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Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US, has added PAX Gold (PAXG), a gold-backed stablecoin, to its listing roadmap, signalling a potential future listing. PAXG is an Ethereum-based token issued by Paxos, where each token represents ownership of one fine troy ounce of physical gold stored in London vaults and audited monthly. Coinbase’s listing roadmap update is meant to enhance transparency and reduce insider trading risks, though it does not guarantee that PAXG will be listed on the platform.
PAXG is part of a growing trend of gold-backed stablecoins in the crypto market. Another notable example is Tether Gold (XAUT), launched in 2020 by Tether, which also represents ownership of physical gold held in Swiss vaults and is backed by $770 million in gold reserves. Both tokens provide investors with a way to hold physical gold in a digital form while benefiting from blockchain technology, offering an alternative to traditional gold investments with added liquidity and ease of transfer. Source
Visa is investing in BVNK, a stablecoin payments network, to enhance its business-to-business transaction capabilities and support BVNK’s expansion into the US market. BVNK, led by CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers, has built infrastructure designed to automate and scale global stablecoin payments, offering a faster and more efficient alternative to traditional banking systems. The partnership with Visa, recognized as a pioneer in payment innovation, aims to revolutionize digital business operations and increase the accessibility of stablecoin payment rails.
Currently processing $12 billion in annualized stablecoin payments, BVNK is rapidly growing its presence, with this investment from Visa helping accelerate its US market entry. Visa’s head of growth products and partnerships, Rubail Birwadker, emphasized the strategic importance of stablecoins in global payments and the company’s commitment to investing in emerging technologies like BVNK. Earlier this year, BVNK also secured $50 million in a Series B funding round, attracting investments from major venture capital firms, including Coinbase Ventures. Source
Google Threat Intelligence has reported that the Russian-backed threat group COLDRIVER is using new malware called LOSTKEYS to steal files from Western targets, marking a shift from their traditional phishing tactics to more sophisticated cyberattacks. LOSTKEYS is deployed through a multi-step process involving a fake CAPTCHA on a lure website, PowerShell scripts, device evasion, and final payload installation. The malware can extract files from specific extensions and directories, send system data and running processes to the attackers, and operates from the IP address 165.227.148[.]68. Google has taken measures to protect users by adding malicious sites to its Safe Browsing feature.
In addition to COLDRIVER's activities, the crypto industry has seen a surge in hacks in 2025, with losses totalling $2 billion in the first quarter, surpassing the entire previous year. According to cybersecurity firm Hacken, these attacks exploit operational flaws and weak access controls, with social engineering playing a significant role. A major incident contributing to these losses was the $1.5 billion hack of the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit in February, allegedly carried out by the Lazarus Group, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in both centralized and decentralized crypto platforms. Source
As of May 2025, Bitcoin mining has become attractive again due to high BTC prices and increased transaction fees, but mining Bitcoin with a gaming PC remains largely unprofitable. While gaming rigs, equipped with powerful GPUs like the Nvidia RTX 4090, may seem capable, they fall dramatically short compared to specialized ASIC miners designed exclusively for Bitcoin’s SHA-256 algorithm. ASICs can perform millions of times more hashes per second and are far more energy-efficient, making GPU mining for Bitcoin costly and inefficient due to high electricity consumption, hardware wear, and minimal rewards.
However, gamers with powerful PCs don’t need to write off mining entirely. Alternative cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum Classic, Ravencoin, and Monero still allow profitable mining with GPUs thanks to their ASIC-resistant or CPU/GPU-friendly algorithms. These coins provide viable options for those wanting to mine at home, offering reasonable block rewards and a chance to earn passive income without the massive infrastructure required for Bitcoin mining. Tools like WhatToMine can help miners identify the best coins to mine with their specific hardware. Source
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has officially reaffirmed that U.S. national banks have the authority to buy, sell, and manage crypto assets under custody, including the ability to outsource these crypto services to third parties. This move signals a significant regulatory shift, rolling back previous restrictions that required banks to seek prior consent before engaging in crypto activities. The OCC’s latest guidance builds on earlier interpretations, now explicitly supporting banks’ involvement in crypto custody, distributed ledger technologies, and stablecoin activities—provided they maintain sound risk management practices.
This update aligns with broader regulatory changes as the Federal Reserve and FDIC recently withdrew supervisory letters that had limited banks’ crypto engagement, effectively ending earlier “Choke Point” policies that hindered crypto adoption. The coordinated shift reflects a more open stance toward integrating digital assets within traditional banking, helping banks enter the crypto market without needing to build infrastructure from scratch. It also marks a clear departure from the more cautious approach taken in recent years, signalling increased institutional acceptance and regulatory clarity around crypto-related banking services. Source
Markethive is transforming the digital world by combining cryptocurrency with social networking into a decentralized ecosystem designed to empower entrepreneurs and disrupt traditional business models. Central to this ecosystem are its native tokens—Markethive Credit (MHC), Hivecoin (HVC), and Bitcoin—each serving unique roles. MHC acts as a stablecoin used for purchasing products and services within the platform and is integral to a staking system that rewards users based on their token holdings. Hivecoin, the platform’s primary cryptocurrency, facilitates transactions, smart contracts, and premium services, while also incentivizing active participation through rewards for content creation, referrals, and social engagement. Bitcoin integration further enhances financial freedom and accessibility, especially for users in restricted regions.
Markethive also supports diverse payment options, including traditional credit cards and modern digital wallets like Google Pay and Yandex Pay, ensuring broad accessibility. Users can earn Hivecoin through various activities such as faucets, micropayments, and content creation, emphasizing merit-based rewards and community engagement. This structure fosters a self-sustaining economy where contributions are valued and incentivized. Overall, Markethive offers a unique blend of social networking, inbound marketing tools, and a token-driven rewards system, positioning itself as a comprehensive platform that helps businesses grow while rewarding users for their participation and support. Source
Arizona has become the first U.S. state to pass a law allowing unclaimed cryptocurrency to be held in its original digital form rather than being liquidated. Signed by Governor Katie Hobbs, HB 2749 sets a three-year dormancy period after which unclaimed digital assets must be transferred to the state's Department of Revenue. The law also establishes a reserve fund to capture earnings from these assets, such as staking rewards or airdrops, with any distributions requiring legislative approval. This move modernizes Arizona's unclaimed property laws to better accommodate digital assets and positions the state as a leader in managing abandoned cryptocurrencies.
This legislation follows the veto of a separate, more high-profile bill proposing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve funded by seized state assets, which Governor Hobbs rejected due to concerns over volatility and fiduciary risk. The vetoed bill’s sponsor, Senator Wendy Rogers, intends to reintroduce it in a future session. Meanwhile, other states have experienced mixed success with crypto-related legislation—Florida and several others saw similar bills stall, while New Hampshire recently authorized up to 5% of public funds to be invested in digital assets or precious metals, marking a significant step toward institutional crypto adoption at the state level. Source
Hive Digital Technologies is strengthening its long-term commitment to Paraguay, attracted by the country’s geopolitical stability, low-cost hydroelectric power, and favorable investment climate. After acquiring Bitfarms’ 200 MW Yguazú mining facility, Hive completed the first phase of a 100 MW data center in April, achieving 5 exahashes per second (EH/s) of Bitcoin mining power. The company plans to expand its Paraguayan operations to 300 MW by 2025, aiming for a total hashrate of 25 EH/s. Hive is actively engaging with local stakeholders and policymakers to ensure supportive regulations and foster a stable, efficient mining ecosystem that benefits from local hiring and partnerships.
To mitigate geopolitical risks, Hive maintains a diversified presence with data centers in Canada, Sweden, and Paraguay, while relocating its headquarters to Texas. The company has secured long-term power agreements and diversified ASIC sourcing to navigate equipment tariffs and supply challenges. Hive’s CEO, Aydin Kilic, views Bitcoin mining profitability as a physics equation, emphasizing control over operational costs, energy efficiency, and uptime. This disciplined approach aims to maximize returns and manage market uncertainties while scaling Hive’s mining capacity significantly. Source
1inch, a leading decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator, is advancing its platform to provide users with faster, cheaper, and safer swaps through innovations like its cross-chain gasless Fusion solution. Unlike traditional DEXs, 1inch scans hundreds of exchanges to find the best rates, optimizing liquidity from over 500 DEXs and centralized exchanges across multiple blockchains. The team’s commitment to security is demonstrated by rigorous audits and minimalist smart contract design, which has helped the platform avoid hacks. Recently, 1inch opened a physical office in Dubai to expand its presence, reflecting its belief in the region’s potential for crypto innovation.
Looking ahead, 1inch’s Head of Business Development Aleksandra Fetisova predicts greater institutional adoption of DeFi, with centralized exchanges and banks exploring Web3 integrations. She also highlights emerging trends like the tokenization of real-world assets, which could drive mass crypto adoption, and the integration of AI to enhance user experience through smart assistants. The platform’s recent expansion to Solana marks a shift beyond Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, signaling broader multi-chain ambitions. While acknowledging the volatile nature of meme coins, Fetisova emphasizes the need for education and better user protections as DeFi matures. Source
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has warned that many European banks are at risk of collapsing in the next few years, largely due to the European Union's stablecoin regulations. Ardoino criticizes the rules for requiring stablecoin issuers like Tether to keep 60% of their reserves in uninsured cash deposits within European banks. Because these banks operate on fractional reserve lending—lending out most of their deposits—the actual liquid cash available is far less than what stablecoin issuers might need for large redemptions. This mismatch, Ardoino explains, could trigger bank failures, causing stablecoin issuers to go bankrupt not due to their own financial health, but because of the banks’ inability to meet withdrawal demands.
Ardoino also claims that major European financial institutions are reluctant to hold stablecoin reserves, forcing issuers to rely on smaller, riskier banks, which further increases systemic risk. He draws parallels to the 2023 collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, suggesting a similar banking crisis could soon unfold in Europe due to these vulnerabilities. According to him, the regulations, intended to protect the economy, ironically may fuel instability and lead to multiple bank failures over the coming years. Source
Crypto exchange OKX is set to relaunch its decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator with a new real-time abuse detection and blocking system after facing scrutiny from European Union regulators earlier this year. The move follows OKX’s temporary suspension of its DEX aggregator in March, a decision made after the $1.4 billion Ethereum hack at Bybit was linked to the notorious Lazarus Group, a North Korean cybercrime organization. OKX CEO Star Xu emphasized the platform’s role as a key gateway to blockchain data and decentralized applications, aiming to improve security while helping users access multiple chains and DApps.
The regulatory attention on OKX intensified after reports revealed that a significant portion of the stolen Ethereum moved through OKX’s Web3 proxy, with some funds remaining untraceable without cooperation from the exchange. This incident led to increased pressure from EU regulators investigating the misuse of DeFi services. OKX has since acknowledged the coordinated attack attempt and is responding by upgrading its security measures to prevent abuse and ensure safer decentralized trading experiences going forward. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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