SoFi and Mastercard Partner to Support SoFiUSD Stablecoin Settlement on Global Payment Network

On May 2nd, xAI rolled out a Voice Cloning feature for its API. Users can generate a custom voice in roughly 2 minutes, or pick from a library of 80+ preset voices spanning 28 languages—for use in voice assistants, audiobooks, and video game characters, among other scenarios.

On May 2, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a warning noting Iran’s threats to shipping and its demand that vessels pay a “transit fee” for safe passage through the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz. These fees may be paid via fiat currency, digital assets, offset agreements, informal exchanges, or other in-kind forms—including ostensible charitable donations to the Iranian Red Crescent, Bonyad Mostazafan Foundation, or Iranian embassy accounts. OFAC’s alert reminds U.S. and non-U.S. persons that paying such fees or seeking passage assurances carries sanctions risks, regardless of the payment method. Under U.S. sanctions rules: - U.S. persons and their owned/controlled foreign entities are generally barred from transacting with the Iranian government (including providing or receiving services) unless exempted or authorized. - U.S. persons may not engage with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—a designated

**May 2nd —** On May 1 local time, Donald Trump said during a speech the U.S. could "almost immediately" take over Cuba. He also stated, "We will first deal with one target (Iran)—I have always liked finishing things." Trump additionally announced the U.S. will deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier off Cuba’s coast. Earlier that day, prior to his remarks, he signed an executive order expanding U.S. sanctions against the Cuban government. *Source: CCTV News*

May 2 — Federal Reserve top banking regulator Bowman said regulators must consider how best to regulate new technologies like Anthropic’s Mythos. “On one hand, this capability lets companies address vulnerabilities they’ve identified on their own, boosting cybersecurity,” Bowman noted. “On the other, if used maliciously, it could identify and exploit vulnerabilities.” Anthropic, as it evaluates safeguards against this powerful new technology, has already restricted the rollout of its latest AI model. The model has also prompted Trump administration officials to start weighing the risk of a cyberattack threatening financial stability. (Jinse)

On May 2, the Ethereum Foundation announced it sold 10,000 ETH to BitMine — Ethereum’s largest treasury company — through an over-the-counter (OTC) platform, at an average price of $2,292.15 per ETH.

On May 2, U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. “will not leave” the Strait of Hormuz currently. He defended the U.S. blockade, calling it “very powerful,” and noted the measures are working. Trump claimed that once the war ends, prices of oil, natural gas and other commodities will collapse. He also praised the U.S. stock market’s record high and stated all projects under his administration were completed “on time” and “on budget.”