LATEST: Bitcoin Must Hit $110K to Ignite Altcoin Season Says Arthur Hayes

Crypto markets are gearing up for a surge according to Arthur Hayes co-founder of BitMEX who predicts Bitcoin is on the verge of breaking $110,000 and possibly reaching up to $200,000. Hayes forecasts this significant rally could begin as soon as June or early in the third quarter fueled by increased liquidity and higher trading volumes. He suggests such a rally is essential for a true altcoin boom although warns older cryptocurrencies might lag behind.

Hayes favors Ethereum over Solana for the coming bull market highlighting Ethereum’s stronger developer community deeper fundamentals and superior security from its proof-of-stake model. Despite Solana’s impressive recent gains Ethereum remains his top choice due to its larger ecosystem and higher overall market stability.

Looking further ahead Hayes is bullish on Bitcoin’s long-term potential projecting a staggering $1 million price by the end of a possible second Trump presidency in 2028. He argues excessive dollar liquidity from U.S. government financial strategies will boost Bitcoin and other risk assets significantly in the years ahead.

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Strategy Buys $765 Million Worth Of Additional Bitcoin

Strategy has acquired 7,390 Bitcoin for approximately $764.9 million, according to a Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, as the company continues its aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy amid rising institutional adoption.

The business intelligence firm purchased the Bitcoin at an average price of $103,498 per coin between May 12 and May 18, funded through a combination of stock offerings. The company raised $705.7 million through an at-the-market (ATM) offering of Class A common stock, and an additional $59.7 million from issuing 621,555 shares of Series A STRK preferred stock.

This latest acquisition brings Strategy’s total Bitcoin…

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Crypto M&A picks up in May

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

You know what’s better than big, splashy M&A deals? 

A bunch of smaller ones that show the appetite isn’t just isolated to the top. 

Take, for example, three M&A deals announced last week: Alchemy acquiring DexterLab, 0x buying up Flood, and Gnosis buying HQ.xyz. 

That means that, so far in May, we’ve already seen a handful of acquisitions. Just last week, we had announcements from Robinhood, Alchemy, 0x, Anchorage and Gnosis.

Source: Blockworks Research

We certainly fared better last year than we did the year prior, but we’re already on track to surpass 2021 levels, thanks…

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JUST IN: Michael Saylor’s Strategy Buys 7,390 BTC for $764.9 Million

Major cryptocurrency player Strategy has acquired an additional 7,390 bitcoins worth approximately $764.9 million. The purchase took place at a high average price of $103,498 per bitcoin highlighting bullish confidence in bitcoin’s future value. This recent acquisition brings Strategy’s total holdings to a remarkable 576,230 bitcoins further solidifying its position as one of the largest institutional holders of cryptocurrency.

The year-to-date performance for Strategy is also impressive boasting a bitcoin yield of 16.3%. The significant growth demonstrates the ongoing strength and market momentum for bitcoin. Such moves by major financial institutions signal increasing mainstream acceptance and reinforce investor optimism about cryptocurrency adoption and stability.

As of May 18 2025 Strategy’s total investment in bitcoin stands at roughly $40.18 billion with an average acquisition price around $69,726 per bitcoin. This strategic expansion by the company may influence other corporate giants to follow suit potentially boosting bitcoin’s market value even further.

Source

LATEST: Metaplanet Buys 1,004 More Bitcoin, Now Holds 7,800 BTC in Portfolio

Metaplanet Inc. a Tokyo-based bitcoin treasury company has acquired 1,004 more bitcoin pushing its total holdings to 7800 BTC. The purchase was made at an average price of ¥15,134,304 per bitcoin resulting in an investment of nearly ¥15.2 billion. This move highlights the company’s aggressive strategy to expand its bitcoin portfolio.

The firm reported a bitcoin yield of 417% for the period between July and September 2024. In the following quarter the yield surged to an impressive 3,098%. These results show the strong performance of Metaplanet’s bitcoin investments over the past months and signal growing confidence in its treasury strategy.

Metaplanet continues to prioritize shareholder value through its Bitcoin Treasury Operations. By increasing its bitcoin reserves the company aims to capitalize on long-term crypto growth while reducing dilution risks. The latest acquisition further solidifies Metaplanet’s position as a key institutional player in the global crypto space.

Source

Michael Saylor Has A Tip For Average People Looking To Grow Their Wealth By 100x, But He Doesn’t Want You To Quit Your Job To Invest In Bitcoin – Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR)

As Bitcoin BTC/USD pursues fresh all-time highs, Strategy Inc. MSTR Chairman Michael Saylor’s wealth multiplication strategies for average wage earners, revolving around the apex cryptocurrency, are back in the spotlight.

What Happened: In a recent interview with podcaster Natalie Brunell, Saylor was asked about the best strategies for an average person to grow their wealth by 100x.

Saylor advised traders not to quit their jobs and avoid extravagant spending on luxury items like sports cars like Ferrari and yachts, which he described as “obscenely expensive.”

“You would be better invested in an asset that’s going up 30% a year for the next 20 years, Saylor said, suggesting…

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25.74 Trillion Shiba Inu Stuck, As SHIB Trapped In Uncertainty Amid Market Downturn

The cryptocurrency market is witnessing a significant downturn, with Shiba Inu SHIB/USD being notably impacted.

As per a report, the market has seen liquidations worth $298 million in cryptocurrencies, with Shiba Inu’s value declining by 5.81%.

The downturn for Shiba Inu commenced at the start of the week, with a promising price surge abruptly halted on May 12 due to a slump in the wider cryptocurrency market. Since May 11, SHIB has recorded losses on five out of six days as investors cashed in during rallies.

Data from IntoTheBlock reveals that a staggering 25.74 trillion SHIB are presently held by 34,170 addresses within the narrow price bracket of $0.000014 and $0.000015,…

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Steak ‘n Shake and Bitcoin

Steak ‘n Shake recently made headlines by officially accepting bitcoin payments via the Lightning Network across all its U.S. locations. The integration of Bitcoin payments at over 500 locations is a monumental moment for both the fast food industry and the broader retail sector.

This is not just something that Steak ‘n Shake is testing in a handful of locations, they are doing a full-scale rollout, fully embracing Bitcoin. 

With more than 100 million customers a year, Steak ‘n Shake’s integration of Lightning—Bitcoin’s fast, low-fee payment layer—makes it easier than ever to use Bitcoin in day-to-day life. Buying a burger and a shake with sats? That’s now a…

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LATEST: CME Group Will Launch XRP Futures Trading Starting Monday

CME Group is set to debut XRP futures and Micro XRP futures contracts on Monday May 19 marking a major step for regulated crypto derivatives. The contracts will go live on CME Globex and be cleared through CME ClearPort with early access available Sunday evening. Each standard contract will represent 50,000 XRP while Micro contracts will represent 2,500 XRP both cash-settled using the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate.

Giovanni Vicioso CME’s Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products said interest in XRP and its underlying ledger continues to rise as institutional and retail adoption grows. The addition of XRP futures gives investors a regulated capital-efficient tool to trade the fourth-largest digital asset by market cap. These new products join CME’s expanding crypto lineup which already includes Bitcoin Ethereum and recently added Solana futures.

Launch comes amid ongoing legal uncertainty for Ripple as a judge denied a proposed settlement with the SEC. Despite that XRP futures offer institutions a new path for exposure while demand for crypto derivatives surges.