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

Bitget Announces Global "Fan Story Collection" Community Event On May 8, Bitget launched its global community event "Fan Story Collection." Running now through May 20, users can share their authentic experiences using Bitget’s UEX panoramic trading on platforms like X, Telegram, Reddit, LinkedIn, or Discord. To participate: - Posts must include the hashtag #BitgetFanStory. - Entries must be submitted via the official form. AI tools are permitted for image generation or video editing, but all submissions must be rooted in real experiences. The event aims to highlight users’ growth journeys on Bitget, featuring diverse groups—including early adopters, long-term traders, and community contributors. The prize pool uses a dynamic growth mechanism: each additional 500 participants triggers a bonus pool expansion, capping at 100,000 USDT. All winners will also receive exclusive Bitget Fan Club merchandise.

May 8: The "JaredfromSubway" robot recently pulled off a minor MEV attack targeting Vitalik Buterin’s token swap. Vitalik had aimed to exchange ~26,544 XDB tokens (worth ~$3.86) for ~$4.56 in ETH. But the bot used ~$1.14 million in WETH to execute large trades between SushiSwap and Uniswap V2 liquidity pools—manipulating XDB’s price and worsening slippage on Vitalik’s transaction. The entire MEV attack involved ~$1 million in trading volume. Vitalik lost just a few cents, while the bot ended up with a tiny loss after deducting a $5.14 gas fee. Ironically, Vitalik has long spoken out against "toxic MEV" and pushed for encrypted mempools as a fix in Ethereum’s 2026 roadmap. MEV has siphoned over $1.2 billion in user value, with sandwich attacks accounting for 51%—effectively imposing an invisible tax on regular users via the public mempool. The JaredfromSubway bot has been a known sandwich-trading player since 2023, once making up 7% of Ethereum’s gas fees and accumulating ov

May 8th – In Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, wider divergences of view often lead to longer periods of unchanged rates. At the recent April 2026 FOMC meeting, the Fed recorded its largest policy vote split since 1992: an 8-4 decision to hold the federal funds rate target range steady at 3.5%-3.75% — marking the third consecutive hold. One official backed an immediate 25-basis-point rate cut, while three others supported keeping rates unchanged but issued dovish dissents. Deep internal divisions persist among Fed policymakers over inflation risks, the labor market, and the level of the neutral interest rate. As Fed members’ economic outlooks diverge further, reaching consensus on rate adjustments grows harder — creating "inertia" that keeps policy at current levels longer to wait for more data to resolve uncertainty. With the federal funds rate near the neutral range, this split signals a higher likelihood of rates staying unchanged for an extended period, rather than a quick

May 8 — JPMorgan Chase said Wednesday that its Bitcoin Strategy could hit roughly $30 billion in annual purchases this year, based on the current pace of buys, topping the approximately $22 billion levels seen in 2024 and 2025. The strategy has already added 145,834 bitcoins so far this year, valued at around $11 billion. Most of those purchases occurred when Bitcoin’s price was below the strategy’s average entry price of roughly $75,000. JPMorgan also noted the strategy’s premium to net asset value (NAV) has widened to about 26% over the past two months, which has helped it expand holdings via equity and debt financing.

**May 8 (via The Information) — The U.S. Treasury Department has sent a letter to Binance requesting enhanced compliance, in response to reports about Iran’s cryptocurrency activity.** **Separately, Treasury has privately asked Binance to adhere to the monitoring regime U.S. regulators imposed on the exchange in 2023, when the platform pleaded guilty to sanctions and anti-money laundering violations.**

May 8 — The United States and Iran are reportedly close to reaching an interim agreement, with several key U.S. demands excluded from the draft, sources familiar with the matter said. The U.S. had sought Iran to suspend nuclear activities, limit its missile program and end support for so-called "proxy forces" — demands not included in the draft, which is based on a one-page short-term memorandum rather than a comprehensive peace deal. This reflects deep divisions between the two sides and frames the agreement as a transitional step. Iran is reviewing the draft, which aims to halt hostilities while deferring the most contentious issues to later negotiations, the sources added. The agreement outlines three phases: a formal cessation of hostilities, addressing the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and opening a 30-day negotiation window for a broader deal. Notably, the draft does not address U.S. demands to suspend Iran’s nuclear activities or reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It also omits U.