Decentral Block Post

Cork Protocol, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, was hit by a smart contract exploit on May 28, resulting in the loss of roughly $12 million in digital assets.

Cybersecurity firm Cyvers said the hack occurred at 11:23:19 UTC and was funded by an address ending in “762B.” According to the firm, the attacker used the exploit to steal roughly 3,761 Wrapped Staked Ether (wstETH), which was converted to Ether (ETH) almost immediately after the attack.

“We are investigating a potential exploit on Cork Protocol and are pausing all contracts. We will report back with more information,” Cork Protocol co-founder Phil Fogel wrote on X.

The Cork Protocol exploit is the latest hacking incident to impact the crypto industry as cybersecurity continues to be a major issue in the sector, lowering consumer confidence, and prompting calls to improve security measures from crypto industry executives.

Related: Hacken CEO sees ‘no shift’ in crypto security as April hacks hit $357M

Key points:

Markets increasingly see fewer Fed rate cuts this year, with the first only coming in September.

Despite potential labor market weakness to come, crypto and risk assets lack an overall bullish catalyst, analysis says.

BTC/USD continues to drop toward new multiday lows.

Bitcoin (BTC) sold off at the May 28 Wall Street open as markets continued to price out US interest rate cuts.

Opinion by: Scott Buchanan, chief operating officer of Bitcoin Depot

A new proposal to install Bitcoin ATMs in federal buildings highlights an important question: Can crypto truly go mainstream without a stronger physical presence? For years, the industry has focused on software and decentralization, but its reluctance to invest in real-world infrastructure is starting to show. Without physical access points, crypto risks becoming an exclusive, insiders-only system, rather than the open alternative it sets out to be.

Everyone loves to talk about decentralization. There’s a good reason behind this. It defines the movement, shapes the technology, and supports the vision of a better financial system. While the industry focuses on code and algorithms, it lacks something basic. A decentralized system that exists only online is not genuinely decentralized.

Physical infrastructure is the missing link

Bitcoin’s physical infrastructure is the missing link. Without tools like ATMs, kiosks and access points at traditional retail locations, crypto remains out of reach for millions. Decentralization is not just about removing intermediaries. True decentralization requires expanding access. Without real-world touchpoints, even the most advanced network becomes limited to a closed circle of insiders.

Recent: Arizona governor kills two crypto bills, cracks down on Bitcoin ATMs

The Katana Foundation, a nonprofit focused on decentralized finance (DeFi) development, is launching its private mainnet, aiming to unlock greater crypto asset productivity via deeper liquidity and higher yields for users.

The Katana Foundation launched a DeFi-optimized, private blockchain, Katana, on May 28, incubated by GSR Markets and Polygon Labs, with the public mainnet launch set for June.

The new blockchain will enable users to earn higher yields and explore DeFi in a “unique, optimized yield environment” that unlocks latent value through an ecosystem that makes every digital asset “work harder,” according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph.

“DeFi users deserve ecosystems that prioritize sustainable liquidity and consistent ‘real’ yields,” wrote Marc Boiron, the CEO of Polygon Labs and core contributor at Katana, adding: 

Katana aims to solve the crypto industry’s liquidity fragmentation issue, which can cause significant price slippage, as one of the main barriers limiting institutional DeFi participation

Top Bitcoin (BTC) bulls in 2025 have updated their price forecasts, and they range from a relatively cautious $130,000 to seven-figure moonshots.

Familiar doubters like gold bug Peter Schiff and economist Nouriel Roubini continue to predict a catastrophic ending for the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Meanwhile, Bitcoin spent the year with record-breaking rallies behind renewed institutional uptake.

It set a new all-time high of $111,970 on May 22 and has been trading near that level since, teasing investors with the possibility of a new ceiling.

Here are some of the boldest Bitcoin price predictions from the first half of 2025 (so far).

1. Adam Back says Bitcoin tops $1 million if US jumps in

Blockstream CEO Adam Back said in November that Bitcoin could break $1 million “this cycle” if the US follows through with plans to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. In March, the White House did just that, though it has yet to be codified into law by Congress. 

The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has requested public feedback on proposed regulations for stablecoins and cryptocurrency custody.

In a May 28 request for comment, the United Kingdom’s financial regulator announced that its regulatory proposals are “the latest milestone on the road to crypto regulation.” The draft rules are based on prior roundtables and industry feedback. David Geale, executive director of payments and digital finance at the FCA, said the agency aims to support innovation while ensuring market trust:

The FCA also noted it will work with the UK’s central bank to regulate stablecoins. Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden said, “For those stablecoins that expect to operate at systemic scale, the Bank of England will publish a complementary consultation paper later this year.”

Related: UK outpaces global crypto ownership growth in 2025: Gemini report

Ensuring stablecoins remain stable

The FCA said that its rules “aim to ensure regulated stablecoins maintain their value.” The regulator said customers must be clearly informed about how the backing assets are managed. It also recommended that stablecoin issuers appoint independent third-party custodians to hold reserve assets:

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) caught an uptick in sales in May after months of consistent decline throughout 2025. 

Data from CryptoSlam shows that May’s NFT sales climbed to $430 million, up from $373 million in April, a 15% increase. It marks the first monthly sales increase this year, suggesting renewed interest in digital collectibles. 

This follows a five-month decline in sales since volume peaked at over $900 million in December 2024. May also had the highest number of transactions in 2025, reaching 5.5 million, according to CryptoSlam. 

The sales uptick may be attributed to the divergence between unique NFT buyers and NFT sellers. NFT buyers continued to increase in May, while sellers declined. 

NFT sellers dwindle, while buyers increase

May showed a significant jump in unique buyers. The number of users buying NFTs rose by 50% to over 936,000 in May, up from around 622,000 in April.

Sui (SUI) is making a strong technical case for a 100% price rally in the coming weeks, helped further by a slew of optimistic updates, such as the recent Nasdaq ETF filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Gooner EMA support raises 40% SUI bounce potential

As of May 28, SUI has reclaimed the “Gooner EMA” as support on the weekly chart.

Gooner EMA is a technical indicator created by trader NebraskanGooner that uses the 11- and 22-period exponential moving averages (EMA). When the price crosses above the EMA range, it often leads to further gains.

When the price closes below the EMA range, it tends to follow deeper losses.

SUI lost this support, roughly between $3.34 and $3.59, last week after a $200 million exploit hit Cetus, a decentralized exchange built on the Sui blockchain.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI has partnered with Telegram to integrate its AI chatbot Grok across the messaging platform, according to Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.

Telegram and xAI have agreed to a one-year partnership to distribute Grok to a billion Telegram users and integrate it into its apps, Durov announced on X on May 28.

As part of the agreement, Telegram will receive $300 million in cash and equity from Musk’s AI company, in addition to 50% of revenue from xAI subscriptions sold via Telegram, the CEO noted.

“This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market,” Durov said in a post on his Telegram channel.

Grok integration begins with Telegram

According to a promo video accompanying Durov’s announcement, the partnership is expected to bring a wide rollout of Grok features within the messenger.

Metalayer Ventures, a crypto-focused venture capital firm led by former executives from Chainlink and Two Sigma, has launched a $25 million fund to invest in early-stage blockchain projects with a focus on stablecoins, tokenization and cryptocurrency infrastructure. 

Metalayer’s fund has already backed seven companies, the company disclosed to Cointelegraph on May 28. These include AnchorZero, a platform helping crypto founders use Roth IRAs for tax advantages, and Spark Capital, a new venture focused on stablecoin infrastructure.

Other portfolio companies include Ethena, ClearToken, Crossover Markets, Station70 and Theo — an onchain trading infrastructure project that recently raised $20 million from 17 different VC firms.

The company plans to eventually back up to 30 companies with early-stage rounds ranging from $500,000 to $1 million.

Metalayer was co-founded by Chainlink Labs’ former head of growth, Mickey Graham, and former Two Sigma executives Andy Kangpan and David Winton.

Key takeaways:

XRP’s falling wedge pattern signals a bullish reversal; 48% price surge potential.

SEC’s review of WisdomTree’s XRP ETF may spark investor interest as approval odds jump to 84% on Polymarket. 

XRP price is forming a falling wedge pattern on the daily chart, a technical chart formation associated with strong bullish momentum following an upward breakout. Could this technical setup, coupled with the SEC’s review of a spot XRP ETF application by WisdomTree, signal the start of a rally to $3.40 and higher?

XRP falling wedge pattern targets $3.40

From a technical perspective, XRP (XRP) price could gain significant momentum if it breaks out of this falling wedge pattern.

GameStop, the US video game and consumer electronics retailer, has confirmed its first Bitcoin investment, acquiring 4,710 Bitcoin, according to a statement posted May 28 on the company’s X account.

The company did not specify how much it paid for the Bitcoin (BTC) or when the purchases were made in the announcement, while its Form 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission also offers little detail. The amount purchased was worth around $513 million at the time of writing.

The announced acquisition is GameStop's first publicly acknowledged Bitcoin purchase since the company disclosed plans to move into Bitcoin investment in March.

At the time, GameStop said it would fund the Bitcoin purchase through debt financing and launched a $1.3 billion convertible notes offering.

The news comes after months of speculation that GameStop was exploring alternative assets, including cryptocurrencies.

The Open Network Foundation (TON Foundation) appointed former Visa executive Nikola Plecas as its new vice president of payments.

Plecas will be responsible for shaping and executing TON’s payment infrastructure strategy, the company said in a May 28 blog post.

He is tasked with expanding the network’s capabilities, managing financial partnerships and ensuring compliance across jurisdictions as the foundation scales services for over 1 billion Telegram users.

“Joining TON Foundation represents an incredible opportunity to shape the future of payments on a truly global scale,” Plecas said.

Related: How to use tsUSDe on TON for yield-generating dollar savings

Swiss crypto bank Amina Bank, formerly Seba Bank, reported record financial results for 2024, with revenue climbing 69% year-over-year to $40.4 million.

The bank also saw its assets under management (AUM) rise by 136% to $4.2 billion, driven by institutional demand and strategic expansion, according to a May 28 news release.

The Zurich-based bank credited the growth to its multi-jurisdictional footprint, 24/7 trading capabilities and a lending book that has maintained zero defaults over five years.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team’s tenacity and focus, which led to quarterly profitability in Q4 2024, a pivotal milestone that confirms the value of our approach,” CEO Franz Bergmueller said.

Related: Bitcoin Suisse eyes UAE expansion with regulatory nod in Abu Dhabi

BlackRock, one of the world’s largest Bitcoin holders, is reportedly participating in a bond raise by crypto-friendly messenger Telegram.

Telegram is expected to raise at least $1.5 billion in a bond issue on May 28, with support from existing backers like BlackRock and Abu Dhabi’s investment firm Mubadala, The Wall Street Journal reported.

As part of the sale, Telegram is offering investors five-year bonds at a 9% yield, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Telegram plans to use the proceeds to buy back remaining debt from bonds issued in 2021, which are due to mature in March 2026.

Discounts for potential Telegram IPO

Apart from existing Telegram bondholders like BlackRock and Mubadala, the sale is also expected to bring new investors, including the US hedge fund firm Citadel.

Ripple, the blockchain company behind XRP, argued that fungible cryptocurrencies are not securities when transferred in secondary transactions in a recent letter sent to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In its May 27 letter, Ripple cited US attorney and crypto law thought leader Lewis Cohen to support its claim. In his widely cited 2022 paper, “The Ineluctable Modality of Securities Law: Why Fungible Crypto Assets Are Not Securities,” he wrote:

“[T]here is no current basis in the law relating to ‘investment contracts’ to classify most fungible crypto assets as ‘securities’ when transferred in secondary transactions.”

In his paper, Cohen explained that in secondary transactions, an investment contract transaction is generally not present. He further claimed that fungible cryptocurrencies “neither create nor represent the necessary cognizable legal relationship between” a legal entity and the holder that is the “hallmark of a security.”

Related: Banking groups ask SEC to drop cybersecurity incident disclosure rule

Key points:

Bitcoin whales are adding to their BTC positions while price ranges below all-time highs.

If a new market correction comes, one potential bounce level lies in the mid-$90,000 zone.

Hyperliquid trader James Wynn hints at large-volume traders shaping low-timeframe price performance.

Bitcoin (BTC) may see support only at $94,000 if a fresh BTC price correction ensues, new analysis says.

Sui-based decentralized exchange Cetus may be one step closer to recovering funds lost in a recent exploit, pending the outcome of a community governance vote scheduled to end June 3.

Cetus was exploited for over $220 million worth of digital assets on May 22. Shortly after the incident, Cetus managed to freeze $162 million of the funds.

In a May 27 post on X, Sui said Cetus had requested a community vote to approve the recovery of the frozen funds.

“If the community vote is approved, the funds will be recovered from the attacker and held in a multisig trust account until they can be returned to accounts that had positions in Cetus,” the post said.

The vote is part of a broader recovery plan that includes using Cetus’s treasury and securing an emergency loan from the Sui Foundation.

Japanese investment company Metaplanet is raising $50 million through a private placement of zero-interest bonds as part of its strategy to increase its Bitcoin exposure. 

In a May 28 announcement, the company said it was raising $50 million through bonds. The bonds are issued in $1.25 million denominations and carry no interest. Investors will not receive regular payments, with any potential profit expected to come from the bonds’ redemption value.

Evo Fund, a Cayman Islands-based investment firm, will be the sole bondholder. The investment company has been Metaplanet’s primary backer for its Bitcoin acquisition strategy, subscribing to multiple rounds of Metaplanet’s zero-interest bonds, providing capital for its Bitcoin (BTC) buys.

The bonds are unsecured and not guaranteed, with neither a bond administrator nor collateral. This reflects the high degree of trust between the two companies. It also shows confidence in BTC’s long-term outlook as Metaplanet continues to increase its holdings. 

Metaplanet expects minimal impact on 2025 results

Metaplanet said it expects the issuance to have minimal impact on its 2025 financial results, though it will disclose further developments if needed.