Japan is preparing to introduce crypto asset ETFs by 2028, following the US lead. Regulatory reforms, tax cuts to 20%, and major financial institutions' involvement mark progress, though practical hurdles remain.
In March 2026, Iran required all tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz to settle oil trade in yuan instead of dollars. At least two vessels have complied. Oil prices surged to $100/bbl. Ray Dalio warns the petrodollar system could collapse, though yuan oil trade accounts for only 5%.
Mastercard announces global Crypto Partner Program, bringing together Binance, Ripple, Circle, PayPal, Gemini and 80+ others to focus on real-world blockchain payment use cases like cross-border transfers and B2B settlements.
JAN3 CEO Samson Mow proposes a $1.5B OTC trade where Strategy sells 25,000 BTC to BSTR for cash, boosting Strategy's dollar reserves and making BSTR the second-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, but challenging the 'never sell' creed.
MoonPay and M0 have launched PYUSDx with PayPal support, giving developers a way to issue branded stablecoins backed by PYUSD in days. USD.ai is the first adopter.
Ripple plans to open the XRP Ledger to global developers starting 2026, shifting from centralized funding to community-driven growth, with over $550 million already deployed. XRP trades at $1.41, down 1.38%.
Coinbase has rolled out regulated prediction markets nationwide in the U.S., letting users trade contracts tied to bitcoin prices, Fed decisions, politics, sports, and other real-world events through its app.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs posted $290.4 million in net outflows on May 15, with all six active funds in the red. Spot Ether ETFs also lost $65.7 million, marking a fifth straight trading day of outflows.
