LATEST: CME Group Will Launch XRP Futures on May 19

CME Group will roll out XRP futures on May 19 pending regulatory approval. The offering includes micro contracts of 2500 XRP and larger 50000 XRP contracts aimed at providing flexible trading options for a wider audience. These contracts will be cash-settled based on the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate calculated daily at 4 PM London time.

The move supports growing demand for regulated crypto derivatives as market participants seek broader exposure to digital assets. CME already offers Bitcoin Ether and Solana futures. XRP’s addition shows strong institutional interest in tokens with real-world utility as the asset continues to facilitate fast global value transfers through the XRP Ledger.

XRP’s presence in futures markets marks a new chapter in mainstream crypto adoption. With Robinhood planning to offer access to CME’s XRP futures retail traders could soon tap into advanced crypto trading tools. Teucrium’s XRP ETF hitting $35 million in 10 days also highlights rising investor confidence.

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BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Sees $643 Million Inflows

BlackRock’s flagship Bitcoin ETF attracted $643.16 million in net inflows on April 23, marking its strongest single-day performance since January 21. The substantial inflow comes as bitcoin continues its upward momentum, trading above $92,000 following positive signals from the Trump administration regarding U.S.-China trade relations.

IBIT’s impressive showing contributed to a broader surge in Bitcoin ETF activity, with total spot Bitcoin ETF inflows reaching $916.91 million on Wednesday. This marks the fourth consecutive day of positive flows for U.S.-listed Bitcoin ETFs, bringing the week’s total inflows to approximately $2.23 billion.

ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF…

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Metaplanet Buys Additional ¥1.92 Billion Worth Of Bitcoin

Metaplanet Inc. has acquired an additional 145 bitcoin for approximately ¥1.926 billion ($13.6 million), reaching a significant milestone of 5,000 BTC in total holdings. The Tokyo Exchange-listed company executed the purchase at an average price of ¥13,280,472 ($93,327) per bitcoin.

Metaplanet’s bitcoin treasury is acquired for $428.1 million, with an average acquisition cost of $85,621 per coin. “This is a big step forward in our aim to become one of the world’s leading bitcoin holding companies,” Metaplanet CEO Simon Gerovich said in a statement. “We will lead the global bitcoin race from Japan.”

The company’s aggressive accumulation strategy follows its successful…

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Ether.fi expands to US, launches DeFi bank

This is a segment from the Empire newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

A bank, but make it DeFi. 

Ether.fi is launching the first DeFi bank, a decentralized and non-custodial alternative to traditional banks. 

Basically, the project is expanding into a new category, “which is not a traditional bank, in the sense that it doesn’t take users’ deposits, but it really is a viable alternative to banks,” CEO Mike Silagadze told me.

“Our plan from the beginning was to build this larger platform that really became a bank alternative for users,” Silagadze noted. “I think over the next year…you [will] actually see…half a dozen companies launch something…

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LATEST: US SEC Meets El Salvador to Discuss Crypto Regulation Collaboration

El Salvador’s National Commission on Digital Assets has teamed up with U.S. law experts and former Goldman Sachs partner Heather Shemilt to pitch a crypto regulatory sandbox to the U.S. SEC. The plan was revealed in recent SEC Crypto Task Force meeting notes and aims to share live data from El Salvador’s advanced digital asset system.

The sandbox would let regulators from both countries test small tokenization projects. One pilot lets a U.S. broker tokenize Salvadoran real estate offering $10K investment caps. Another allows a small Salvadoran business to raise funds through tokenized equity within the same limit. These controlled tests focus on investor safety and defining digital assets more clearly.

Supporters say this effort aligns with U.S. crypto policy goals and could shape future regulation. The project’s backers include legal and financial leaders from both nations working to prove how real-world blockchain innovation can safely scale.

LATEST: Metaplanet Now Owns 5,000 Bitcoin After Buying 145 BTC

Japanese firm Metaplanet has reached 5000 Bitcoin after acquiring 145 BTC worth $13.6 million. The company confirmed the purchase at an average price of $93327 per coin marking a strong commitment to its Bitcoin-first strategy.

With this move Metaplanet has hit 50 percent of its 2025 goal of owning 10000 BTC. CEO Simon Gerovich said the firm has achieved a 121 percent year-to-date yield on its Bitcoin holdings and is focused on becoming one of the world’s top BTC-holding companies.

To support its growing Bitcoin stash Metaplanet is exploring innovative funding strategies like issuing zero-interest bonds. The company also added Eric Trump to its Strategic Board to boost its Bitcoin vision. While Bitcoin prices remain steady above $90000 this aggressive strategy underscores growing corporate confidence in crypto.

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Russia’s Finance Ministry And Central Bank To Launch Crypto Exchange For “Super-qualified Investors”

Russia’s Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Russia are set to jointly launch a cryptocurrency exchange designed exclusively for super-qualified investors, as part of a broader effort to bring crypto operations into a formal regulatory framework, according to a RBC report.

“Together with the Central Bank, we will launch a crypto exchange for super-qualified investors. Crypto assets will be legalized, and crypto operations will be brought out of the shadows. Naturally, not within our country, but those operations that have been carried out today within the framework of the experimental legal regime,” said Finance Minister Anton Siluanov during a recent ministry meeting, as…

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Jupiter anchors growth as Solana surges to monthly highs

This is a segment from the Lightspeed newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

Solana is up. At $151.30, SOL is back at monthly highs, reversing an oh-so-steep early April dip. It’s pretty well outperforming broader crypto markets, which aren’t doing too badly themselves as they ride a wave of short squeezes, ETF inflows, and a sudden softening of trade war rhetoric. 

Some ecosystem tokens caught the bullish wave, too, including Jupiter’s JUP, which is up 25% on the week.

Yesterday, a report from Blockworks Research laid out all the ways in which Jupiter is becoming irreplaceable. Jupiter now commands 95% of DEX aggregator volume and 80% of perpetuals trading on…

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