Trump’s Saudi Arabia Visit| Effects On Bitcoin

Donald Trump’s recent four-day visit took the President to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. This visit has intertwined diplomatic relations with business interests, while simultaneously influencing the bitcoin market.

In Qatar, the President met with Emir Tanim bin Hamad Al Thani, resulting in over $243 billion in deals including major defense agreements, according to Bloomberg.

On May 15, the President made his visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi alongside Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan. This occurs as the Trump family expands its business presence in the Middle East.

The Trump Organization is developing luxury properties…

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NEW: Fifth Third Ready To Embrace Crypto After Studying Assets For Five Years

Fifth Third Bank is expanding into cryptocurrency as clearer regulations open new doors for traditional lenders. The Cincinnati-based bank has spent years studying the space and is now ready to grow its crypto services according to chief strategy officer Ben Hoffman.

The bank already supports crypto companies with basic services like deposit accounts and payments. Now it is looking at using stablecoins for cheaper faster cross-border transactions. Fifth Third also aims to connect with payment systems that let consumers buy goods with crypto or trade digital assets directly.

Regulatory shifts under Donald Trump’s administration have encouraged banks to take crypto seriously. Recent guidance from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency confirmed banks can safely engage in crypto custody and blockchain-powered payments. Hoffman says a full-time digital assets team is working across departments to bring crypto solutions to life. With over 200 billion dollars in assets Fifth Third is betting big on a future where crypto plays a central role in banking.

Bloomberg

Friday Charts: What if there are no more recessions?

This is a segment from The Breakdown newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

“Macroeconomics in this original sense has succeeded: Its central problem of depression prevention has been solved.” 

— Robert Lucas, 2003

I’m old enough to remember when people thought recessions might not be a thing anymore. 

By the early 2000s, economists like Robert Lucas and Alan Greenspan argued that traditional recessions, in which a cyclical decline in demand led to a shrinking economy, were becoming an endangered species: less frequently seen and less dangerous when they were.

This was known as “The Great Moderation,” but just as the idea was catching on, it…

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Nostr In 2025 Is A Lot Like Bitcoin In 2012

I recently sat down with Vitor Pomplona, creator of Nostr client Amethyst, to discuss how Nostr in 2025 is a lot like what Bitcoin was like in 2012 — a bit rough around the edges, but exciting to use.

Nostr, a decentralized protocol for social media and other forms of communication, is only four years old, and developers are still figuring out how to create the best possible user experience within the clients they’ve created. These clients include apps like Primal (which is comparable to X) to Olas (which is like Instagram) to Yakihonne (which is similar to Substack).

What’s unique about Nostr clients, though, is that users can “zap” (send small amounts of)…

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Jito Foundation hires head of governance

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

Continuing a string of recent hires, Jito Foundation has appointed Nick Almond as its head of governance, Lightspeed has learned exclusively.

An academic by training, Almond comes to Jito following a stint as CEO of the DAO-focused R&D shop Factory Labs. In comments shared with me, Almond said he hopes to steer Jito’s DAO clear of some common pitfalls that have befallen these organizations by “cautiously expanding” what the DAO tries to do.

Jito is Solana’s most important infrastructure project. Its Jito-Solana client, which adds revenue-boosting MEV modifications to the original…

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Galaxy, DeFi Technologies look to leverage new Nasdaq listings

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

After a process that took years (1,300 or so days, Galaxy CEO Mike Novogratz noted on a Tuesday earnings call), GLXY shares are trading on the Nasdaq. 

The US listing boosts the stock’s visibility — i.e. via Robinhood and perhaps, one day, in indexes (S&P, MSCI, Russell, etc.)

More than that, though, we’re watching how it helps the firm scale as competition stiffens in the growing crypto space. 

“Most of Galaxy’s growth over the last seven years was internally funded with investing profits or trading profits, and so there was a regulator on how fast we could grow,”…

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VNBTC: The Leading Bitcoin Cloud Mining Platform for Earning Passive Crypto Income in 2025

London, UK, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VNBTC is an award-winning global cloud mining platform that is revolutionizing cryptocurrency mining in 2025 by providing accessible, scalable, and secure mining opportunities. Whether you are new to mining or an experienced investor, VNBTC offers customized solutions to help you earn passive income from home.

Key Features at a Glance:

Free $79 Credit for New Users – Every new account receives a $79 bonus to invest in the Doge Starter Plan, allowing you to earn up to $6.64 per week, completely risk-free. Flexible Mining Plans – Select from nine different contracts designed for any budget, ranging from entry-level options at $79… Read more on Benzinga

Trump Administration Has Been ‘Amazing’ For Crypto Industry, Bitcoin Ready To Go To $130,000, Galaxy CEO Says

Galaxy Digital GLXY CEO Mike Novogratz praised the Trump administration’s approach to crypto policy, contrasting it sharply with the Biden era, which he described as “misery, misery.”

What Happened: Speaking with CNBC on Friday, Novogratz said the current administration has been highly favorable to the cryptocurrency industry.

“The four years under Biden were really un-American when it came to crypto. It was just misery, misery,” Novogratz said.

In contrast, he noted that “this administration has been amazing for the space in general,” emphasizing that Republican support for crypto has played a key role in shaping the current policy environment.

Novogratz said the company pivoted into…

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Ethereum smart wallet mode panic, unpacked

This is a segment from the 0xResearch newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

A Solidity developer friend of mine reached out on Signal the other day in a tizzy. “I can’t believe this,” he wrote. “How did Ethereum developers let this happen?”

He was referring to a recent article worrying about Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade — specifically EIP-7702 — and its supposed ability to let hackers “drain wallets with just an offchain signature.” The piece has been bandied about on X/Twitter, it seems, though not by people I follow. Fears were clearly being stoked in some circles that a new transaction type quietly enabled attackers to seize control of wallets…

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LATEST: Basel Medical Group Begins $1 Billion Bitcoin Investment Strategy

Basel Medical Group Ltd. (BMGL) has launched exclusive talks to acquire $1 billion worth of Bitcoin in a bold move to diversify its treasury and strengthen its financial base. This groundbreaking shift supports the company’s mission to rapidly expand its medical services across Asia’s booming healthcare markets. The Bitcoin acquisition will be executed through a unique share-swap structure with key players in the crypto investment space.

The transaction marks a major step in redefining BMGL’s corporate strategy by building one of the strongest balance sheets in Asia’s healthcare sector. It offers financial flexibility to pursue mergers and acquisitions while shielding the company from market instability with a diversified asset base. If completed this will be one of the largest crypto-backed treasury shifts by a healthcare firm in the region.

CEO Dr Darren Chhoa said the financial boost gives BMGL the power to drive aggressive growth while maintaining prudent financial management. The company expects to finalize the deal within the current quarter pending regulatory approval.

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