightly raised odds of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) topping $100,000 this year after its latest price spike.

Bitcoin Heading Toward $100,000?

The uptick in odds coincided with Bitcoin climbing to a three-week high of $81,000. The cryptocurrency has jumped over 17% in a month.

Bitcoin slipped below the $100,000 mark in mid-November and has yet to recover that level.

What Are Other Experts Projecting?

Influential cryptocurrency analyst and trader Ali Martinez flagged $83,000 as Bitcoin’s “most significant psychological and structural barrier,” with a breakout potentially clearing the path toward $94,000.

Several bullish Bitcoin price targets have been revised…

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U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday, after Tuesday’s record close. This followed President Donald Trump‘s announcement of a temporary pause in a military-backed operation called ‘Project Freedom.’

This project was designed to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said on Truth Social that while the U.S. operation would be paused temporarily to allow negotiations to continue, America’s blockade would remain firmly in place.

Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.37%, and the two-year bond was at 3.89%. The CME Group’s FedWatch tool‘s projections show markets pricing a 94.1% likelihood of the Federal Reserve leaving the current interest rates…

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Saylor Says Company Wants To Be Flexible

Saylor, during Strategy’s first-quarter earnings call, said the firm is willing to be more flexible in managing its capital stack.

“We’ll probably sell some Bitcoin to fund a dividend just to inoculate the market, just to send the message that we did it,” Saylor said.

He stressed that the potential sale would not be a reflection of any issues, insisting that all is “fine” with the company and Bitcoin.

“The more optionality we create and the more tools we have at our disposal, I think, the better it is for the equity investors,” the Bitcoin bull added.

Plan To Save Tax?

Notably, Strategy CEO Phong Le stated that the company’s…

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