On May 13, 2026, Kraken introduced CFTC-regulated spot crypto margin trading for eligible US retail customers, expanding access to leverage on domestic regulated venues. The exchange said users can trade with up to 10x leverage by posting existing crypto as collateral rather than selling holdings, following Payward's recent acquisition of Bitnomial to bolster its US derivatives infrastructure.

Coinbase said on May 11, 2026 that it posted a first-quarter net loss of $394.1 million after a crypto market slide reduced trading revenue and lowered the value of digital assets held on its balance sheet. Total revenue fell 31% year over year to $1.41 billion, with transaction revenue down 40% to $756 million, while stablecoin revenue rose 11% to $305 million.

Ledger on May 11, 2026 began a phased rollout of perpetual futures trading inside its hardware wallets through an integration with Yield.xyz, enabling access to Hyperliquid markets while users keep control of their private keys. The initial release is available to about 20% of Ledger users in selected regions, with staged expansion planned and access restricted in jurisdictions including the US and UK.

On May 11, 2026, Solana Foundation and Google Cloud introduced Pay.sh, a system that lets AI agents pay for API access with stablecoins on the Solana blockchain. The setup supports real-time microtransactions, including paying fractions of a cent per API call, and is built to help autonomous agents discover and purchase cloud services without traditional accounts or subscriptions.

Coinbase plans to reduce its workforce by about 14%, or roughly 680 roles based on late-2025 staffing disclosures, as it restructures into an AI-native operating model. CEO Brian Armstrong said the move is aimed at lowering costs and speeding execution during extended crypto-market volatility. Coinbase shares rose about 4% in pre-market trading Tuesday as investors weighed the efficiency push against near-term disruption.

On May 10, 2026, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said regulators are moving toward a confrontation with the United States over stablecoin standards and warned fragmented rules could threaten financial stability. He argued some US-issued tokens may not offer smooth dollar convertibility without exchanges or intermediaries, which could become a weakness during market stress. Bailey also contrasted UK and US approaches, noting UK draft proposals for systemic issuers include a 40% reserve requirement at the Bank of England.

The US Senate Banking Committee is set to hold a markup hearing on May 14 to amend and vote on sweeping cryptocurrency legislation, potentially advancing a first comprehensive federal framework for digital assets. The effort regained traction after lawmakers reached a compromise on stablecoin rewards, though Democrats say ethics provisions and other safeguards remain unresolved.

Global spending on cloud infrastructure totaled $128.6 billion in Q1 2026, up 35% year over year as AI workloads increased demand across major platforms. The three largest providers—Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google Cloud—held about 28%, 21%, and 14% market share, respectively, together representing roughly two-thirds of total spend.

Strategy said it recorded a $14.46 billion unrealized loss on its Bitcoin holdings in the first quarter of 2026, alongside a $2.42 billion deferred tax asset linked to those paper losses. The company also bought 4,871 BTC from April 1 to April 5 for about $330 million, lifting total holdings to 766,970 BTC, valued near $53 billion at current prices.