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Payments behemoth Visa has invested in BVNK, a London-based startup focused on stablecoin payment infrastructure, signaling continued interest in digital asset innovation.

According to a May 7 BVNK announcement, the startup “secured a strategic investment from Visa through their Visa Ventures arm.” Furthermore, while the company does not explain fully what it entails, it refers to the investment as “more than capital” and describes it as a partnership. The company’s CEO, Jesse Hemson-Struthers, wrote:

Rubail Birwadker, head of products and partnerships at Visa, explained that “stablecoins are fast becoming a part of global payment flows.” He said that Visa invests in new technologies and builders, such as BVNK, who are involved in “what’s next in commerce to better serve our clients and partners.”

Related: Stablecoin fever: 5 major stablecoins are growing crypto adoption

BVNK is on a roll

Visa’s investment in BVNK follows the stablecoin infrastructure company closing a $50 million Series B funding round led by Haun Ventures at the end of 2024, with plans to expand into the United States. The round saw the participation of industry heavyweights including Coinbase Ventures, Scribble Ventures, DRW VC, and existing investors Avenir and Tiger Global.

In an industry filled with complexity, jargon and mistrust, women in Web3 say that the way to attract more women into the crypto space starts with clarity, education and community. 

At the Blockchain Baddies side event during Token2049 in Dubai, women shared personal experiences of entering the Web3 world and why they believe more female participation is essential for the future of crypto.

In interviews with Cointelegraph, community members said the path forward begins with simplifying technical concepts and fostering environments where women can learn and grow.

From providing clarity to building skills 

From simplifying technical language to creating safe spaces for learning, women in Web3 said that demystifying crypto and making tools more intuitive can unlock more opportunities for women to enter the Web3 industry. 

Caroline York, the marketing director of Web3 firm Serotonin, said that making the space more welcoming to women starts with clarity. “In order to attract more women, we’ve got to make the information much more digestible and a lot clearer,” she said.

USD1, the US dollar stablecoin launched by the President Donald Trump-backed World Liberty Financial (WLFI), has become the seventh-largest stablecoin worldwide in just two months since its launch.

WLFI’s snapshot vote for a USD1 airdrop proposal is underway, and USD1’s market capitalization has continued to climb.

Launched in early March with a $3.5 million supply, USD1 has expanded into a market cap of $2.2 billion at the time of writing, leaving rival stablecoins First Digital USD (FDUSD), PayPal USD (PYUSD) and Tether Gold (XAUT) behind, according to data from CoinGecko.

Although rising fast, the USD1 market cap is still far from the market value of major stablecoins like Tether’s USDt (USDT) and USDC (USDC), whose market caps are worth $149 billion and $61 billion, respectively.

BNB Chain drives USD1 issuance

Trump-backed USD1 is almost exclusively issued on Binance-backed BNB Chain. According to data from BscScan, as much as $2.1 billion of all USD1 supply is issued on BNB Chain, accounting for more than 99% of its total circulating supply, while an Ethereum-based version accounts for just $14.5 million, according to Etherscan.

Cryptocurrency miner Diversified Energy quietly vacated a natural gas-powered crypto mining site in Elk County, Pennsylvania, reportedly leaving behind unplugged wells and regulatory violations.

The site, known as Longhorn Pad A, was revived in 2022 after sitting dormant for nearly a decade when Diversified began using it to fuel on-site generators powering cryptocurrency mining computers, according to a report by the Erie Times-News.

Per the report, the operation was launched without obtaining an air quality permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Though the company was later granted the permit in December 2023, a March 2025 inspection revealed that Diversified had already removed the mining infrastructure.

Empty metallic sheds and missing production equipment led the DEP to issue a formal violation notice for well abandonment. Diversified reportedly denied that the site was abandoned, saying that it may resume gas production.

Bitcoin holders are becoming more comfortable borrowing against their crypto as market confidence grows, according to Seamus Rocca, CEO of the Gibraltar-based private bank, Xapo Bank. 

In an interview at the Token2049 event in Dubai, Rocca told Cointelegraph that with Bitcoin (BTC) hovering around $95,000 and institutional adoption starting to catch on, the mood among investors has shifted from short-term speculation to a more long-term outlook. 

“I’m not sure that confidence would have been there three or four years ago,” Rocca told Cointelegraph. “But today, people are more comfortable to borrow against Bitcoin because we’re nowhere near the levels that would trigger liquidation.”

On March 18, Xapo Bank launched a lending product that allows users to borrow US dollars using their Bitcoin as collateral. With the product, qualified clients can access up to $1 million in loans while keeping their BTC.

Bitcoin-backed loans are an “obvious” next step

Rocca told Cointelegraph that growing confidence in crypto’s long-term trajectory had fueled demand for the product. This has been driven by developments leading to broader institutional adoption. 

Several crypto-focused organizations — including Bitcoin (BTC) mining companies — are eyeing a US return, primarily driven by uncertain geopolitical tensions. Still, BTC miner Hive Digital Technologies is doubling down on the untapped potential of the Latin American (LATAM) market.

In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Hive Digital Technologies’ president and CEO, Aydin Kilic, said that Paraguay presents a compelling long-term opportunity equipped with “geopolitical stability, low-cost hydro energy, and a government open to foreign investment”.

Picking up from where Bitfarms left off

Hive acquired Bitfarms’ 200 megawatt (MW) Yguazú facility for $56 million in January. Phase one infrastructure of a 100 MW data center at the site was completed in April, supporting five exahashes per second (EH/s) of application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mining.

Hive plans to expand to 300 MW of mining facilities in Paraguay in 2025. It aims to increase its hashrate to 25 EH/s by September.

Related: Bitfarms sells Paraguay site to Hive for $85M, refocuses on US

Key takeaways:

Inter Milan Fan Token jumped 10.5% after beating Barcelona, showing a direct price correlation with match outcomes.

PSG and AFC fan tokens signal breakout patterns ahead of the Champions League semifinal.

Crypto betting odds favor PSG over Inter Milan, influencing fan token trading volumes and short-term price setups.

The Inter Milan Fan Token ($INTER) rallied sharply after Inter Milan’s 4-3 victory over Barcelona FC in the Champions League semifinal on May 6, rising nearly 10.50% on match day and maintaining gains at $1.19 as of May 7.

Ethereum — the network that unleashed smart contracts on the world — moves on to the next chapter with today’s Pectra upgrade, but what does it mean?

Pectra went live on the Ethereum mainnet at the start of epoch 364032, May 7, 2025, at about 10:00 am UTC. The three main Ethereum improvement proposals (EIPs) included are EIP-7702, EIP-7251 and EIP-7691.

EIP-7702 allows externally owned accounts to act as smart contracts and cover gas expenses (transaction fees) and payments in tokens that are not Ether (ETH). EIP-7251 increases the validator staking limit from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH, which makes operations for large stakers easier and simpler.

Finally, EIP-7691 increases the number of data blobs per block, which allows for better layer-2 scalability and potentially significantly reduces transaction fees. Sergej Kunz, co-founder of Ethereum decentralized exchange (DEX) aggregator 1inch, said Pectra “introduces ‘smart account’ functionality” at deeper protocol levels and “improves Ethereum’s scalability” through layer-2 solutions.

Related: Ethereum to simplify crosschain transactions with new token standards

Bhutan, known for investments in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, has launched a tourism crypto payment system in partnership with Binance Pay and DK Bank.

The system allows Bhutan travelers with Binance accounts to pay for services like tickets, hotel stays, tour guides and other products using at least 100 different crypto assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), USDC (USDC) and Binance-backed BNB (BNB).

The initiative also opens a payment gateway for businesses in Bhutan, enabling them to accept crypto payments through a QR code on a phone, according to an announcement by Binance on May 7.

“This is more than a payment solution — it’s a commitment to innovation, inclusion, and convenience,” said Damcho Rinzin, director of Bhutan’s tourism department.

Benefits for small businesses in remote areas

The partnership specifically targets small businesses in Bhutan, such as vendors and rural artisans who may never have had access to card terminals or payment infrastructure.

Despite the $1.4 billion lost in the recent Bybit hack, crypto companies have not changed their approach to cybersecurity, according to Hacken CEO Dyma Budorin. 

In an interview with Cointelegraph at the Token2049 event in Dubai, Budorin said the industry continues to rely on limited measures such as bug bounties and penetration tests, rather than implementing comprehensive, layered security strategies:

He said that crypto companies must go beyond these isolated security measures and adopt more layered approaches similar to those of traditional industries. These include supply-chain security, operational security and blockchain-specific security assessments. 

“In big Web2 companies, this is mandatory,” Budorin added. 

Real-time blacklisting, a step forward

While crypto security approaches remained the same, post-hack security approaches shifted slightly. Budorin told Cointelegraph there were some improvements in the crypto space’s post-hack security responses. 

Tether deployed its flagship stablecoin, USDt, on the Kaia blockchain as part of a broader collaboration with Line Next, the Web3 arm of Line, Japan’s popular messaging platform with more than 196 million monthly active users.

The integration means USDt (USDT) will now be supported across Line’s messenger-based Mini DApp ecosystem and self-custodial wallet, enabling users to interact with stablecoins inside an interface they already use daily, Tether said in a May 7 announcement.

Line users will be able to use USDt for in-app payments, cross-border transfers and decentralized finance (DeFi) activities.

“Through LINE NEXT’s blockchain infrastructure, over 200 million LINE users will now have a straightforward way to engage with digital assets in everyday life,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said, adding:

Related: Tether AI platform to support Bitcoin and USDT payments, CEO says

Key points:

Bitcoin and gold trade in lockstep on low timeframes as macro volatility triggers heighten.

The Federal Reserve interest rate decision and news conference are just hours away.

Market sentiment for rate cuts in 2025 decreases sharply ahead of the FOMC meeting.

Bitcoin (BTC) saw a flash short-term trend change on May 7 as geopolitical triggers gave risk assets fresh volatility.

Japan’s Metaplanet purchased an additional 555 Bitcoin as part of its aggressive accumulation strategy, bringing its total holdings to 5,555 BTC, valued at over $536 million at current prices.

On May 7, the Tokyo-listed firm disclosed that it spent $53.4 million acquiring 555 Bitcoin (BTC) at an average price of $96,134. The company now holds 5,555 BTC, purchased for $481.5 million at an average price of $86,672 per Bitcoin, according to CEO Simon Gerovich.

The company also announced the issuance of another $25 million in zero-coupon ordinary bonds to fund its ongoing BTC buys. Since early 2024, the firm has raised over 35 billion yen ($244 million) through zero-coupon bonds and stock acquisition rights via its partner, Evo Fund.

The company’s proprietary key performance indicator, BTC Yield, has surged in recent quarters, reaching 309.8% in Q4 2024, 95.6% in Q1 2025, and 21% in the current quarter.

“In Japanese, the number 5 is pronounced “Go,” so today we’re shouting: Go go go go — to the moon and beyond!” Gerovich said in a post on X.

Movement Labs confirmed the termination of its co-founder, Rushi Manche, following controversy over a market maker deal that he brokered.

Movement Labs made the announcement in a May 7 X post, stating it had “terminated Rushi Manche.” The project said it “will continue under a different leadership.” The post also alludes to upcoming governance changes.

The termination follows Movement Labs announcing Manche’s suspension earlier this month, explaining that the “decision was made in light of ongoing events.” It also comes after Coinbase’s recent decision to suspend the Movement Network (MOVE) token, citing its failure to meet its listing standards.

Related: Movement Network to buy back tokens with $38M recovered from rogue market maker

Movement Labs launches Move Industries

In addition to terminating Manche, Movement Labs announced the launch of Move Industries, with former Movement Labs employees Torab Torabi as the firm’s CEO and Will Gaines as its chief marketing officer. “In light of recent news, we needed a clean break. Movement started with the community and our builders,“ the announcement stated.

A hacker involved in the $4.67 million exploit of the decentralized finance lending protocol Voltage Finance in 2022 has moved some of the stolen Ether to Tornado Cash after a short hibernation. 

Blockchain security firm CertiK said in a May 6 post to X that the 100 Ether (ETH), worth $182,783 at current prices, was moved from a different address initially used in the exploit but can be traced back to the hacker.  

In March 2022, the exploiter took advantage of a “built-in callback function” in the ERC677 token standard and allowed them to drain the platform’s lending pool through a reentrancy attack, according to CertiK.

After the exploit, Voltage Finance reported that the hacker stole various stablecoins and other crypto, including USDC (USDC), Binance USD (BUSD), wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), and Ethereum tokens. 

The address used by the hacker to get the funds to Tornado Cash had been dormant since November, with the last transaction occurring 166 days ago, Etherscan data shows.

Key takeaways:

Large Bitcoin holders have accumulated 81,338 BTC over the past six weeks, showing confidence in a future price uptrend.

Wallets with less than 0.1 BTC sold around 290 BTC, indicating smaller retail investors are either panic selling or selling out of boredom. 

Spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen $4.41 billion in inflows since March 26.

While larger Bitcoin holders remain confident and continue accumulating the asset, data from a crypto analytics platform shows that smaller retail investors have been shedding BTC amid the asset’s prolonged consolidation below the $100,000 price level.

Investors have been piling into BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund for over three weeks straight, culminating in the asset’s run up to $97,000 on May 7.

The BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust has seen 16 days of inflows for the spot BTC ETF, with a further 280 Bitcoin (BTC) or around $36 million piling into the fund on May 6, according to HODL15Capital.  

The inflow streak was noted by ETF Store President Nate Geraci, who also observed on X that the fund was approaching $5 billion in new capital. 

“I remember when naysayers didn’t think spot Bitcoin ETFs would take in $5 billion in total last year,” he added. 

The BlackRock fund (IBIT) has seen around $4.7 billion in inflows since its last outflow day on April 9.

South Korea’s Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has reportedly become the latest presidential candidate to promise the approval of spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other crypto-friendly measures, should he be elected.

Lee announced his crypto promises on May 6 as part of a broader initiative to provide more investment opportunities for Korea’s youth, one of the main target demographics for the fast-approaching June 3 election.

“I will create a safe investment environment so that young people can [build] assets and plan for the future,” The Korea Economic Daily (KED) quoted Lee as saying in Korean.

He also promised the legalization of spot crypto ETFs, lower transaction fees, and more consumer protection measures.

Lee’s Democratic Party of Korea is the favorite to win the presidential election with 42% support, according to a survey conducted by Korea’s National Barometer Survey between April 24 and 30. Korea’s acting president, Han Duck-soo, came in second at 13%.

Trump family-backed crypto platform World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is proposing to airdrop a small amount of its new US dollar-pegged stablecoin to reward early WLFI holders in a test of its airdrop mechanism.

With over 99% of votes in favor of the proposal already, the airdrop will distribute a small amount of USD1 to eligible holders of the WLFI token, according to the May 6 proposal in the WLFI governance forum.

“Testing the airdrop mechanism in a live setting is a necessary step to ensure smart contract functionality and readiness. This distribution also serves as a meaningful way to thank our earliest supporters and introduce them to USD1,” the proposal states. 

“This will allow World Liberty Financial to validate the technical functionality of its airdrop system in a live environment while thanking early supporters of the project.”

The amount of USD1 is still to be determined but will be based on the total eligible wallets and budget, according to the proposal.