The popular AI framework Virtuals Protocol will host an in-person meet-up in Hong Kong on Friday, January 17.

May 4th — BILL has delivered strong performance since listing on Binance Alpha. Just two hours after trading opened, its 24-hour volume ranked 5th on the platform, per market data. At the same time, CoinMarketCap data shows BILL’s fully diluted valuation (FDV) surged from roughly $150 million at launch to $400 million within ~8 hours, with market interest continuing to climb. BILL is the native token of the Billions Network — a human-AI trust validation network built on mobile-first and zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) tech. It aims to enable identity verification and trust connections between individuals and AI agents without exposing private data. Currently, its underlying technology supports over 9,000 projects and is expanding into use cases including AI agents, enterprises, and Web3 infrastructure — with a focus on building the identity and trust backbone for the AI era.

On May 4, Upbit—South Korea’s largest digital asset exchange—announced a partnership with the Optimism Foundation to launch **GIWA Chain**, an Ethereum Layer 2 network built on the OP Stack. The chain is currently live on testnet, with mainnet launch to follow. Dunamu COO Minseok Jung noted the initiative aims to deliver high performance and compliance standards aligned with Upbit’s existing platforms for both institutional and retail users. Optimism Foundation Director Jing Wang emphasized leading operators won’t build on inadequately validated infrastructure, adding Upbit’s choice reflects industry trust and the direction of Layer 2 migration. The two parties will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Miami on May 4.

On May 4, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defense reported detecting four cruise missiles originating from Iran. Three were successfully intercepted in its territorial waters, while the fourth fell into the sea. Separately, a fire erupted at the Fujairah oil industrial zone in the UAE following an Iranian drone strike.

May 4 — Bitget data indicates the UAE’s Ministry of Defense has reported its defense system is currently responding to a missile threat from Iran. In response, U.S. stocks saw short-term dips, with the three major indices trading lower during the session: Dow Jones down 0.77%, S&P 500 off 0.42%, Nasdaq down 0.38%.

On May 4, U.S. 30-year Treasury bond yields topped 5.01%, hitting their highest level since July 2023, according to market sources.

May 4th: Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced in his personal channel that Telegram will replace the TON Foundation, emerging as TON’s driving force and its largest validator. On the news, Ton token prices spiked quickly from $1.375 to $1.4528 (a gain of over 6%) per HTX data, and are now trading at $1.426.