In his 2026 annual shareholder letter, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink laid out an 
ambitious outlook for the firm’s presence in digital assets, forecasting that 
BlackRock’s crypto business — and the broader market — could be generating 
roughly $500 million in annual revenue within the next five years. 
Tokenization Will ‘Update The Plumbing’ Of Finance As reported by Forbes, 
BlackRock has positioned itself as a market leader in Bitcoin (BTC), handling 
about 800,000 BTC worth approximately $55 billion for its clients through its 
iShares Bitcoin Trust exchange-traded fund (ETF). Beyond Bitcoin exposure, 
BlackRock has expanded into tokenized funds: its USD Institutional Digital 
Liquidity Fund, known as BUIDL, became the world’s largest tokenized fund last 
year after surpassing $2 billion in assets under management (AuM). Related 
Reading: Circle (CRCL) Crashes Below $100 After Senate Revises Crypto Bill To 
Ban Stablecoin Rewards Fink singled out tokenized products and stablecoin 
operations as major pillars of the firm’s strategy, disclosing that BlackRock 
manages $65 billion of stablecoin reserves and nearly $80 billion of digital- 
asset exchange-traded products (ETPs). Those figures, the executive said, 
reflect how BlackRock has moved quickly to establish institutional-quality 
offerings in the digital markets. Additionally, the CEO argued that 
tokenization has the potential to “update the plumbing of the financial 
system,” broadening access to investments in the same way the internet 
expanded commerce in the 1990s. BlackRock CEO Warns US Risks Losing Crypto 
Lead Citing research from Juniper, Fink noted that about half the world’s 
population already carries a digital wallet on their phone, and suggested that 
those same wallets could one day be used to invest in diversified portfolios 
as easily as sending a payment. Fink painted tokenization as a generational 
opportunity and warned of strategic risk if the US falls behind. Last year, he 
urged faster adoption of digitization and tokenization, arguing that other 
nations could overtake the US if it lags. Related Reading: Bitcoin Expert 
Predicts ‘Golden Entry Window’ For Next Bull Market In October 2026 At the 
same time, the BlackRock CEO pushed back on skeptics like Warren Buffett who 
dub Bitcoin “worthless,” characterizing the asset instead as one that people 
hold for reasons tied to insecurity. “You own bitcoin because you’re 
frightened of your physical security. You own it because you’re frightened of 
your financial security,” he wrote in its shareholders letter, adding that a 
longer-term rationale for holding Bitcoin is protection against the debasement 
of financial assets driven by fiscal deficits. At the time of writing, Bitcoin 
was trading at $69,420, down 2% over the last 24 hours and down 7% over the 
last seven days, amid a broader market sell-off on Tuesday. This follows last 
week&#8217;s rejection at the $76,000 resistance level, which the cryptocurrency 
failed to surpass. Featured image from the Wall Street Journal, chart from 
TradingView.com

BlackRock Crypto Outlook: CEO Predicts $500M A Year In Revenue Within Next Five Years

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is demanding answers from Beast Industries after it 
acquired teen banking app Step. Her letter focuses on Step’s past crypto 
offerings for minors, its marketing tactics, and user protection concerns tied 
to partner bank Evolve. Step Deal Draws Senate Scrutiny Over Teen Crypto 
Access Sen. Elizabeth Warren is turning up the pressure […]

Sen. Warren Questions MrBeast on Step Acquisition Amid Teen Crypto Concerns

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly said all its text-to-video models would be 
shuttered, and a $1 billion investment from Disney has also been cancelled.

OpenAI kills off AI video app Sora after 6 months

Ethereum price started a recovery wave above the $2,065 zone. ETH is now 
consolidating above $2,120 and might aim for more gains if it clears the 
$2,200 resistance. Ethereum started a recovery wave above the $2,125 zone. The 
price is trading above $2,140 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There 
was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance at $2,145 on the 
hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could start a fresh 
decline if it stays below the $2,200 resistance. Ethereum Price Eyes Steady 
Gains Ethereum price managed to stay above $2,020 and started a recovery wave, 
like Bitcoin. ETH price was able to climb above the $2,065 and $2,120 
resistance levels. The price cleared the 38.2% Fib retracement level of the 
downward move from the $2,385 swing high to the $2,025 low. Besides, there was 
a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance at $2,145 on the hourly 
chart of ETH/USD. Ethereum price is now trading above $2,120 and the 
100-hourly Simple Moving Average. If the bulls remain in action above $2,100, 
the price could attempt another increase. Immediate resistance is seen near 
the $2,180 level. The first key resistance is near the $2,200 level or the 50% 
Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2,385 swing high to the 
$2,025 low. The next major resistance is near the $2,250 level. A clear move 
above the $2,250 resistance might send the price toward the $2,300 resistance. 
An upside break above the $2,300 region might call for more gains in the 
coming days. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the $2,345 resistance 
zone or even $2,365 in the near term. Another Decline In ETH? If Ethereum 
fails to clear the $2,180 resistance, it could start a fresh decline. Initial 
support on the downside is near the $2,140 level. The first major support sits 
near the $2,110 zone. A clear move below the $2,110 support might push the 
price toward the $2,065 support. Any more losses might send the price toward 
the $2,010 region. The main support could be $2,000. Technical Indicators 
Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is gaining momentum in the bullish zone. 
Hourly RSI &#8211; The RSI for ETH/USD is now above the 50 zone. Major Support Level 
– $2,065 Major Resistance Level – $2,180

Ethereum Price Trends Higher, Bulls Look to Extend Gains Further

XRP is showing strong signs of a larger breakout on the horizon, but the path 
higher may not be smooth. Current price action suggests a potential shakeout, 
clearing out weak hands before momentum builds. With key levels being tested 
and structure tightening, the next move could set the stage for a much bigger 
rally. Trendline Breakdown Flips Key Support Into Resistance In a quick XRP 
update, CasiTrades noted that the price is now breaking below the 
consolidation trendline that had been holding for weeks, with that level 
beginning to flip into resistance. That shift aligns with what was discussed 
in Friday’s livestream. From a structural standpoint, it strengthens the case 
that XRP may be entering its final leg down toward the $0.87 support zone. 
Related Reading: XRP Nears Breakout: Analyst Maps Path Back To All-Time High 
On the lower timeframe, particularly the 15-minute chart, the current upward 
move is being tracked as a subwave 2 bounce. A well-defined RSI trendline is 
guiding this short-term recovery, and as long as it holds, the bounce can 
continue to play out. However, a break below that RSI structure would likely 
mark the start of wave 3. In the near term, key levels remain in focus. The 
$1.40–$1.41 region is being watched as a potential B wave area, followed by a 
possible extension toward $1.51–$1.55 for the C wave completion. These zones 
could act as temporary resistance points before the next decisive move 
unfolds. Despite the short-term fluctuations, the broader outlook remains 
unchanged. The primary expectation is still a move toward $0.87 unless XRP can 
reclaim and hold above the $1.65 resistance level. Staying disciplined and 
sticking to this plan helps remove emotion and keeps the focus on structure 
rather than noise. History Repeats: XRP Mirrors Past Cycle Structure According 
to an XRP update by Archie, the current cycle is unfolding in a manner that 
bears a striking resemblance to past price action. After forming a bottom and 
establishing a higher low, the market structure shifted, leading to the start 
of a new uptrend. Both cycles follow the same pattern: an initial push, a 
retest, and then another strong move higher. Related Reading: Breaking Down 
The $100 XRP Prophecy: Is There A Timeline? If history repeats, the key 
trendline could be taken out as early as this weekend. Adding to the bullish 
case, a divergence on the daily chart is reinforcing the idea that strength is 
returning beneath the surface. Expectations this time appear even more 
ambitious. Rather than stalling at previous all-time highs, sentiment points 
toward a much larger move, with targets extending into double-digit territory. 
Confidence is growing, and the narrative is clear; the market believes XRP’s 
next phase could be far more explosive. Featured image from Freepik, chart 
from Tradingview.com

Cryptocurrency price in LKR