Bitcoin at $104,463!

The Fear & Greed Index stands at 70 – Greed, reflecting a confident market as institutional momentum and global developments support crypto adoption.

Microsoft and OpenAI renegotiate key investment deal

Microsoft is revisiting its $13B+ investment agreement with OpenAI as the AI company restructures into a mission-driven public benefit corporation.

• OpenAI dropped plans to become a profit-maximizing firm following criticism from Elon Musk and early backers.
• The renegotiation may see Microsoft relinquishing equity in exchange for long-term access to OpenAI’s models beyond 2030.
• OpenAI reaffirmed its commitment to a non-profit structure on May 5, aiming to balance innovation with social responsibility.
• The outcome of this deal could significantly impact the global AI race and cloud partnerships tied to advanced LLMs.

EU expands crypto oversight as digital euro takes shape

The EU is ramping up anti-money laundering (AML) and financial crime monitoring for crypto transactions ahead of its digital euro rollout.

• A proposed legislative package would mandate crypto firms to log sender/receiver data and report large transactions over €1,000.
• While DeFi projects and anonymous wallets are under pressure, AML exemptions remain for self-custody wallets like MetaMask.
• Binance founder CZ criticized Europe’s slow crypto adoption compared to regions like Bhutan or the U.S., despite MiCA progress.
• Analysts suggest the regulatory tightening is part of the EU’s push to control digital payments and pave the way for the digital euro by 2026.

Stripe launches stablecoin accounts in 100+ countries

Global payments giant Stripe introduced stablecoin-based USD accounts to meet rising demand in emerging markets.

• The service supports USDC and USDB, enabling users to send, receive, and hold stablecoins like a digital checking account.
• Initially launched in Latin America, the product targets countries battling inflation and lacking financial infrastructure.
• Stripe previously added stablecoin payments in 70 countries in 2024, signaling strong adoption for crypto-backed fintech.
• With blockchain payments gaining traction, Stripe aims to make stablecoins part of everyday financial access worldwide.