Crypto
Former Binance CEO CZ sentenced to four months
Changpeng Zhao, the former chief executive of Binance, was sentenced on Tuesday to four months in prison after pleading guilty to violating US money-laundering laws at the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle, who rejected prosecutors’ request that the 47-year-old Zhao serve a three-year term.
Once considered the most powerful person in the cryptocurrency industry, Zhao, known as “CZ,” is the second major crypto boss to be sentenced to prison after Sam Bankman-Fried. In March, Bankman-Fried received 25 years behind bars for stealing eight billion dollars from customers of his now-bankrupt FTX exchange.
Zhao pleaded guilty in November to one count of failing to take required anti-money-laundering measures and stepped down as Binance agreed to pay $4.3bn to settle related allegations.
US officials said Zhao deliberately looked the other way as people conducted transactions that supported child sex abuse, the illegal drug trade and “terrorism”.
“I failed here,” Zhao said before US District Judge Richard A Jones issued the sentence. “I deeply regret my failure, and I am sorry.”
“I believe the first step of taking responsibility is to fully recognise the mistakes. Here I failed to implement an adequate anti-money-laundering program … I realise now the seriousness of that mistake”, he said.
Prosecutors had told the judge a tough sentence would send a clear signal to other would-be criminals.
“We are not suggesting that Mr. Zhao is Sam Bankman-Fried or that he is a monster,” prosecutor Kevin Mosley said. But Zhao’s conduct, he said, “wasn’t a mistake. This wasn’t a regulatory ‘oops.’”
The three-year prison term prosecutors sought was more than twice the guideline range for the crime. If he did not receive time in custody for the offence, no one would, rendering the law toothless, they argued.
Zhao had been free on a $175m bond, and agreed not to appeal any sentence within federal guidelines. Zhao also paid $50m to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Trades in violation of US sanctions
Binance allowed more than 1.5 million virtual currency trades, totalling nearly $900m, that violated US sanctions, including ones involving Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, al-Qaeda and Iran.
“He made a business decision that violating US law was the best way to attract users, build his company, and line his pockets,” the US Department of Justice wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed last week.
Zhao’s lawyers insisted he should receive no prison time at all, citing his willingness to come from the United Arab Emirates, where he and his family live, to the US to plead guilty, despite the UAE’s lack of an extradition treaty with the US.
No one has ever been sentenced to prison time for similar violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, defence lawyers Mark Bartlett and William Burck told the judge Tuesday, and Zhao began making changes to make Binance a model of compliance with banking transparency regulations before stepping down.
“There is no excuse for my failure to establish the necessary compliance controls at Binance,” Zhao wrote in a letter to the court. “I wish I could change that part of Binance’s story. But under my direction, Binance has now implemented the most stringent anti-money laundering controls of any non-US exchange, and those controls have been in place since 2022.”
Prosecutors said no one had ever violated the Bank Secrecy Act to the extent Zhao did.
“He says in hindsight he should have done a better job,” Justice Department lawyer Kevin Mosley told the court. “This wasn’t a mistake. When Mr Zhao violated the BSA he was well aware of the requirements.”
Zhao knew that Binance was required to institute anti-money-laundering protocols, but instead directed the company to disguise customers’ locations in the US to avoid complying with US law, prosecutors said.
Several other crypto moguls are also in the crosshairs of US authorities after the collapse of cryptocurrency prices in 2022 exposed fraud and misconduct across the industry.
Key Takeaways:
- DTCC plans July live trades before an October rollout for tokenized securities markets.
- Participation includes over 50 firms across banking, custody, trading, and digital asset sectors.
- DTC supports the effort with over $114 trillion in assets held across its custody system.
DTCC Tokenization Service Moves Toward Live Production
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), a leading American financial market infrastructure company, announced on May 4, 2026, that its tokenization service will move into limited live production trades in July before a planned October launch. The schedule gives banks, asset managers, brokers, exchanges, and digital asset firms a defined path to test tokenized securities through DTC’s infrastructure.
DTCC is building the service with input from more than 50 firms across traditional finance and digital asset markets. The effort is focused on real-world assets already custodied by The Depository Trust Company (DTC), rather than assets created outside existing market plumbing. Tokenized versions are expected to carry the same entitlements, investor protections, and ownership rights as securities held in traditional form. The first eligible assets fall within a defined liquid universe, including Russell 1000 constituents, major index-tracking exchange-traded fund (ETF) products, and U.S. Treasury bills, bonds, and notes. Frank La Salla, DTCC President and CEO, said:
“Our vision is coming to fruition: launching our tokenization service and successfully bridging TradFi and DeFi. We believe tokenization will significantly change how markets work and operate, bringing new levels of liquidity, transparency and efficiency to investors.”
Institutional Working Group Tests Market Infrastructure
DTC’s custody base gives the project its institutional scale, with more than $114 trillion in assets held across the depository. DTCC said the service is being developed to support production workflows and allow tokenized assets to operate across multiple chains. The work includes proving technical and operational processes before wider release. Regulatory clearance also frames the rollout. In December 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a No-Action Letter allowing DTC to provide a defined tokenization service to DTC Participants and their clients for three years.
The working group’s roster shows how broadly the project reaches across market infrastructure, trading, custody, asset management, and crypto services. Participants in the DTCC Industry Working Group include Alpaca, Anchorage Digital, Apex Clearing Corporation, Backpack, Bank of America, BetaNXT, Bitgo Bank & Trust, N.A., Bitwave, Blackrock, BNP Paribas, Broadridge, Charles Schwab, Circle, Citadel Securities, Citi, Digital Asset, DriveWealth, DRW, EDX Markets LLC, Fireblocks, FIS, Fi-Tek, Franklin Templeton, Goldman Sachs, Hilltop Securities Inc., HSBC, Interchange Clearing, Invesco, Jefferies, J.P. Morgan, Lloyds Bank, Marex, Mirae Asset Securities (USA) Inc., Morgan Stanley, Nasdaq, NYSE Group, Inc., Ondo Finance, Payward, Principal Bank, Raymond James, RBC, Ripple Prime, Robinhood Markets, Inc., RQD*Clearing LLC, SEI, State Street, StoneX, Talos, TD Securities USA LLC, Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, Tradestation Securities, Inc., Tradeweb, UBS, Velocity Clearing, LLC, Virtu Financial, Vision Financial Markets, and Wells Fargo.
The planned launch extends DTCC’s role from post-trade processing into tokenized market infrastructure, while keeping custody, rights, and controls tied to established systems. The phased schedule gives participating firms time to test interoperability, operational readiness, and market workflows before October. Brian Steele, DTCC Managing Director, President, Clearing & Securities Services, said:
“DTC’s tokenization service is designed to provide systemic scale where deep liquidity already lives.”
For DTCC, the initiative brings tokenization closer to live securities markets through a controlled, institution-led rollout.
Crypto
Bitcoin, XRP Flat, While Ethereum, Dogecoin Spike After Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ Announcement: Why This
Cryptocurrency markets held steady as stock futures jumped Sunday, driven by fresh developments in the U.S.–Iran conflict following President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom” announcement.
Overnight Spike For Crypto Market
Bitcoin picked up momentum late in the evening, climbing to an intraday high of $79,400 as bulls set their sights on a breakout above $80,000.
Ethereum also gained but faced resistance from the bears at $2,250. Dogecoin was up over 3.70% in the last 24 hours.
Over $160 million was liquidated in the past 24 hours, predominantly in short positions, according to Coinglass data.
Open interest in Bitcoin futures rose 1.80% over the last 24 hours to $58.44 billion. However, both retail and whale traders on Binance derivatives continued to lean bearish on the asset.
“Fear” sentiment prevailed in the market, according to the Crypto Fear & Greed Index.
Top Gainers (24 Hours)
The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.57 trillion, up 0.29% over the last 24 hours.
Stocks Futures Rise
Stock futures ticked higher overnight on Sunday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures rose 21 points, or 0.03%, as of 8:49 p.m. EDT. Futures tied to the S&P 500 gained 0.09%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures added 0.14%.
Trump announced on Truth Social a new initiative called “Project Freedom,” aimed at helping ships and crews from non-involved countries “safely” navigate out of the Strait of Hormuz.
“If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully,” Trump added.
On Saturday, Trump said he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the conflict, but cast doubt on whether it would be acceptable.
Is Bitcoin Bottom In?
Ali Martinez, a widely followed cryptocurrency commentator on X, highlighted Bitcoin’s nearly decade-long ascending trendline, with every touch preceding a “massive expansion” historically.
“With Bitcoin recently dipping to $65,000, it has held above this trendline again, suggesting the bottom could be in,” the analyst said.
Michaël van de Poppe, another prominent cryptocurrency commentator on X, describes Bitcoin’s drop to $60,000 in February as one of its “strongest” corrections ever.
“In that light, it came relatively close to the 200-Week MA and that’s where the price of Bitcoin stalls quite often,” Van De Poppe said. “That means: we can easily run to $92,000-$95,000 without any breakdown of the bear market trend, and we can easily start a bull market from here.”
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Key Takeaways:
- Bitcoin holds $78K on May 3, 2026, as market data shows consolidation below $80K resistance.
- TradingView indicators show 62 RSI and mixed signals, signaling indecision across crypto markets.
- Bitcoin tests $80K zone; break or rejection may drive next 5% to 10% move in the coming sessions.
Bitcoin Chart Outlook
The daily chart structure for bitcoin reflects a transition phase from a prior macro downtrend into a developing recovery pattern. Price action has established higher lows following a rebound from the $60,000 region, signaling an improving market structure. However, the current range near $78,000 to $79,000 places bitcoin just beneath a significant supply zone between $80,000 and $82,000, where prior distribution occurred.
This positioning suggests that while downside momentum has eased, bullish continuation remains unconfirmed on the higher timeframe. The $72,000 to $74,000 range continues to act as a key demand zone, maintaining structural integrity. A sustained move below $70,000 would weaken the broader recovery thesis and reintroduce downside risk.
On the four-hour chart, bitcoin maintains a well-defined upward channel that has been intact since early April. The sequence of higher highs and higher lows reinforces a constructive trend, though momentum appears to be moderating as price approaches overhead resistance.
Immediate resistance is clustered around $79,000 to $80,000, aligning with the upper boundary of the channel. Pullback zones are clearly defined, with $75,000 to $76,000 representing a shallow retracement level, while $72,000 to $73,000 serves as a deeper structural support area. This suggests the market may be entering a consolidation phase before its next directional move.
The one-hour bitcoin chart highlights a tight consolidation range between $77,000 and $79,000, indicating short-term equilibrium between buyers and sellers. A pattern of small higher lows suggests building pressure upward, though a decisive breakout has yet to occur.
A move above $79,500 would likely act as a trigger for momentum expansion, while support at $76,500 to $77,000 defines the lower boundary of the current range. Liquidity appears to be accumulating within this zone, reinforcing the likelihood of a volatility expansion in the near term.
Oscillators present a mixed outlook, reinforcing the market’s indecisive tone. The relative strength index ( RSI) at 62 remains in neutral territory, indicating neither overbought nor oversold conditions. The Stochastic oscillator at 83 also signals neutrality despite nearing elevated levels.
The commodity channel index (CCI) at 102 reflects a negative condition, suggesting short-term overextension, while the average directional index (ADX) at 25 indicates a lack of strong trend conviction. Meanwhile, the Awesome oscillator (AO) prints a positive reading, pointing to underlying momentum support.
Momentum (MOM) shows a bearish signal, and the moving average convergence divergence ( MACD) registers a negative reading as well, indicating fading short-term momentum. Overall, oscillator signals remain balanced, aligning with the observed consolidation across timeframes.
Moving averages (MAs), by contrast, provide a significantly more constructive picture. The exponential moving average (EMA) and simple moving average (SMA) clusters across shorter periods remain firmly below the current price, reinforcing trend support.
The EMA (10) at $77,478 and the SMA (10) at $77,514 both indicate upward alignment. Similarly, the EMA (20) at $76,323 and the SMA (20) at $76,734 continue to support the price structure. Further down the curve, the EMA (50) at $74,219 and the SMA (50) at $72,660 confirm broader trend stability. The EMA (100) at $75,805 and the SMA (100) at $72,186 add to this layered support system.
Strategy Skips Weekly Bitcoin Buy After 108 Total Purchases, 818,334 BTC Holdings
Strategy paused bitcoin purchases, shifting market focus to its 818,334 BTC exposure. Michael Saylor confirmed the halt after the company’s…
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Strategy Skips Weekly Bitcoin Buy After 108 Total Purchases, 818,334 BTC Holdings
Strategy paused bitcoin purchases, shifting market focus to its 818,334 BTC exposure. Michael Saylor confirmed the halt after the company’s…
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Strategy Skips Weekly Bitcoin Buy After 108 Total Purchases, 818,334 BTC Holdings
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However, longer-term resistance remains evident, with the EMA (200) at $82,127 and the SMA (200) at $83,686 both signaling overhead pressure. This reinforces the importance of the $80,000 to $82,000 zone as a decisive inflection point.
In summary, bitcoin is navigating a technically significant range on Sunday afternoon where short-term indecision contrasts with strong underlying trend support. The market is compressing beneath resistance, setting up a potential breakout or rejection scenario in the sessions ahead.
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