SHELL Buyback Address has once again withdrawn 1 million tokens from Binance, and the buyback progress has reached 81.2%.

On May 5, Forbes reported that FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) could have theoretically added up to an additional $100 billion to his wealth if his early investment portfolio hadn’t been disrupted by his imprisonment. The outlet noted SBF had invested in several high-growth tech and AI firms—including Anthropic, SpaceX and Robinhood—many of which now hold far higher valuations, underscoring his apparent foresight in the AI and tech sectors. SBF is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for embezzling more than $8 billion in customer funds. At his peak, his net worth hit roughly $24 billion, earning him a spot on the Forbes 400 list. Previously, BlockBeats published a report titled *“From Bankruptcy Abyss to Hundred-Billion Phantom: SBF’s ‘Missed’ Investment Portfolio Allegedly Soared to Trillion-Dollar Levels”* (link: https://www.theblockbeats.info/flash/342630).

On May 5th, on-chain analyst Specter reported that the attacker behind the Wasabi Protocol exploit has transferred all stolen funds—totaling roughly $5.9 million—to Tornado Cash. Further analysis notes that funds linked to suspected North Korea-affiliated hackers, including those from the Kelp DAO and LayerZero exploits, have followed a similar laundering route. The typical process unfolds as follows: mixing funds through the Wasabi mixer → withdrawing and bridging back to Ethereum → depositing into Tornado Cash → dispersing to new addresses → minting new tokens and laundering via liquidity operations → bridging to USDT on TRON → ultimately landing in wallets tied to external transactions. This pattern is recognized as a key playbook for advanced on-chain money laundering, combining coin mixing, cross-chain transfers, and liquidity operations to obscure the funds’ origin.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced in an internal memo on May 5 that the company will cut roughly 14% of its workforce to navigate market volatility and AI-driven organizational shifts. Armstrong noted the crypto market remains cyclically volatile, and Coinbase needs to proactively adjust its cost structure to stay lean and efficient amid a downturn. Meanwhile, AI is fundamentally reshaping how work gets done, allowing both technical and non-technical teams to boost productivity dramatically via AI—pushing the company toward a smaller, more efficient operational framework. As part of the plan, Coinbase will simplify its org chart to no more than 5 levels, reduce purely managerial roles, mandate that managers deliver tangible results, and prioritize building an "AI-first team" to explore even leaner operating models—including "individual contributor teams." For impacted employees, the company will offer a severance package: at least 16 weeks of base pay (plus tenure-based a

On May 5, Bitget market data shows COIN’s pre-market trading rose more than 4%, with the stock currently trading at $211.09. On the news front, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced in an internal memo that the company will cut its workforce by approximately 14% to address market volatility and organizational changes spurred by AI technology. Armstrong noted the crypto market still faces periodic fluctuations, so the company needs to proactively adjust its cost structure to maintain lean, efficient operations amid a downturn. He added that AI is drastically reshaping work processes, enabling both technical and non-technical teams to boost productivity significantly via AI—pushing the company toward a smaller-scale, high-efficiency operational model.

On May 5, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced via social media that the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) aircraft carrier is currently transiting the Arabian Sea. At the same time, U.S. forces are conducting a naval blockade of Iran in the Gulf of Oman and supporting the "Free Plan" in the Strait of Hormuz. The carrier carries more than 60 aircraft of various types. Earlier, Israeli sources noted that amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz—tensions threatening the Iran nuclear deal—Israel is coordinating with the U.S. This coordination includes preparations for potential new strikes against Iran, with targets focusing on energy infrastructure and key Iranian officials.

May 5 – Israeli sources report the current ceasefire in Iran is at risk of disruption amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Israel is coordinating with the U.S. to assess potential military action options. The report indicates preparations may include strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure and targeted operations against senior officials. Analysts warn further deterioration could escalate regional conflict risks and disrupt global energy market stability.