Aave, a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, has reached a new record of funds onchain, according to data from DefiLlama.

In an X post, Aave said it topped $40.3 billion in total value locked (TVL) on May 12. Onchain data reveals that Aave v3, the latest version of the protocol, has approximately $40 billion in TVL.

Aave is a DeFi lending protocol that lets users borrow cryptocurrency by depositing other types of cryptocurrency as collateral. Meanwhile, lenders earn yield from borrowers. 

“With these milestones, Aave is proving its dominance in the Lending Space,” DeFi analyst Jonaso said in a May 12 X post. TVL represents the total value of cryptocurrency deposited into a protocol’s smart contracts. 

Aave v3’s TVL over time. Source: DeFiLlama

Related: AAVE soars 13% as buyback proposal passes among tokenholders

Breaking all-time highs

In December, Aave achieved an all-time high TVL largely because the price of Ether (ETH) rose roughly 60% from the prior month. Ether and its staking derivatives make up nearly half of Aave’s TVL, according to data from DefiLlama. 

This time around, Aave’s all-time high TVL is also driven by inflows of deposits by users. 

In Ether-denominated terms, Aave’s TVL rose from around 6 million ETH at the start of 2025 to nearly 10 million ETH on May 12. Measuring TVL in ETH accounts for the impact of fluctuating cryptocurrency prices.

Aave says its net deposits broke $40 billion this week. Source: Aave

Before US President Donald Trump prevailed in the November election, Ether traded at less than $2,500. It peaked at almost $4,000 the following month, according to data from Google Finance. 

In the past month, Ether has also clocked substantial gains, rising from around $1,500 per Ether 30 days ago to roughly $2,500 as of May 12, according to data from Google Finance. 

The price of Aave’s native AAVE (AAVE) token has risen approximately 25% in the past seven days, reflecting a buoyant crypto market and ongoing TVL inflows, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Magazine: Adam Back says Bitcoin price cycle ’10x bigger’ but will still decisively break above $100K

The list of the top holders of US President Donald Trump’s memecoin has been finalized ahead of background checks to apply for a dinner and “VIP tour” with the president on May 22.

In a May 12 X post, the TRUMP memecoin project said it would stop considering additional purchases for a dinner with the president, adding that the top tokenholders had been notified to apply for background checks if they wanted to attend.

According to data provided on the project’s leaderboard, the top 220 wallets held more than 13.7 million tokens as of May 12, worth roughly $174 million at the time of publication.

Top 10 TRUMP memecoin holders as of May 12. Source: TRUMP memecoin project

It’s unclear who, if any, of the wallet holders will choose to apply for and attend the dinner with Trump, or the “exclusive reception” expected to be in the White House for the top 25 holders, on May 22.

A May 7 Bloomberg report suggested that the majority of tokenholders were based outside of the United States, leading to potential security concerns and conflicts of interest.

Many US lawmakers and figures in the crypto industry criticized the president for launching the memecoin just days before taking office on Jan. 20. In the wake of his dinner announcement on April 23, the calls for congressional oversight and allegations of corruption have intensified, with one senator calling for Trump’s impeachment and other representatives refusing to consider crypto-related legislation until their concerns were addressed.

Related: FT report suggests advance knowledge of Melania Trump memecoin launch

Companies also apparently seeking influence over Trump’s policies have invested in the memecoin. In April, Freight Technologies said it would invest $20 million in the token, suggesting that it could affect the president’s trade war between the US and Mexico, where the firm conducts some of its business.

As of May 12, the company had not announced whether it qualified to send a representative to the dinner.

Not Trump’s first appeal to crypto users

During his 2024 campaign, Trump hosted a dinner with supporters who purchased his “mugshot” non-fungible tokens, which featured a picture of the then-presidential candidate at his surrender to authorities on charges he attempted to overturn the 2020 election.

Many of the “mugshot” attendees publicly shared their identities on social media ahead of and during the event, but at the time of publication, no one appeared to be claiming they would apply for the memecoin dinner.

Wallets with the usernames “Sun” and “elon” have led to speculation that Tron founder Justin Sun and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — both Trump supporters who have financial interests tied to Trump’s presidency — could be among the attendees.

Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

Coinbase Global (COIN) will join the Standard and Poor’s 500 (S&P500) index fund on May 19, financial information services platform S&P Global said in a recent statement.The crypto exchange will replace Discover Financial Services (DFS), which was recently acquired by Capital One Financial Corp (COF), S&P Global said on May 12.S&P Global’s confirmation of Coinbase Global being inserted into the S&P 500. S&P Global

The S&P 500 is a stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest, publicly traded companies in the US, representing a broad measure of the overall US stock market.

Coinbase’s inclusion in the S&P 500 should increase demand for its stock because index funds and exchange-traded funds that track the S&P 500 must buy COIN shares to mirror the index.

COIN shares immediately rose 8.8% to $225.4 in after-hours trading following the announcement, Google Finance data shows.

Related: $45 million stolen from Coinbase users in the last week — ZachXBTThe crypto exchange joins Tesla and Block Inc. as the other large corporate Bitcoin holders currently in the index fund, which tracks an aggregate market cap of more than $49.8 trillion as of March 31.

Source: Michael Saylor

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

Crypto exchange Coinbase Global (COIN) is set to join the Standard and Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) on May 19, becoming the first and currently only crypto firm to make it into the index. The crypto exchange will replace Discover Financial Services (DFS), which was recently acquired by Capital One Financial Corp (COF), S&P Global said on May 12.S&P Global’s confirmation of Coinbase Global being inserted into the S&P 500. S&P Global

The S&P 500 is a stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest, publicly traded companies in the US, representing a broad measure of the overall US stock market.

Coinbase’s inclusion in the S&P 500 should increase demand for its stock because index funds and exchange-traded funds that track the S&P 500 must buy COIN shares to mirror the index.The S&P 500 tracked an aggregate market cap of $49.8 trillion as of March 31. It is a market-cap-weighted index, giving more weight to larger firms such as Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia. The bottom 400 companies, where Coinbase will likely be, are typically weighted between 0.01% and 0.2% of the overall index.

Coinbase shares rally after announcement

COIN shares immediately rose 8.8% to $225.4 in after-hours trading following the announcement, Google Finance data shows. The company also finished the March 12 trading day up 4%, bringing its market cap to $52.8 billion.Coinbase chief financial officer Alesia Haas said the inclusion marked a “major milestone” for Coinbase and the broader crypto industry.

”Joining this prestigious index reflects how far Coinbase and the industry have come and is a signal of where the world is heading.”

Related: $45 million stolen from Coinbase users in the last week — ZachXBTThe crypto exchange joins Tesla (TSLA) and Block Inc. (SQ) as large corporate Bitcoin holders currently in the index fund.

Bitcoin-stacking firm Strategy (MSTR) was also seen as an S&P 500 candidate last year. However, firms seeking entry must have been profitable in the last calendar year and the most recent quarter to qualify.Strategy posted a net loss of $4.2 billion for the first quarter of 2025 on May 1, suggesting it won’t be included any time soon.

Inclusion into the S&P 500 also requires companies to be trading on a large US stock exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq, generating at least half of their revenues in the US, and having a market cap above $18 billion. Strategy satisfies these other requirements.

Source: Michael Saylor

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Crypto exchange Coinbase Global (COIN) is set to join the Standard and Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) on May 19, becoming the first and currently only crypto firm to make it into the index. The crypto exchange will replace Discover Financial Services (DFS), which was recently acquired by Capital One Financial Corp (COF), S&P Global said on May 12.S&P Global’s confirmation of Coinbase Global being inserted into the S&P 500. S&P Global

The S&P 500 is a stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest, publicly traded companies in the US, representing a broad measure of the overall US stock market.

Coinbase’s inclusion in the S&P 500 should increase demand for its stock because index funds and exchange-traded funds that track the S&P 500 must buy COIN shares to mirror the index.The S&P 500 tracked an aggregate market cap of $49.8 trillion as of March 31. It is a market-cap-weighted index, giving more weight to larger firms such as Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia. The bottom 400 companies, where Coinbase will likely be, are typically weighted between 0.01% and 0.2% of the overall index.

COIN shares immediately rose 8.8% to $225.4 in after-hours trading following the announcement, Google Finance data shows. The company also finished the March 12 trading day up 4%, bringing its market cap to $52.8 billion.Coinbase chief financial officer Alesia Haas said the inclusion marked a “major milestone” for Coinbase and the broader crypto industry.

”Joining this prestigious index reflects how far Coinbase and the industry have come and is a signal of where the world is heading.”

Related: $45 million stolen from Coinbase users in the last week — ZachXBTThe crypto exchange joins Tesla (TSLA) and Block Inc. (SQ) as large corporate Bitcoin holders currently in the index fund.

Bitcoin-stacking firm Strategy (MSTR) was also seen as an S&P 500 candidate last year. However, firms seeking entry must have been profitable in the last calendar year and the most recent quarter to qualify.Strategy posted a net loss of $4.2 billion for the first quarter of 2025 on May 1, suggesting it won’t be included any time soon.

Inclusion into the S&P 500 also requires companies to be trading on a large US stock exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq, generate at least half of their revenues in the US, and have a market cap above $18 billion. Strategy satisfies these other requirements.

Source: Michael Saylor

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Crypto exchange Coinbase Global (COIN) is set to join the Standard and Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) on May 19, becoming the first and currently only crypto firm to make it into the index. The crypto exchange will replace Discover Financial Services (DFS), which was recently acquired by Capital One Financial Corp (COF), S&P Global said on May 12.S&P Global’s confirmation of Coinbase Global being inserted into the S&P 500. S&P Global

The S&P 500 is a stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest, publicly traded companies in the US, representing a broad measure of the overall US stock market.

Coinbase’s inclusion in the S&P 500 should increase demand for its stock because index funds and exchange-traded funds that track the S&P 500 must buy COIN shares to mirror the index.The S&P 500 tracked an aggregate market cap of $49.8 trillion as of March 31. It is a market-cap-weighted index, giving more weight to larger firms such as Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia. The bottom 400 companies, where Coinbase will likely be, are typically weighted between 0.01% and 0.2% of the overall index.

COIN shares immediately rose 8.8% to $225.4 in after-hours trading following the announcement, Google Finance data shows. The company also finished the March 12 trading day up 4%, bringing its market cap to $52.8 billion.Coinbase chief financial officer Alesia Haas said the inclusion marked a “major milestone” for Coinbase and the broader crypto industry.

”Joining this prestigious index reflects how far Coinbase and the industry have come and is a signal of where the world is heading.”

Related: $45 million stolen from Coinbase users in the last week — ZachXBTThe crypto exchange joins Tesla (TSLA) and Block Inc. (SQ) as large corporate Bitcoin holders currently in the index fund.

Bitcoin-stacking firm Strategy (MSTR) was also seen as an S&P 500 candidate last year. However, firms seeking entry must have been profitable in the last calendar year and the most recent quarter to qualify.Strategy posted a net loss of $4.2 billion for the first quarter of 2025 on May 1, suggesting it won’t be included any time soon.

Inclusion into the S&P 500 also requires companies to be trading on a large US stock exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq, generate at least half of their revenues in the US, and have a market cap above $18 billion. Strategy satisfies these other requirements.

Source: Michael Saylor

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Key Takeaways:

Bitcoin exhibits a bearish breakout from an ascending channel, with the risk of profit-taking near $106,000.

A lower-than-expected US Consumer Price Index (CPI) print could boost Bitcoin, but a higher CPI may increase bearish pressure, leading to a price drop below $100,000.

Bitcoin (BTC) price reached an intraday high of $105,800 on May 12 but posted a 3% dip to $101,400 during the New York trading session. On the lower-time frame (LTF) chart, BTC oscillated between an ascending channel pattern before exhibiting a bearish breakout below the bottom range of the pattern.

Bitcoin 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

With respect to BTC’s stalling bullish momentum, data analytics platform Alphractal noted that BTC re-testing nearing $106,000 resistance levels increased the likelihood of profit-taking risks. As illustrated in the chart, Bitcoin currently approaches the “Alpha Price” zone, where long-term holders or whales could take profits, according to Joao Wedson, CEO of Alphractal. 

Bitcoin Alpha Price Levels. Source: X.com

From a liquidation standpoint, the risk of a “long” squeeze is also elevated, with over $3.4 billion in leveraged long positions at risk of liquidation if prices drop to $100,000. This range could act as a magnet for price, leading to a retest near the psychological level.

Bitcoin exchange liquidation map. Source: CoinGlass

Related: Bitcoin all-time high cues come as US-China deal sends DXY to 1-month high

CPI data looms as Bitcoin traders de-risk

The current BTC correction might reflect traders de-risking ahead of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) release on May 13. Previously, March’s CPI, released April 10, was 2.4%, down from February’s 2.8%, despite a forecast of 2.5%. April’s CPI is forecast to remain at 2.4%, due to steady energy prices amid balanced oil production and moderating wage growth, easing pressure on price increases.

US Consumer Price Index data. Source: Investing.com

A lower-than-expected CPI (potentially third in a row) could be bullish for Bitcoin, potentially signaling Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025, boosting risk assets like equities and cryptocurrencies. Conversely, a higher-than-expected CPI could be bearish, raising inflation fears and strengthening the dollar, pressuring BTC.

If bearish pressure persists on BTC charts even after the CPI print, an immediate key area of interest remains between $100,500 and $99,700, a fair value gap (FVG) on the four-hour chart.

Another FVG remains between $98,680 and $97,363, which would represent an 8% correction from the recent highs.

Bitcoin 4-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Related: Bitcoin, altcoins poised to rally on US-China tariff agreement

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

The US government has asked a federal judge to impose a two-year sentence for Eric Council Jr., the individual who helped post a fake message announcing the approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) X account.

In a May 12 filing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, prosecutors recommended Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentence Council to two years in prison for his role in posting a message to the social media platform X suggesting that the SEC had approved spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for the first time in January 2024. The fake announcement, which shook markets in the roughly 24 hours before the regulator actually approved spot Bitcoin ETFs, led to the arrest of Council.

“This case deserves a guidelines range prison sentence,” said US prosecutors. “Defendant profited through a sophisticated fraud scheme involving fraudulently produced identification documents, a series of misrepresentations at telecommunication stores, and the transmission of password reset codes for victim online accounts to co-conspirators located in the United States and abroad. This conduct deserves a significant penalty.”

US government’s May 12 sentencing recommendation for Eric Council. Source: PACER

As of May 12, Council’s legal team had not filed a response to the sentencing recommendation. He is scheduled to appear before Judge Jackson on May 16.

Related: Ledger secures Discord after hacker bot tried to steal seed phrases

Council pleaded guilty to being part of a group that took control of the SEC’s X account through a SIM swap attack. With control of the regulator’s social media account, the hackers posted a fake message announcing the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs. The SEC quickly removed the message and announced official approval of the crypto investment vehicles the following day.

Many in the crypto industry had been anticipating whether the SEC would approve or disapprove of listing spot BTC investment vehicles on US exchanges when the fake X post appeared. The price of Bitcoin surged by more than $1,000 before then-SEC Chair Gary Gensler refuted the false post’s claims.

DOJ leadership change-up under Trump

The Council case and others will be decided under US Attorney picks who have not received confirmation in the Senate. President Donald Trump appointed interim leadership for the Eastern District of New York, the Southern District of New York, and the District of Columbia after facing pushback from Democrats.

It’s unclear how the president’s influence could affect the Justice Department pursuing criminal cases involving digital assets, given his ties to the industry and his own crypto holdings. In New York’s Southern District, a judge ordered former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky to 12 years in prison after a December 2024 guilty plea. 

Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

The US government has asked a federal judge to impose a two-year sentence for Eric Council Jr., the individual who helped post a fake message announcing the approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) X account.

In a May 12 filing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, prosecutors recommended Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentence Council to two years in prison for his role in posting a message to the social media platform X suggesting that the SEC had approved spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for the first time in January 2024. The fake announcement, which shook markets in the roughly 24 hours before the regulator actually approved spot Bitcoin ETFs, led to the arrest of Council.

“This case deserves a guidelines range prison sentence,” said US prosecutors. “Defendant profited through a sophisticated fraud scheme involving fraudulently produced identification documents, a series of misrepresentations at telecommunication stores, and the transmission of password reset codes for victim online accounts to co-conspirators located in the United States and abroad. This conduct deserves a significant penalty.”

US government’s May 12 sentencing recommendation for Eric Council. Source: PACER

As of May 12, Council’s legal team had not filed a response to the sentencing recommendation. He is scheduled to appear before Jackson on May 16.

Related: Ledger secures Discord after hacker bot tried to steal seed phrases

Council pleaded guilty to being part of a group that took control of the SEC’s X account through a SIM swap attack. With control of the regulator’s social media account, the hackers posted a fake message announcing the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs. The SEC quickly removed the message and announced official approval of the crypto investment vehicles the following day.

Many in the crypto industry had been anticipating whether the SEC would approve or disapprove of listing spot BTC investment vehicles on US exchanges when the fake X post appeared. The price of Bitcoin surged by more than $1,000 before then-SEC Chair Gary Gensler refuted the false post’s claims.

DOJ leadership change-up under Trump

The Council case and others will be decided under US Attorney picks who have not received confirmation in the Senate. President Donald Trump appointed interim leadership for the Eastern District of New York, the Southern District of New York, and the District of Columbia after facing pushback from Democrats.

It’s unclear how the president’s influence could affect the Justice Department pursuing criminal cases involving digital assets, given his ties to the industry and his own crypto holdings. In New York’s Southern District, a judge ordered former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky to 12 years in prison after a December 2024 guilty plea. 

Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

Blockchain technology could enable “a broad swath of novel use cases for securities” and foster “new kinds of market activities that many of the Commission’s legacy rules and regulations do not contemplate today,” Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins said.

During his keynote address at the Commission’s May 12 roundtable on tokenization and digital assets, Atkins welcomed “a new day at the SEC,” adding that “policymaking will no longer result from ad hoc enforcement actions. Instead, the Commission will utilize its existing rulemaking, interpretive, and exemptive authorities to set fit-for-purpose standards for market participants.”

Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

A key priority will be to “develop a rational regulatory framework for crypto asset markets that establishes clear rules of the road for the issuance, custody, and trading of crypto assets while continuing to discourage bad actors from violating the law.”

In particular, Atkins said the SEC would focus on establishing “clear and sensible guidelines” for crypto assets that could be considered securities. Another area of focus would be to allow brokers to offer a broader range of investment products on their platforms, which in some cases may mix securities and non-securities.

Atkins’ approach moves away from former SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s, whose tenure was criticized by some industry participants for its “regulation by enforcement” method of oversight.

Securities evolution

Atkins likened the tokenization of securities to the evolution of audio formats — from vinyl to cassettes to digital software — highlighting how each shift enhanced compatibility and interoperability across a wide range of devices and applications. This progression eventually gave rise to streaming content business models, which he said “greatly benefited consumers and the American economy.”

SEC’s Crypto Task Force Roundtable on May 12. Source: SEC

Securities tokenization is an ongoing topic at the intersection of traditional finance and crypto. Some asset management firms, like BlackRock and Franklin Templeton, have already jumped into tokenization through their respective BUIDL and BENJI tokenized US treasury funds. Robinhood is considering building a blockchain to allow European retail investors to trade tokenized US securities.

Tokenized securities may attract interest from firms and brokerages due to features such as faster settlement times, reduced reliance on traditional financial infrastructure, and improved accessibility. Tokenization may also help provide liquidity to asset classes that have historically been illiquid.

According to RWA.xyz, $22.6 billion of real-world assets are onchain, a 7.6% rise in the past 30 days. That doesn’t include stablecoins, which are often backed by real-world assets like treasury bills. Stablecoins have a $243 billion market capitalization as of May 12, according to data from DefiLlama. Tether’s USDt (USDT) alone has a market cap of $150.6 billion.

Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered