exchanges

According to CriptoNoticias, the Argentine government submitted a bill to Congress through the Ministry of Health aimed at preventing gambling addiction and regulating online gambling, which for the first time explicitly includes virtual asset service providers within the regulatory scope. The bill stipulates that banks, fintech companies, cryptocurrency exchanges, and wallet providers are prohibited from providing services or facilitating transactions for gambling platforms operating without a license in Argentina.The bill also proposes amendments to the criminal code, imposing a prison sentence of 2 to 4 years on individuals or companies that provide financial, technical, or digital asset services to these illegal platforms. Exchanges and cryptocurrency asset providers will be required to implement stricter due diligence, transaction monitoring, and KYC policies. The Central Bank of Argentina, the National Securities Commission, the National Communications Commission, and NIC Argentina will enhance inter-agency coordination to effectively block technical access and the flow of funds.

According to CoinDesk, the UK has imposed sanctions on 18 entities and individuals accused of assisting Russia in evading Western restrictions and funding its war in Ukraine, including the cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global S.A. (operator of HTX) and the stablecoin issuer Open Joint Stock Company "Virtual Asset Issuer."This is the first time the UK has applied Regulation 17A, which targets sanctioned banks, to cryptocurrency exchanges, requiring UK financial institutions and cryptocurrency service providers to freeze relevant funds, track on-chain transactions, and not maintain agency relationships or process payments related to sanctioned entities. The sanctions primarily target the A7 payment network.According to the official announcement from Huobi HTX, the sanctioned "Huobi Global S.A." and the online Huobi HTX exchange are independent entities, and this sanction will not affect the online Huobi HTX exchange. Currently, Huobi HTX's global operations are normal, and user funds are safe and secure.

Tiger Research's Research Director Ryan Yoon stated that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is preparing to launch an "innovation exemption" framework that allows third parties to tokenize listed stocks without the issuer's approval.Ryan Yoon warned that this move could cause two major structural shocks to traditional exchanges: first, liquidity fragmentation, as funds will disperse from centralized exchanges to multiple blockchain platforms; second, revenue fragmentation, as trading fees and intermediary income may flow to overseas or competing platforms, threatening the competitiveness of U.S. finance.He believes that traditional exchanges are like monopolistic superstores, while tokenized stocks are akin to allowing anyone to set up a street stall, which will significantly change the concentration of capital markets. The SEC is advancing this framework at this time to keep global financial income within the domestic regulatory scope.

According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi's monitoring, the largest external holder of HYPE, a16z, is still accumulating. In the past 24 hours, a total of 2.597 million HYPE has been withdrawn from various exchanges, worth 13.29 million dollars, with an average withdrawal price of 51.17 dollars; among them, 73,000 coins were recharged back to the exchange, with an unknown purpose.

As cryptocurrency trading platforms gradually extend from trading single digital assets to traditional asset trading scenarios such as stocks, gold, foreign exchange, and indices, platform competition is shifting from "asset coverage" to "trading entry points, operational paths, and execution efficiency." Whether users can discover opportunities faster, enter the market, and complete transactions is becoming an important measure of the product experience on exchanges.Recently, Bitget announced the launch of the 10-second gold buying challenge, inviting users to record the entire process from opening the Bitget App homepage to completing a XAUUSD gold CFD transaction, with a chance to win rewards if completed in less than 10 seconds. The activity showcases the changes in mobile TradFi trading paths through actual user operations, reflecting that cryptocurrency exchanges are attempting to further streamline and simplify the trading experience of traditional financial assets.According to Bitget, the platform has previously brought TradFi to the first-level entry of the App homepage, covering traditional asset trading scenarios such as gold, stocks, foreign exchange, and indices. Compared to the past, where traditional asset trading typically required completion on independent platforms or through multiple entry points, Bitget aims to allow users to engage with various asset types more directly within the same platform through a unified entry point and optimized mobile processes.

Gate Europe CEO Dr. Giovanni Cunti attended the VI3NNA Congress 2026 and delivered a keynote speech titled "The Role of Exchanges and Stablecoins." The conference was held from May 19 to 20 in Vienna, Austria, bringing together industry representatives from Web3, AI, finance, and regulation to discuss the future development direction of the European digital economy.Giovanni Cunti's speech analyzed the popularization of stablecoin applications, industry development trends, and how blockchain financial infrastructure is gradually reshaping the traditional financial market landscape. It focused on how crypto asset service providers, including Gate Europe, are transitioning from meeting user needs to playing a key role in driving industry structure and future market development. In addition to the keynote speech, Giovanni Cunti also participated in several roundtable discussions, engaging with policymakers, financial institutions, investors, and industry innovators on topics such as digital asset regulation, infrastructure development, and real market implementation.Currently, Gate's Malta company, Gate Europe, has obtained European MiCA and PI licenses under the regulation of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). As the industry continues to move towards compliance and institutional development, Gate is actively participating in global key industry dialogues and promoting the long-term development of the digital asset ecosystem.

According to Bits.media, the Central Bank of Russia aims to prohibit Russian citizens from trading on cryptocurrency exchanges that comply with international sanctions. Ekaterina Lozgacheva, head of the Central Bank's Strategic Development Department, stated that the Central Bank plans to ban Russians from trading on foreign cryptocurrency exchanges that adhere to international sanctions. Russians can only trade cryptocurrencies on foreign platforms through Russian brokers, provided that these foreign platforms do not comply with international sanctions.The country's central bank will establish its own standards for foreign platforms that Russian brokers and investors can use. Lozgacheva noted that even trading cryptocurrencies abroad through Russian intermediaries is subject to foreign regulation, posing additional risks. The annual purchase limit for non-professional investors is set at 300,000 rubles, and they can only access the most liquid cryptocurrency assets through domestic brokers. A test must be completed before trading, and qualified investors are not subject to the limit but must also undergo testing. Relevant restrictions will be included in the second reading version of the draft "Digital Currency and Digital Rights Law," with key provisions expected to take effect on July 1.

According to Edaily, South Korea's FIU plans to tighten cryptocurrency regulation, proposing a reporting obligation for overseas cryptocurrency transactions exceeding 10 million won (approximately 7,200 USD), and strengthening KYC information verification and the applicability of the Travel Rule.The FIU is expected to hold its first discussion today (May 19) with the CEOs of the five major South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges: Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and GOPAX, as well as DAXA.Some industry experts in South Korea have warned that implementing "full reporting" for large transactions may constitute excessive regulation and could lead to users and funds flowing to overseas platforms. They suggest that regulators should focus more on abnormal trading patterns rather than a single monetary threshold.

According to CoinDesk, XRP's trading volume on major exchanges in South Korea exceeded that of Bitcoin and Ethereum within 24 hours.In the past 24 hours, the XRP/KRW trading pair on Upbit had a trading volume of approximately $110.9 million, surpassing Bitcoin's $88.6 million and Ethereum's $67 million; it ranked second on Bithumb, only behind USDT/KRW.South Korea has been one of the most active speculative markets for XRP, but the price of XRP has only fluctuated slightly, ranging between $1.44 and $1.45, with a weekly increase of about 3%, still unable to break through the resistance zone of $1.49 to $1.50 since February.The South Korean Kospi index fell sharply on Tuesday due to comments on tax policies, indicating that market risk appetite is sensitive, with investors focusing on trading XRP rather than broadly chasing high-risk assets.

According to data released by Binance Research, currently 28% of Binance users allocate at least half of their investment portfolio to stablecoins, a significant increase from 4% in 2020; in emerging markets, this proportion is as high as 36%.

Santiment stated on the X platform that Tether (Ethereum-based) experienced the largest outflow of funds from exchanges in nearly three months, with a net outflow of $1.29 billion (USDT) on Friday. Such a large-scale USDT outflow typically reflects institutional or whale-level participants moving funds to self-custody wallets, DeFi protocols, or over-the-counter trading platforms in preparation for larger operational plans. This is merely a reallocation of funds, not a complete exit from the ecosystem.Santiment suggests closely monitoring what typically happens after these peaks in outflows. Previously, on February 9, when outflows reached $3.72 billion, Bitcoin experienced a slight pullback in the following two weeks (before an ideal buying opportunity on February 24). Whether the current funds will flow back into exchanges in the form of buying in the short term is a key variable to watch closely. If USDT starts to flow back into exchanges in the coming days, it indicates that a wave of investment in crypto assets is imminent.

Web3 asset data platform RootData has outlined 30 Web3 business partners of Bybit, covering multiple key layers such as institutional custody, stablecoins, blockchain infrastructure, DeFi protocols, and real-world payments. From the funding perspective, partners like Circle, Tether, and Ethena indicate that Bybit has begun to deeply engage in liquidity structures related to stablecoins and RWA. In particular, RWA protocols like Ondo and Backed are essentially helping on-chain funds gradually access U.S. Treasuries, real yield assets, and traditional financial markets. In terms of blockchain infrastructure, its layout covers mainstream networks such as Mantle, Solana, Sui, and TON, while also extending to restaking systems like EigenLayer and Solayer. This means Bybit has started to expand towards on-chain yield and asset issuance layers. In the on-chain liquidity layer, Bybit collaborates with protocols like Aave, Kamino, Raydium, Orca, and Sanctum, using bbSOL to further strengthen its DeFi yield and asset circulation capabilities. What is particularly noteworthy is its infrastructure layout on the institutional side. Bybit has integrated with custody systems such as Fireblocks, Anchorage, Copper, Sygnum Bank, and Cactus Custody, and connected with banks and payment networks like QNB Group, Pave Bank, and Thredd. With institutional funds entering, the biggest competitive point for crypto exchanges has shifted from "matching ability" to "asset security and settlement capability." Especially after the North Korean hacker attack incident, the custody system has become the most critical part of exchange infrastructure. At the same time, Bybit's global branding strategy is also changing. In the past few years, it has made high-profile collaborations with top sports IPs like Oracle Red Bull Racing. In recent years, it has gradually shifted towards high-growth regions like the Middle East, establishing connections with institutions like Dubai DMCC. Its branding logic is transitioning from "traffic exposure" to "regional financial resource binding." Related collection: Bybit Web3 Partner Network Collection (continuously updated) Crypto projects actively showcasing their partner networks have become a key way to enhance transparency and market trust. It is reported that RootData welcomes Web3 projects to claim their information and continues to track and open more project business relationship disclosure channels. The platform has continuously released multiple editions of crypto project ecological maps, nominating Web3 ecological partners for upstream clients like Visa, Mastercard, and Coinbase. If you wish to nominate your project in future ecological maps, please fill out the [RootData 2026 Industry Ecosystem Mapping] form to supplement your important clients and partners.

According to market news, the amendment to South Korea's Foreign Exchange Transaction Act has been passed by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. This amendment will expand the regulatory scope of foreign exchange trading to include virtual asset service providers, including cryptocurrency exchanges.The committee passed the bill in today's plenary session and adopted the revisions suggested by professional committee members. The bill has now been submitted to the National Assembly for a final vote, which may take place as early as May 7.

According to Coinglass, in the past week, major cryptocurrency exchanges have seen a total outflow of 15,952.91 bitcoins, with Coinbase Pro seeing an outflow of 6,269.08, Kraken 5,734.42, and OKX 4,353.49.Currently, the cumulative balance of bitcoins on cryptocurrency exchanges is 2,447,700.