U.S. CFTC Acting Chairman: Enforcement Division Restructured, Refocused on Combating Fraud

**May 1st Market Update: US Pre-Market & Crypto Stocks** Per Bitget market data, U.S. stock pre-market trading shows: - S&P 500 Index futures: +0.14% - Nasdaq 100 Index futures: -0.09% Most U.S. crypto-related stocks are trading higher, with notable gains including: - MicroStrategy (MSTR): +2.03% - Coinbase (COIN): +0.35% - Circle (CRCL): +0.86% - MARA Holdings (MARA): +0.83% - Riot Platforms (RIOT): +2.09% - BitMine Immersion (BMNR): +0.33% - SharpLink Gaming (SBET): +0.99% This rewrite follows U.S. financial news conventions: - Uses concise, scannable bullet points for key data - Replaces "according to" with "per" (common in quick market briefs) - Highlights percentage moves with "+/-" for readability - Keeps stock tickers (in parentheses) paired with full names (standard for clarity) - Avoids unnecessary repetition while retaining all critical info

May 1 — Per official sources, Tapp Exchange has announced it will gradually cease operations. The protocol will remain fully functional through May 31, 2026, ensuring all user assets stay secure and can be withdrawn at any time. Since launching in June 2025, Tapp has built the first V4-style decentralized exchange (DEX) on the Aptos blockchain, integrating the ve(3,3) voting mechanism, emission distribution, bribery infrastructure, and governance tools. This framework shifts liquidity governance authority to veTAPP token holders.

May 1 — SBI Holdings, a major Japanese financial firm, is in talks to acquire a stake in crypto exchange Bitbank, with plans to make it a subsidiary via merger. SBI Chairman and President Yoshitaka Kitao said the company has submitted a letter of intent and begun discussions on capital and business collaboration. Specific timing and structure will be finalized after due diligence and internal reviews. Bitbank, a top Japanese crypto exchange, has had no reported hacks since its 2014 launch, with security as its key selling point. As cryptocurrencies gradually fall under Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, SBI expects adding Bitbank to its group will strengthen its position in the Japanese crypto market. The move comes amid SBI’s ongoing consolidation of its crypto exchange unit SBI VC Trade. Last month, it merged fellow exchange Bitpoint Japan into SBI VC Trade to streamline operations and boost profitability. Earlier this week, Bitbank launched Japan’s first cry

May 1st — According to the Financial Times, U.S. stocks face multiple hidden risks despite the S&P 500 and Nasdaq notching fresh all-time highs recently. Valuations are at historic extremes. As of April 2026, the S&P 500’s trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands around 24x (vs. a historical average of ~16x), while the Shiller cyclically adjusted P/E (CAPE) ratio has climbed to over 37x—second only to levels seen during the dot-com bubble. This mix of lofty valuations and sky-high expectations leaves the market with little margin of safety. Moreover, the current rally rests on optimistic assumptions: AI-fueled earnings growth, cooling inflation, falling interest rates, and contained risks. Any deviation from these assumptions could spark a broad market selloff.

On May 1st, Polymarket data shows: Bitcoin has a 91% chance of hitting $80k this year, a 57% probability of reaching $90k, 45% odds of dropping below $50k, and 33% likelihood of falling under $45k.

**TradeXYZ Integrates Pre-IPO Perpetual Contract Market into Docs (May 1)** Decentralized exchange TradeXYZ has officially added a Pre-IPO Perpetual Contract market to its product documentation as of May 1st. This lets users trade perpetual contracts linked to pre-listed firms (including unicorns), allowing them to participate in price discovery before the companies go public. Specific launch dates and supported asset lists remain unannounced. A Pre-IPO Perpetual Contract is a standalone derivative—not a stock or IPO allocation. It’s built to create a tradable market for valuation debates around unlisted companies, enabling investors to directly engage in price discovery ahead of an IPO.