Ethereum Gas Fee Continues to Drop, Now at 0.352 Gwei

**May 2nd Update** Concerns over Bitcoin’s vulnerability to quantum computing have long revolved around a "Satoshi-related dilemma": If a sufficiently powerful quantum computer emerges, hundreds of millions of bitcoins stored in old wallets with exposed public keys could face theft risk—including ~1.1 million BTC (valued at ~$84 billion) allegedly belonging to anonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto. In mid-April, senior developer Jameson Lopp and five peers formally proposed **BIP-361**, a plan to phase out quantum-vulnerable addresses over five years and freeze coins not migrated by the deadline. But the proposal creates a new trade-off: Satoshi and other long-dormant holders would have to "come forward" publicly or risk losing access to their assets. On Friday, Paradigm General Partner Dan Robinson released a counterproposal to avoid this issue, centered on **Provable Address Control Timestamps (PACTs)**. The core of PACTs: Instead of moving coins, timestamp all ownership

Jane Street, a quantitative trading firm and liquidity provider, distributed $9.38 billion in compensation last year—more than doubling its 2024 total—Bloomberg reported Wednesday (May 2). Per employee, that’s an average of $2.68 million, nearly seven times the figure at rival Goldman Sachs Group. Its trading revenue hit roughly $39.6 billion last year, outpacing major Wall Street banks and market makers. Sources familiar with the matter said Jane Street’s partner equity has surged nearly 2000% since 2016 to $45 billion. That capital base let the firm capitalize on market volatility and make big bets on early-stage startups—including a profitable stake in AI firm Anthropic PBC, which recently secured a funding round valuing it at $80 billion or more. The firm also has tapped public bond market loans and bonds for additional liquidity in recent years. Jane Street representatives declined to comment. Jane Street has benefited from avoiding many rules that bind large bank trading

On May 1 local time, a joint poll from The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos revealed that 61% of Americans believe the U.S. military action against Iran was a "wrong decision." Additionally, 23% of respondents said their financial situation is "increasingly tight"—up from 17% in February. High oil prices have hit Americans hard: 44% have cut back on driving, 42% have reduced household spending, and 34% have adjusted travel plans. Nearly half expect oil prices to rise further in the coming year, while only 21% think they will fall. (Source: CCTV)

Data released on May 2 shows total crypto funding hit $659 million in April—down 74% from March’s $2.6 billion, with deal count falling from 84 to 63. Cumulative funding since 2024 stands at roughly $5.64 billion. April’s funding marked the lowest level since July 2024. The slump reflects institutional caution amid eroding liquidity and diminished risk appetite. Crypto funding has been on a steady decline since October 2025, while total market cap has dropped by ~37% over the same period. In key sectors, DeFi projects led in activity with 12 funding rounds closed in April, followed by blockchain services and AI-related projects—each securing 8 deals. Among institutional investors, market maker GSR was the month’s most active, participating in 4 funding transactions.

May 2 — Data from HTX shows LAB continued to surge, briefly breaking above $2.3. The token is currently trading at $2.19, with a 221% 24-hour gain. Total liquidations for LAB contract trading across all platforms over the past 24 hours hit $6.39 million: $1.07 million in long liquidations and $5.31 million in short liquidations.

**Breaking: Nigel Farage Accused of Conflict of Interest Over Crypto Donations** (May 2) — The Financial Times reports Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has been hit with a “conflict of interest” accusation from the opposition party. In 2024, Farage received a ￡5 million personal donation from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based crypto investor. Months later, in May 2025, the Reform Party rolled out a draft crypto regulation proposal: it would slash the crypto transaction stamp duty from 24% to 10%, establish a national Bitcoin reserve, and cut capital gains taxes on crypto assets. On Wednesday, Farage confirmed he accepted the donation, while the Reform Party insisted policy decisions were unrelated to the donor. Harborne added another ￡12 million to the party last year; crypto entrepreneur Ben Delo has donated ￡4 million to Reform so far this year. Farage now faces allegations of violating House of Commons rules. The harshest potential penalty: suspension of his parliame