- Crunch
- Global
South Korea’s financial regulator has announced new crypto rules that will allow non-profit organizations and virtual asset exchanges to sell digital assets starting in June. This move reverses a 2017 ban and marks a major shift in the country’s approach to cryptocurrency regulation. The Financial Services Commission aims to balance tighter oversight with greater operational freedom for approved entities.
Non-profits must meet strict conditions including five years of audited activity and a dedicated internal committee for reviewing donations. They can only accept crypto listed on at least three Korean won-based exchanges and must sell donated assets immediately. Exchanges will also be allowed to sell crypto but only to raise operating funds with daily limits and cannot use their own platforms.
Only the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market value traded on major Korean exchanges will be allowed for sale. All transactions must follow anti-money laundering rules. New listing standards will also push exchanges to delist low-volume tokens and raise the bar for memecoin approvals to protect investors.
Strive is set to boost its Bitcoin holdings by acquiring distressed Bitcoin claims from the collapsed Mt Gox exchange targeting rights linked to 75,000 Bitcoin. Partnering with 117 Castell Advisory Group the firm aims to buy claims that have legal approval but are waiting distribution offering a chance to buy Bitcoin at a discount.
The move supports Strive’s plan to become a Bitcoin treasury company before its expected reverse merger with Asset Entities later this year. The company says it faces fewer restrictions than others going public via SPACs and plans to file transaction details with the SEC before seeking shareholder approval.
Asset Entities shares jumped 18 percent following the announcement closing at $7.74 dollars and pushing its market cap to $122 million. Strive will own over 94 % of the merged firm which will continue trading under the ASST ticker. This push into crypto reflects a growing trend of companies adopting Bitcoin as a strategic asset for long term growth.
Today, New York City hosted its first ever Crypto Summit. The event took place at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s residence, and was attended by prominent figures from the crypto industry, many of whom are based in New York.
At the event, Mayor Adams made the case that he felt the attendees’ pain, stating that they’ve wrongfully been persecuted, and he claimed that it’s now safe for those in the Bitcoin and crypto industry to speak up and set up shop in New York.
“Look how they’ve treated you,” said Mayor Adams.
“You were treated as though you were the enemy instead of the believers,” he added.
“You’ve been hiding in the shadows, afraid to come out — come out…
Read more on BitcoinMagazine
KindlyMD, Inc. has secured shareholder approval for its proposed merger with Nakamoto Holdings Inc., marking a major step toward becoming one of the biggest Bitcoin treasury companies on the market.
The majority of KindlyMD’s shareholders delivered written consent in favor of the merger on May 18, 2025. The transaction is now on track to close in the third quarter of 2025, following the SEC’s review and distribution of an information statement to shareholders. Under current terms, the deal will close 20 days after the statement is mailed.
Full release: are pleased to achieve this important milestone in the merger process,” said Tim Pickett, CEO of…
Read more on BitcoinMagazine
The Blockchain Group (ALTBG), listed on Euronext Growth Paris and known as Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury Company, has announced a capital increase of approximately €8.6 million as it pushes forward with its Bitcoin Treasury Company strategy. The funding was raised through two operations, a Reserved Capital Increase and a Private Placement, with both priced at €1.279 per share.
This price represents a 20.18% premium over the 20-day volume-weighted average share price but a 46.26% discount compared to the closing price on May 19, 2025, reflecting recent high share price volatility.
“The Company’s Board of Directors decided on May 19, 2025, using the delegated authority…
Read more on BitcoinMagazine
This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.
President Trump today made a visit to Capitol Hill for the House GOP Conference Meeting in hopes of convincing Republican holdouts to support his “big, beautiful” tax bill.
Despite ongoing fighting within the GOP, Trump told reporters before the meeting that the party is more unified than ever.
“This is really just a pep talk,” he said this morning. “We have a very unified House and we have a very unified Senate.”
Trump added that Republicans who don’t get on board could face an uphill battle in midterm elections.
The bill seeks to extend Trump 1.0-era tax…
Read more on Blockworks
A new report from River reveals that the United States dominates Bitcoin ownership globally, holding about 40% of all available Bitcoin. With 14.3% of its population owning Bitcoin, the U.S. outpaces Europe, Oceania, and Asia combined.
The United States is the global Bitcoin superpower.
Our new report breaks down how this advantage can fuel the next era of American prosperity. pic.twitter.com/v5BNgTGsKA
— River (@River) May 20, 2025
Corporate America also leads in Bitcoin holdings. Thirty-two U.S. public companies, with a combined market cap of $1.26 trillion, hold Bitcoin as a treasury asset. These firms account for 94.8% of all Bitcoin owned by publicly traded companies worldwide….
Read more on BitcoinMagazine
Parker Day and Casey Rodarmor’s FUN! Collection is an unprecedented synthesis of photographic maximalism and protocol-level innovation—a work that stands alone within the landscape of Bitcoin-native art. Saturated with Day’s bold color palette, surreal personas, and layered identity play, the collection is anchored by Rodarmor’s foundational role as the creator of the Ordinals protocol. Most notably, the series is inscribed directly under Inscription 0—the first inscription ever made using the Ordinals Protocol—marking it as an ontological outlier in the digital art canon. No other collection occupies this same foundational location on-chain, making FUN! a conceptual and…
Read more on BitcoinMagazine
Kraken has begun offering regulated crypto derivatives trading across Europe following approval under the European Union’s MiFID II framework. Retail and institutional clients in the European Economic Area can now access Kraken’s perpetual and fixed maturity futures contracts. This major step was made possible through Kraken’s acquisition of Cypriot investment firm Greenfield Wealth which gave it a license from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
This move positions Kraken among leading platforms expanding in Europe alongside exchanges like Bitstamp Gemini and Coinbase. Kraken’s derivatives contracts already see trading volumes of up to $2 billion daily which provides strong liquidity and competitive execution costs. The exchange also continues to grow globally with acquisitions like NinjaTrader in the US and Crypto Facilities in the UK.
Kraken’s recent Embed product lets European fintechs and neobanks offer both spot and derivatives trading to clients. Smaller jurisdictions like Cyprus remain popular among crypto firms due to flexible regulation and a strong pool of financial experts and infrastructure.