Arthur Hayes has a new favorite coin — and it is not Bitcoin. The veteran 
crypto investor recently revealed that Zcash has become one of his largest 
crypto holdings outside of Bitcoin, a disclosure that has drawn fresh 
attention to a cryptocurrency that many had written off. Related Reading: 
Bitcoin Faces Major Test As 37% Recovery Collides With Bear Resistance Hayes 
said that as artificial intelligence, governments, and major tech firms gain 
more capacity to analyze public blockchain data, the demand for financial 
privacy will rise. Zcash, according to him, is designed for exactly that. His 
view is not an isolated one. Barry Silbert, a known personality in the crypto 
investment circles, described Zcash as resembling Bitcoin during its infancy — 
specifically around 2013, when BTC was still a fringe asset before its first 
major wave of mainstream adoption. That comparison has resonated with a group 
of early Bitcoin aficionados who feel the original crypto has drifted from its 
roots. Arthur on why the Zcash and NEAR integration is the quietly building 
mechanism that flips NEAR from inflationary to deflationary &#8220;Shielded Zcash 
lets you swap and send any coin, USDT on Tron, Bitcoin, anything, and that 
transaction will not point back to you. Completely… https://t.co/AOWKNsDRbc 
pic.twitter.com/tytoAgM5q0 — Laura Shin (@laurashin) May 12, 2026 What Is 
Driving The Renewed Interest? Based on a Wall Street Journal report, a good 
number of longtime Bitcoin holders who were present during a 2026 Las Vegas 
digital currency conference expressed dismay with how traceable and 
institutionalized Bitcoin has become. Government agencies, exchange-traded 
fund issuers, and blockchain surveillance firms can now monitor on-chain 
transactions with increasing precision. For some investors, that level of 
transparency is a problem. Zcash was built to solve it. Launched in 2016 by 
cryptographer Zooko Wilcox alongside researchers from Johns Hopkins and MIT, 
the coin uses a technology called zk-SNARKs that allows users to shield wallet 
addresses, transaction amounts, and transfer details. Unlike Bitcoin, where 
all transaction data is public by default, Zcash gives users the option to 
transact privately while still allowing for transparency when needed. 
Strengthening Demand The renewed interest has shown up in the market. Since 
the start of May 2026, ZEC climbed from around $380 to a high near $615 before 
pulling back. Related Reading: XRP Bulls Gain Momentum As ETF Inflows Reach 
Multi-Month High The coin has gained more than 30% this month alone and is up 
nearly 50% over the past 30 days, significantly outpacing Bitcoin during the 
same stretch. At the time of writing, ZEC is trading below $520 after a 5.50% 
drop in the last 24 hours. Institutional support is present. Grayscale 
Investments continues to offer exposure to Zcash through its investment 
products. Yet the coin still carries a significant risk that no amount of 
celebrity endorsement can eliminate. Featured image from Pexels, chart from 
TradingView

Is Zcash The Next Bitcoin? Investors Rush Into The Privacy Coin Narrative

XRP Ledger activity climbed as XRP cleared $1.54, with Santiment reporting 
48,453 active wallets and the strongest network growth reading since March. 
The surge pointed to renewed participation as price momentum returned. XRP 
Ledger Activity Rises as Price Tests $1.55 The XRP Ledger posted its strongest 
24-hour activity since March after XRP moved above $1.54 […]

XRP Ledger Activity Jumps as Price Tests $1.55, Large Wallets Set Record

Jerome Powell will remain Federal Reserve chair on a temporary basis as Kevin 
Warsh waits to take the oath. The board used a chair pro tempore designation 
after Warsh’s Senate confirmation left the leadership transfer unfinished. 
Powell Holds Temporary Fed Post as Warsh Awaits Oath The Federal Reserve Board 
announced on May 15 that Jerome […]

Powell Named Temporary Fed Chair Until Warsh Takes Oath

,XRP is struggling to reclaim the $1.50 level as the market prepares for a 
move that participants on both sides of the trade increasingly recognize as 
decisive. The price is close but not through, and an Arab Chain report 
tracking Binance derivatives activity has identified a development in the 
leverage data that changes the risk profile of whatever move arrives next. 
Related Reading: The 2022 Playbook Says Bitcoin Fails Here. On-Chain Data Says 
This Cycle Is Different The Estimated Leverage Ratio for XRP on Binance has 
climbed to approximately 0.179 — its highest reading in nearly two months — 
coinciding with XRP trading near $1.48. The timing places the leverage surge 
at the exact moment the price is attempting to push through a resistance level 
that has capped every recent recovery attempt. That proximity is not 
coincidental. Traders are building leveraged positions in anticipation of a 
directional move, and the scale of that positioning has now exceeded anything 
seen since mid-March. The path to the current reading traces a clear 
behavioral arc. Following the leverage peak of mid-March, the ELR declined 
steadily through a period of reduced derivatives activity — the quiet, low- 
conviction phase that the previous Arab Chain analyses identified as 
characteristic of accumulation rather than speculation. That quiet phase 
appears to be ending. The recent surge has reversed the declining trend and 
pushed the ratio back to levels that reflect genuine speculative commitment 
rather than cautious positioning. The question the leverage data raises is the 
same one the price action is building toward answering — and both may reach 
their resolution at the same moment. More Confidence, More Exposure, and More 
Consequences If the Move Goes Wrong Arab Chain&#8217;s interpretation of the 
leverage surge connects the behavioral signal to the price context that 
explains it. The ELR climbing to a two-month high alongside XRP&#8217;s gradual 
price improvement over recent weeks describes a derivatives market where 
participants are not simply observing the recovery — they are betting on its 
continuation with borrowed capital. New liquidity entering the market at 
elevated leverage levels reflects either conviction that the upward momentum 
will extend toward $1.50 and beyond, or anticipation of significant short-term 
volatility that creates trading opportunities regardless of direction. Both 
motivations produce the same structural consequence. A derivatives market with 
leverage at its highest point in two months is a market that has reduced its 
tolerance for adverse price movements. The positions now open require the 
price to cooperate — or they become the source of the selling pressure that 
accelerates the decline they were betting against. Related Reading: Ethereum 
Leverage Tells Two Different Stories On Binance And OKX: Traders Face A 
Fragile Setup Arab Chain&#8217;s forward assessment is honest about the dual nature 
of the current setup. Rising leverage during a price recovery reflects genuine 
market confidence and the return of speculative interest that had been largely 
absent during the low-activity period of recent months. That confidence is 
constructive as long as the price continues to validate it. The risk emerges 
at the point where the price stops cooperating. Liquidation waves triggered by 
leveraged positions unwinding do not arrive gradually — they arrive all at 
once, amplifying whatever move initiated them into something considerably 
larger. XRP Holds Recovery Structure XRP is trading around $1.46 after another 
failed attempt to reclaim the critical $1.50 resistance zone, a level that has 
consistently capped upside momentum throughout the recent recovery phase. The 
daily chart shows XRP maintaining a constructive short-term structure above 
the 100-day moving average, but price continues struggling beneath the broader 
resistance trend defined by the 200-day moving average near the $1.70 region. 
Following the sharp February selloff that briefly pushed XRP toward $1.10, 
buyers stepped in aggressively and stabilized the market above the $1.30-$1.35 
support range. Since then, XRP has formed a gradual sequence of higher lows, 
signaling steady accumulation and improving sentiment despite the broader 
market uncertainty. Related Reading: XRP Holds Key Level, But Binance Flow 
Data Signals Weakening Demand However, momentum remains fragile. The latest 
rally attempts toward $1.50 have lacked strong volume expansion, suggesting 
buyers are still unable to generate the conviction needed for a decisive 
breakout. At the same time, price compression beneath resistance is becoming 
increasingly tight, a condition that often precedes a larger directional move. 
The rising leverage activity in derivatives markets adds another layer of risk 
to the setup. If XRP breaks above $1.50 with strong participation, momentum 
could accelerate quickly. Conversely, another rejection may trigger a sharp 
flush of leveraged positions back toward the $1.35 support zone. Featured 
image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com

XRP Leverage Expansion Raises Risks Near $1.50 Resistance – A Big Move May Follow

Binance Research said tokenized assets could reach $1.6 trillion by 2030 as 
institutions test blockchain-based financial products. U.S. Treasury products, 
gold-backed commodities, and tokenized public equities remain key areas of 
adoption. Tokenized Markets Move Toward Wider Adoption Binance Research 
published a report on May 15 that framed tokenization as a growing bridge 
between traditional finance […]

Tokenized Assets Could Reach $1.6T by 2030, Binance Research

Bitcoin (BTC) dropping below the $80,000 mark is starting to undo some of the 
optimism that followed a major step forward for the industry. After the Senate 
Banking Committee markup for the CLARITY Act on Thursday, the market’s gains 
have since faded. Now, fresh inflation data is arriving with a potentially 
heavier hand, and analysts say it could further cool sentiment that traders 
had hoped would carry into stronger price action. The concern is not limited 
to Bitcoin: the same macro pressure could spill into Ethereum (ETH) and Solana 
(SOL), where conditions often translate into sharper day-to-day moves. 
‘Broadly Bearish’ For Bitcoin Market expert Alex Carchidi of The Motley Fool 
frames April’s inflation reading as particularly difficult to absorb. 
According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released on May 12, prices 
rose 3.8% year over year. A key driver was energy, which jumped 17.9% as costs 
climbed amid the US-Iran conflict. Related Reading: Bitcoin And XRP Climb On 
CLARITY Act News—But Clear Path To Law Isn’t Done Yet In Carchidi’s view, the 
inflation impulse is not just another routine print—it reflects real supply 
disruption. The analysis points specifically to the blocking of oil shipments 
through the Strait of Hormuz, an event that has helped push energy prices 
higher and, in turn, lifts overall inflation. The report also showed core 
inflation, which excludes food and energy, moving higher than many expected. 
Core CPI increased to 2.8% year over year, edging above forecast. Taken 
together, Carchidi describes the figures as broadly bearish for Bitcoin and 
the broader crypto sector, but he stresses that the effect will not be 
identical across major coins. Risk-On In The Spotlight Bitcoin, Ethereum, and 
Solana are all likely to face consequences, yet their market positioning 
relative to inflation and liquidity differs enough to matter. One major reason 
Bitcoin may be more resilient—at least in theory—is that crypto markets often 
respond to the cost and availability of capital. Carchidi notes that “crypto 
thrives on cheap capital.” However, with the macro backdrop changing, the 
expectation is that the “spigot” for liquidity could be tightening rather than 
widening. That brings the Federal Reserve into focus. The Fed has kept its 
benchmark interest rate steady at 3.5% to 3.75% across three consecutive 
meetings. Still, traders are watching for a shift in policy expectations, 
pricing in roughly a 30% probability of a rate hike by the end of the year. 
Carchidi says this matters more for Ethereum and Solana than for Bitcoin. His 
rationale is tied to how these assets are commonly perceived by the market. 
ETH and SOL, in the expert’s words, are typically treated as risk-on holdings, 
and they do not have an established “inflation hedge” story that investors can 
fall back on during periods of persistent inflation pressure. Bitcoin, by 
contrast, has long been positioned—by supporters—as a scarce asset that could 
act as an inflation hedge, which can provide a different kind of narrative 
support when traditional assets and macro assumptions shift. Near-Term Warning 
For Ethereum And Solana Cardichi suggests that if the energy shock eventually 
leads to broader monetary loosening, Bitcoin’s scarcity-based argument could 
become more compelling again over a multiyear horizon. Related Reading: Zcash 
(ZEC) Rockets 1,200%—Expert Says ZEC Could Soon Outgrow Cardano (ADA) Even 
then, he emphasizes that this is conditional—an “if, not a when”—and that the 
market would need data-driven confirmation for the renewed case to feel 
convincing. For Ethereum and Solana, the near-term picture is less optimistic 
in his conclusion. Their value, according to Carchidi, depends more on the 
networks gaining traction with users and attracting capital to their 
platforms. Featured image created with OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

Is Zcash The Next Bitcoin? Investors Rush Into The Privacy Coin Narrative

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