Financial News

CLARITY Act Boosts Bitcoin Outlook – But Analysts See Risks Ahead

Crypto News Today: AlphaPepe Presale Announces $1.22M Raised While Bitcoin Price Prediction Targets $200,000

MONACO, May 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crypto news today is turning toward AlphaPepe after the project announced that its presale has raised over $1.22 million while Stage 16 remains live at $0.01700 per token. The holder count has passed 8,600, the AlphaSwap AI DEX demo has surpassed 3,000 active users, and the project has completed a full 10/10 BlockSAFU security audit ahead of its planned Q2 2026 exchange debut. The $1.22 million raise gives AlphaPepe a clear company milestone as Bitcoin price prediction headlines return to the $200,000 target. Fundstrat's Tom Lee has kept the $200,000 to $250,000 range in focus for 2026 as institutional demand, ETF inflows, and broader market strength continue to shape the Bitcoin cycle. AlphaPepe Announces $1.22M Presale Milestone as Stage 16 Builds Momentum AlphaPepe crossing $1.22 million marks another major step in the project's presale trajectory. Stage 16 remains active at $0.01700, and more than 8,600 holders have joined before the token reaches public trading. That continued growth shows the presale is building beyond early launch attention through stage progression, product usage, audit completion, and community expansion as the Q2 launch window tightens. The stage-based structure gives AlphaPepe a visible presale rhythm. Each stage transition brings the next scheduled pricing step closer, while token delivery remains instant with no vesting and no claim delay. That simple delivery model removes one of the common friction points that often creates uncertainty in early-stage launches. The core product behind the project is AlphaSwap, AlphaPepe's AI-powered decentralized exchange designed for safer and smarter on-chain trading. The AlphaSwap demo has already surpassed 3,000 active users, giving the project a working product environment before exchange access. That is a major distinction in a presale market where many projects still approach public trading with only a roadmap and future utility promise. AlphaSwap includes AI contract screening, whale wallet tracking, and cross-chain execution on BSC. The contract screening layer is designed to detect risky token behavior before users interact with a smart contract. The whale tracking system gives users visibility into large wallet movements as they happen. The ... Full story available on Benzinga.com

STRC hits $1B trading milestone – U.S. equity flows drive Bitcoin demand

The growing inflow of capital into equities appears to be having a direct impact on the crypto market. Historically, capital moving into the U.S. stock mar

America’s Roundup: Dollar extends gains for a fifth consecutive session,Wall Street ends lower , Gold falls to a more than one-week low, Oil prices climb more than 3%

Market Roundup Canada Housing Starts (Apr): 279.3K, 244.0K forecast, 239.7K previous. Canada Foreign Securities Purchases (Mar): 4.62B, 11.40B forecast, 5.84B previous. US NY Empire State Manufacturing Index...

Weekly Focus: CLARITY Act Clears Key Senate Vote; IBKR Bundles Kalshi, CME Event Contracts

CLARITY Act clears first Senate hurdle This week, the US Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. It marked a key step toward creating a federal regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies in the United States. The committee approved the 309-page draft introduced earlier in the week. The bill proposes splitting oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). It will now move to the full Senate, where it needs at least 60 votes to proceed. BREAKING: 🇺🇸 Senate Banking Committee PASSES the Clarity Act in 15-9 vote.The bill now goes to the full Senate. pic.twitter.com/TCs6T283y2 — Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) May 14, 2026 The Act is a crypto market structure bill aimed at ending long-standing regulatory confusion by clearly dividing oversight of digital assets between the SEC and the CFTC. Originally passed by the House in 2025, it seeks to establish a consistent federal framework and resolve disputes between the two agencies over jurisdiction. eToro Q1 profit jumps 37% Meanwhile, eToro reported its strongest quarterly performance since going public, with first-quarter net income rising 37% year-over-year to $82 million. Net contribution increased 19% to $258 million, according to a statement released Tuesday. The trading platform also reported growth in key metrics, with funded accounts reaching 4.02 million and assets under administration climbing 15% to $17 billion. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $109 million, while adjusted diluted earnings per share increased to $0.91 from $0.77 a year earlier. Following the update, the NASDAQ-listed firm's shares initially rose about 6% in pre-market trading to $41.20 on strong earnings, before reversing during the earnings call to close 3% lower at $37.61. XTB stock gains 6% as accounts top 1M Also looking upwards, XTB shares rose 6% to PLN 107.12 on Monday , marking the broker’s strongest single-day gain since January 30. The move followed two announcements: a PLN 10.66 million share buyback program and confirmation that XTB has become the first Polish broker to surpass 1 million domestic accounts. Source: eToro shareholder update, May 12, 2026. The gain pushes XTB’s year-to-date performance to around 49%, outperforming most listed retail brokers. By comparison, eToro is up about 10% over the same period, CMC Markets has gained 29%, and Robinhood has declined roughly 29%, highlighting a widening performance gap across the sector. Interactive Brokers fuses prediction venues Interactive Brokers rolled out a new feature that lets its clients trade event contracts from several US prediction market venues through a single interface. The broker now connects to Kalshi, CME Group and ForecastEx in one integrated system, aggregating similar contracts so users can search, compare and execute trades across venues in real time. Kalshi x Interactive Brokers One of the largest brokers in the world. Casual, sophisticated, and institutional investors can now trade the future. All in one place. pic.twitter.com/yM2S4mksU9 — Kalshi (@Kalshi) May 14, 2026 At the same time, Interactive Brokers UK reported a pre-tax profit of £34 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, more than double the £13.6 million it made a year earlier. This was reportedly driven by steady client growth and higher commission and interest income. After-tax profit rose to £26 million from £10.5 million, while turnover, derived entirely from commissions on order execution and related services, increased to £46.2 million from £36 million, with the figures covering only the UK subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed Interactive Brokers Group, which reports separately on a consolidated basis. In the regulatory front, the SEC delayed the launch of 24 prediction market ETFs filed by firms including Roundhill Investments, Bitwise, and GraniteShares. They were designed to give retail investors exposure to event contracts linked to elections, economic data, and other real-world outcomes through a standard ETF structure. YaMarkets closes after regulatory strain However, challenges persist in the CFD space. Offshore forex and CFD broker YaMarkets shut down operations , ending its presence in markets where it was primarily active, including India and parts of Asia. Its B2B arm, YaPrime, also appears to have ceased operations, with its website no longer accessible. The company operated out of Dubai, with additional service offices in India, and was led by co-founder and CEO Lalit Matta, a former India Country Manager at INFINOX who also held roles at ContinueFX and FXGia. In a statement posted on LinkedIn, the broker said the closure followed deteriorating business conditions. It cited a changing business environment and ongoing operational challenges that made it difficult to continue serving clients as intended. Three brokers form Bahamas alliance In a rare move industry move involving an offshore hub, Pepperstone, Capital.com, and Trade Nation launched a new industry body . The Bahamas Institute of Forex and CFD Issuers (BIFCI) aims at improving coordination among brokers and strengthening engagement with regulators in the offshore jurisdiction. Pepperstone Group CEO Tamas Szabo said the initiative has been in development since April 2023 and is now operational, adding that additional firms are already involved and the group remains open to new members. The move reflects a broader effort to bring more structured governance to the Bahamas, which has evolved since 2020 into a higher-cost jurisdiction with stricter regulatory expectations, including capital requirements and market conduct standards. Coinbase exec backs prediction markets Crypto is stepping into the prediction markets arena. Coinbase is expanding prediction markets as part of its broader push to build an “Everything Exchange,” but the company says users are not treating these products like traditional financial assets. In an interview, Toni Gemayel, Head of Prediction Markets at Coinbase, explained that many participants engage with prediction markets more as a form of media or entertainment rather than conventional trading instruments. Gemayel also outlined why Coinbase entered the segment and how it fits into its multi-asset strategy. He noted that prediction markets align naturally with the platform’s expansion beyond crypto, and highlighted the company’s partnership with Kalshi as a key step in bringing these products to users. Markets swing on politics As Paul Golden writes this week, market research firms rarely attract attention unless their work challenges prevailing assumptions. Fundstrat did so recently when macro data scientist Alex Wang analyzed the drivers behind the five best and worst market days across the last 12 US administrations, dating back to Ronald Reagan in 1981. The analysis examined factors including corporate earnings, foreign events, economic data, and interest rate expectations. While government policy emerged as the most common driver overall, the data also showed it played an especially dominant role in shaping the most extreme market moves under one specific president. FM Singapore Summit 2026 concludes Lastly, the inaugural FM Singapore Summit took place this week , with Finance Magnates bringing together sessions on AI, tokenisation, and trading infrastructure. The event opened at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, marking the event’s debut in one of Asia’s leading financial hubs. 🚀 The FM Singapore Summit 2026 has officially kicked off at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre! 🎉Day 1 was full of energy, featuring industry leaders like David Jenkins and Christopher Forbes, and bringing together key players from fintech, trading, payments,... pic.twitter.com/57f4HyX1u4 — FXStreet News (@FXStreetNews) May 13, 2026 Discussions also covered liquidity, regulation, and digital asset infrastructure, with an emphasis on practical implementation across APAC markets. One of the topics also revolved around how bullion in APAC should not be treated as just another CFD product. Stay informed wherever you are with the Finance Magnates Daily Brief . This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

investingLive Americas FX news wrap 15 May: Powell exits as inflation fears roar

US major indices close lower. Declines today erase the week's gains. Powell exits after one of the wildest Fed eras in history Gold tumbles lower today on the back of higher yields and the higher USD Israel says it carried out targeted strike in Gaza against Hamas head. Baker Hughes total rig count rises by +3 to 551 European shares close lower on the day and lower on the week Silver is sharply lower on higher USD/higher yields. Technically breaks the 100 day MA. Microsoft shares are higher as Pershings Ackman bets on the company US industrial production for April 0.7% versus 0.3% estimate Canada Manufacturing Sales for March 3.0% vs 3.5% estimate NY Fed manufacturing index for May 19.6 vs 7.5 estimate Canada housing starts for April 279.3K vs 240.0K estimate investingLive European markets wrap: Oil prices, yields surge as Beijing distraction ends US and China have aligning views on Iran, says Trump Iran foreign minister says current negotiations are suffering from lack of trust Fed Chair Powell’s eight-year run as Fed Chair officially came to an end today, and he exited with markets under heavy pressure from sharply rising yields and renewed inflation concerns. US Treasury yields surged across the curve. The 2-year note yield rose 8.7 basis points on the day and 19.0 basis points for the week to 4.079% — the highest level since March 2025. Meanwhile, the 10-year yield climbed 13.8 basis points today and 23.7 basis points for the week to 4.597%, its highest level since May 2025. A key driver behind the move was another sharp rise in oil prices, which continued to fuel inflation fears. WTI crude for July delivery surged $4.24, or 4.37%, to settle at $101.16. For the week, crude oil rallied $6.48, or 6.84%, adding to concerns that inflation pressures could remain elevated longer than markets had anticipated. US equities did not respond well to the combination of higher yields and surging energy prices. The major indices gave back much of their weekly gains in Friday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell -1.07% on the day and ended the week down -0.17%. The S&P 500 declined -1.24% Friday but still managed a modest weekly gain of 0.13%. The NASDAQ dropped -1.54% on the day and slipped -0.08% for the week. Small-cap stocks were hit particularly hard as rising yields pressured growth and financing expectations. The Russell 2000 fell -2.44% Friday and closed the week down -2.37%. In the forex market, the US dollar strengthened broadly as rising yields boosted demand for the greenback. All the major currencies declined versus the dollar on the day: EUR -0.37% JPY -0.26% GBP -0.58% CHF -0.41% CAD -0.22% AUD -1.00% NZD -1.23% For the week, the British pound was the weakest major currency amid political uncertainty and sharply higher UK and US yields. The New Zealand dollar was the next weakest as risk-off flows intensified: EUR -1.35% JPY -1.32% GBP -2.26% CHF -1.38% CAD -0.51% AUD -1.35% NZD -2.17% Precious metals were also hammered by the combination of higher yields and a stronger US dollar. Gold fell $110.11, or -2.37%, to $4,539.39 — its largest one-day decline since March 26. Silver plunged $7.51, or -9.03%, to $75.89, marking its biggest daily drop since February 12. On the economic front, the Empire State Manufacturing Index came in much stronger than expected at 19.6 versus 7.5 expected, reaching its highest level since April 2022. However, a large part of the strength appeared tied to rising prices, reinforcing inflation concerns rather than easing them. Earlier this week, both CPI and PPI inflation reports came in significantly hotter than expected, increasing concerns that the upcoming PCE inflation data could also surprise to the upside. As a result, market pricing has shifted noticeably, with traders now seeing a greater likelihood of additional tightening rather than easing. That shift runs counter to comments from incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who had advocated for lower rates while campaigning for the role under President Trump. However, once seated at the Fed, Warsh will hold just one vote on a 12-member FOMC committee. Given the recent inflation data and the sharp rise in yields, it is difficult to envision the new Chair supporting a rate cut at his first policy meeting. This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.

U.S. Dollar Edges Higher As Concerns Of Re-escalation In Gulf Intensify

The U.S. Dollar value inched higher after the two-day U.S.-China summit failed to deliver any breakthrough on a possible Chinese role to end the gulf crisis. With reopening of the Strait of Hormuz delaying along with concerns of re-escalation in the Middle East, the dollar index moved higher.

Chatbots May Be Giving Out Your Phone Number

Chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude may be sharing your contact information. When talking to a chatbot like ChatGPT, you should never assume your conversations are private . Many chatbots, by default, use your discussions to train the underlying AI models, but even if you opt out of training, or use a temporary chat, these conversations are often stored on company ...

Chatbots May Be Giving Out Your Phone Number - Lifehacker

Chatbots May Be Giving Out Your Phone Number Lifehacker AI Chatbots Are Giving Out Your Real Phone Number Gadget Review AI Chatbots Leak Phone Numbers, Privacy Crisis Deepens The Eastern Herald

Chatbots May Be Giving Out Your Phone Number

Chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude may be sharing your contact information.

Why this metal detector is a smart buy in 2026 - especially at $60 off on Amazon

Search for treasures on the beach or in your own backyard with this metal detector bundle at Amazon.

1974 Honda MR50 Elsinore at No Reserve

This 1974 Honda MR50 Elsinore is finished in silver and red and powered by a 49cc two-stroke single paired with a three-speed manual transmission. Features include wire-spoke wheels with chrome rims, a black vinyl solo seat, a high-mount exhaust system, a kick starter, a skid plate, a chrome cross-braced handlebar, side number plates, high-mounted fenders, and a side stand. This MR50 Elsinore was acquired by the selling dealer in 2026 and is now offered at no reserve in California for off-road use only with a bill of sale.