JOON HYOUNG LEE

OpenAI to Invest More Than $230 Million in Singapore, Open First Overseas AI Lab

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, will invest more than $230 million in Singapore to help build the country’s artificial intelligence ecosystem. The company announced on May 19 that it is launching “OpenAI for Singapore” with the Ministry of Digital

Hanwha Investment to Buy $432 Million More of Dunamu, Raise Stake to 9.84%

Hanwha Investment & Securities will invest about $432 million more in Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest digital-asset exchange Upbit, raising its stake to 9.84%. In a regulatory filing on May 20, the company said its board approved the ca

South Carolina Enacts Pro-Crypto Law, Sets Limits on CBDC Use

South Carolina is enacting a pro-cryptocurrency law that explicitly protects the mining industry and other parts of the digital-asset sector. The Block reported on May 19 that South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed crypto bill S.163 on May 18.

Hyperliquid Weekly Fee Share Tops 40%, Surpassing Solana and Ethereum

Hyperliquid, a global decentralized exchange, has seen its share of weekly crypto fees rise above 40%. Data cited by Unfolded on May 20 showed Hyperliquid generated $11 million in weekly fees, accounting for 43% of total cryptocurrency fees. That exc

Cathie Wood’s Ark Buys $4.4 Million of Bullish Stock After Five-Day Drop

Ark Invest, the asset manager led by Cathie Wood, bought additional shares of US crypto exchange Bullish. The firm purchased a total of 122,020 Bullish shares this week through three exchange-traded funds, including ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) and ARK

Dollar Dominance in Stablecoins Strengthens as Non-Dollar Share Slips to 0.24%

The supply of non-dollar stablecoins has nearly tripled over the past five years, but their share of the market has slipped. CoinDesk reported on May 19, citing Artemis data, that the supply of non-dollar stablecoins tied to the euro, yen and Singapo

Samsung Electronics, Union to Resume Negotiations at 4 p.m.

EastPoint: Seoul 2026 Puts Spotlight on Institutional Shift in Digital Assets

[Editor's note] The digital-asset industry is no longer confined to exchanges and token trading. Institutional capital, stablecoins, tokenized capital markets and artificial intelligence infrastructure are converging, reshaping the industry itself. A

Bithumb Offers Pizza, Bitcoin to First-Time Depositors for Bitcoin Pizza Day

Bithumb, a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, is launching a Bitcoin Pizza Day promotion. The exchange said on May 18 that it will run the event through May 31 to mark Bitcoin Pizza Day on May 22, offering pizza and Bitcoin to users making their f

Warren Says CLARITY Act ‘Isn’t Ready Yet’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the CLARITY Act, a crypto market structure bill, is “not ready yet.” CoinDesk reported on May 14 that Warren made the remarks during the Senate Banking Committee’s markup of the CLARITY Act. “Many families across the US are

Senate Banking Chair Scott Says CLARITY Act Would Rewrite ‘Outdated Rules’ as Markup Starts

Sen. Tim Scott, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said on May 14 that the crypto market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act would rewrite “outdated rules.” Speaking at the committee’s markup of the CLARITY Act, Scott said the measure woul

Strive Plans Daily Cash Dividends on SATA Preferreds in First for US-Listed Company

Strive, a Bitcoin digital-asset treasury company, is moving to pay dividends every business day. CoinDesk reported on May 14 that Strive Chief Executive Officer Matt Cole said the company will begin paying cash dividends on its perpetual preferred st

US Senate Banking Panel Set to Mark Up CLARITY Act, Vote Due Thursday

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee is set to mark up the crypto market structure bill known as the CLARITY Act. CoinDesk reported on May 14 that the committee plans to hold a markup of the bill later in the day. A markup is the stage in which a congre

Coinbase to Manage Hyperliquid’s USDC Liquidity as It Expands On-Chain Infrastructure

Coinbase Global Inc. will manage Circle’s USDC liquidity for Hyperliquid, a global decentralized exchange. CoinDesk reported on May 14 that Coinbase had been selected as Hyperliquid’s official Circle treasury manager. Under the arrangement, Coinbase

Bullish Shares Drop 8% After First-Quarter Results Miss Estimates on Weaker Trading

Bullish, the US cryptocurrency exchange, reported first-quarter results that missed market expectations as trading slowed amid a broader downturn in digital-asset markets this year. CoinDesk reported on May 14 that Bullish posted adjusted revenue of

US April Retail Sales Rise 0.5%, Matching Estimates

US retail sales rose 0.5% in April from the prior month, in line with market expectations. The Commerce Department said on May 14 that April retail sales increased 0.5% from a month earlier, matching economists' forecasts. Retail sales rose 4.87% fro

US Initial Jobless Claims Rise to 211,000, Above Forecast

US initial jobless claims rose more than expected last week. The Labor Department said on May 14 that initial jobless claims totaled 211,000 last week. That was 6,000 above economists’ forecast of 205,000 and 12,000 higher than the previous week’s re

BlackRock Moves $285 Million of Bitcoin to Coinbase in Potential Sell Signal

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, transferred Bitcoin worth about $285 million to Coinbase, the US cryptocurrency exchange. Onchain Lens said May 14 that BlackRock moved 3,581 Bitcoin to Coinbase. The tokens are currently valued at about

Bitcoin Unrealized Profit Hits 17.7%, Highest Since June 2025, Raising Selling Pressure Risk

Bitcoin investors’ unrealized profit has climbed to its highest level in about a year, increasing the risk of heavier selling pressure, according to on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant. In a weekly report published May 13, CryptoQuant said investors’

JPMorgan Boosts Q1 Bitcoin ETF Holdings, Lifts IBIT Stake 174%

JPMorgan significantly increased its investment in U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in the first quarter. Cointelegraph reported on May 14 that a 13F filing submitted by JPMorgan on May 13 showed the bank held about 8.3 million shares of Black

Moody’s Assigns Top Ratings to BlackRock, Fidelity Tokenized Money Market Funds

Moody’s Ratings assigned its highest credit grade to tokenized money market funds issued by BlackRock and Fidelity. CoinDesk reported on May 14 that Moody’s gave the funds an AAA-mf rating. The grade denotes very strong liquidity, a very high ability

South Korea’s NPS Buys $37 Million More of Strategy Stock, Raising Stake to 821,985 Shares

South Korea’s National Pension Service bought an additional $37 million of Strategy stock in the first quarter. Bitcoin Treasuries reported on May 13 that the NPS disclosed in a filing submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on May 12

Binance to Airdrop $13 Million of WLFI Tokens to USD1 Holders

Binance will hold an airdrop event for USD1 holders. BlockBeats reported on May 14 that the global cryptocurrency exchange will run the event for about a month, from May 15 to June 12. The total reward pool is $13 million worth of World Liberty Finan

US Approves Nvidia H200 Sales to About 10 Chinese Companies, Including Tencent and Alibaba

The US government has approved Nvidia Corp. to sell its high-performance H200 artificial intelligence chips to about 10 Chinese companies, Reuters reported. Citing multiple sources, Reuters reported on May 14 that Washington had approved sales of the

CFTC Grants Reporting Relief for Prediction Markets in No-Action Letter

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has effectively exempted prediction-market platforms from certain swap data reporting requirements. The Block reported on May 13 that the CFTC’s Division of Market Oversight and Division of Clearing and Ris

Trump Weighs 250 Pardons for US 250th Anniversary, WSJ Reports

President Donald Trump is considering a large-scale clemency action to mark the 250th anniversary of the US, the Wall Street Journal reported. Citing multiple sources, the Journal reported on May 13 that Trump is weighing 250 pardons this summer to c

New York Court Delays Ruling on Aave Bid to Unfreeze $71 Million in Ether, Sets June 5 Hearing

A New York court has postponed a decision on Aave's request to unfreeze Ether valued at about $71 million. Cointelegraph reported on May 13 that Judge Margaret M. Garnett of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered additi

Ledger Puts US IPO on Hold Amid Deteriorating Market Conditions

French cryptocurrency wallet maker Ledger has paused preparations for a US stock market listing. CoinDesk, citing multiple sources, reported on May 13 that Ledger recently decided to put its US initial public offering plans on hold. The company has n

Upexi Posts $109.3 Million First-Quarter Net Loss as Solana Decline Hits Holdings

Upexi, a US company listed on Nasdaq and pursuing a Solana-based digital asset treasury, or DAT, strategy, posted a steep first-quarter loss. The Block reported on May 12 that Upexi posted first-quarter revenue of $4.6 million, up slightly from $3.2

IMF Chief Warns Oil at $120-$130 Through Next Year Could Trigger Global Recession

The International Monetary Fund warned that a surge in oil prices stemming from the war in Iran could raise the risk of a global recession. Walter Bloomberg reported on May 13 that IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the global economy co