U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.42 billion in net outflows during the week of May 26, 2026, including a -$105.2 million session on May 26 as BTC closed at $76,901. The drawdown coincided with $897 million in long liquidations tied to U.S. airstrikes near the Strait of Hormuz reported on May 27–28, while IBIT (-$68.9 million) and FBTC (-$36.3 million) led the day's ETF redemptions.

Qivalis said it expanded to 37 member banks across 15 European countries on May 20, 2026, after adding 25 institutions, including Intesa Sanpaolo and BPER Banca. The consortium is aiming for an end-2026 launch of a 1:1 euro-pegged stablecoin designed for institutional use and cross-border payments, ahead of the ECB's digital euro timeline.

The GENIUS Act became U.S. law on July 18, 2025, and U.S. agencies later released proposed rules between February and April 2026 that would define who can issue "payment stablecoins" and how reserves, audits, and compliance must work. The framework includes a $10 billion market-cap threshold for mandatory federal oversight, while foreign issuers may need Treasury certification to access the U.S. market ahead of January 18, 2027.

ChatGPT Finance entered preview on May 15, 2026 for Pro subscribers in the United States, enabling bank, card, and portfolio connections through Plaid across 12,000+ institutions. The tool can read balances and transaction history but cannot see full account numbers or execute transactions. No rollout date has been confirmed for Europe or the UK.

On May 7, 2026, the EU Council and the European Parliament agreed on the Digital Omnibus AI package, the first major amendment to the AI Act since it took effect in 2024. The deal delays some high-risk compliance deadlines, trims documentation demands for SMEs under 250 employees with turnover below €50 million, and narrows the heaviest rules for certain generative models based on a 10²&sup5; FLOP training threshold.

Global data centers used 415 TWh of electricity in 2024, and the International Energy Agency projects consumption could reach 945 TWh by 2030. Microsoft, Google and Meta are pursuing nuclear supply deals to cover the widening gap, even as major projects like Three Mile Island and SMR deployments target 2028–2030 timelines. Estimates cited in the report also point to rising near-term reliance on gas generation while AI infrastructure scales in 2026.

Italy’s crypto capital-gains tax rate rises to 33% for 2026 transactions, while 2025 gains filed in 2026 remain taxed at 26% and the former €2,000 allowance is no longer available. The first payment installment is due by June 30, 2026 (or July 31 with a 0.40% surcharge), and from January 1, 2026 DAC8 requires EU-licensed platforms to automatically transmit user data to Italy’s tax authority.

In May 2026, AI and DePIN tokens outperformed the wider crypto market, with Sahara AI up +42.5% over seven days and Akash Network rising +24.85%. Over the same period, Bitcoin traded between $78,000 and $83,000, while Bitcoin dominance held at 60% and the CMC Altcoin Season Index stood at 39/100. The moves highlight stronger relative interest in projects positioned around working infrastructure and AI-related demand.

Bitwise submitted an amended S-1 to the SEC on April 11, 2026 for BHYP, described as the first spot ETF designed to track Hyperliquid's HYPE token, with NYSE Arca listed as the exchange. The filing lists a 0.67% annual fee and names Anchorage Digital as custodian, while also outlining a model that routes 97% of trading fees to buybacks and burns and passes 85% of staking rewards to the fund net of fees.