Max Hamaha outmaneuvered seven elite traders to win WhiteBIT’s inaugural 2025 International Crypto Trading Cup, pocketing a portion of the $5 million prize bounty as the sole survivor of a titillating live trading e-sports style event over two days. On…

Behind the scenes at WhiteBIT’s epic live crypto trading showdown

XRP price found support at $2.20 and started a fresh increase. The price is 
now gaining pace and might clear the $2.40 resistance zone. XRP price started 
a fresh increase above the $2.250 zone. The price is now trading above $2.30 
and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a short-term rising channel 
forming with support at $2.3650 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data 
source from Kraken). The pair might start another increase if there is a close 
above the $2.420 resistance. XRP Price Eyes More Gains XRP price remained 
supported above the $2.220 level and started a fresh upward wave, like Bitcoin 
and Ethereum. The price was able to surpass the $2.250 and $2.320 levels. The 
bulls pushed the price above the $2.350 resistance zone to set the pace for 
more gains. Finally, it tested the $2.475 zone. A high was formed at $2.4752 
before there was a pullback. The price dipped below $2.40 and tested $2.330. 
It is again rising with a move above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the 
downward move from the $2.4752 swing high to the $2.3310 low. The price is now 
trading above $2.350 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is also a 
short-term rising channel forming with support at $2.3650 on the hourly chart 
of the XRP/USD pair. On the upside, the price might face resistance near the 
$2.40 level and the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the 
$2.4752 swing high to the $2.3310 low. The first major resistance is near the 
$2.420 level. The next resistance is $2.480. A clear move above the $2.450 
resistance might send the price toward the $2.50 resistance. Any more gains 
might send the price toward the $2.550 resistance or even $2.6350 in the near 
term. The next major hurdle for the bulls might be $2.750. Another Decline? If 
XRP fails to clear the $2.420 resistance zone, it could start another decline. 
Initial support on the downside is near the $2.3650 level. The next major 
support is near the $2.320 level. If there is a downside break and a close 
below the $2.320 level, the price might continue to decline toward the $2.250 
support. The next major support sits near the $2.220 zone. Technical 
Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is now gaining pace in the 
bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is 
now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $2.3650 and $2.320. Major 
Resistance Levels – $2.420 and $2.480.

XRP Price Eyes Breakout: Can It Shatter Resistance and Reignite the Rally?

Bitcoin&#8217;s potential price reaction to a trade deal between the United States 
and China could give insights into whether Bitcoin is being used as a safe- 
haven asset in the current market.
Bitcoin (BTC) outperformed stocks and held up &#8220;incredibly strong&#8221; during a 
sharp sell-off on stock markets in April, following Donald Trump&#8217;s 
announcement of tariffs on &#8220;Liberation Day,&#8221; observed crypto trader &#8220;Daan 
Crypto&#8221; on May 11.
Following its plunge to $75,000 on April 7, Bitcoin recovered strongly to 
trade 27% higher at around $95,000 by the end of the month. Meanwhile, indexes 
like the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq declined in April.
At the time, people wondered if Bitcoin&#8217;s relative strength came from the 
narrative that countries were using Bitcoin to bypass tariffs. The analyst 
said the opposite should theoretically occur if the trade deal is confirmed.
&gt; &#8220;Theoretically speaking, if the trade uncertainty was what was making BTC 
&gt; outperform, it should stop outperforming after we hit the most important 
&gt; deal, which includes China.&#8221;
_Bitcoin performance since Trump &#8216;s &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariff announcement. 
Source: __Daan Crypto_
On May 11, the White House announced that talks between the US and China 
regarding a trade deal have made &#8220;substantial progress.&#8221; However, no official 
agreement had been announced.
_**Related:**__**Bitcoin must close the week above this level to start &#8216;price 
discovery 2&#8217;**_
&#8220;We will be giving details tomorrow, but I can tell you that the talks were 
productive,&#8221; said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
However, if Bitcoin keeps doing its thing and outperforming, &#8220;it&#8217;s safe to 
assume that tariffs likely have little direct impact on how BTC is treated or 
used,&#8221; Daan concluded.
## Markets await trade deal announcement
Some analysts, however, believe that Bitcoin will likely jump if a trade deal 
comes through, along with potential rate cuts.
&#8220;We believe that institutional investors are less apprehensive about investing 
in Bitcoin and crypto as US-China trade talks come to a conclusion and the 
likelihood of rate cuts increases,&#8221; Jeff Mei, chief operations officer at 
BTSE, told Cointelegraph.
Meanwhile, Jupiter Zheng, researcher at HashKey Capital, said, &#8220;A US-China 
trade deal could signal stability in global markets, potentially driving 
investors to seek growth opportunities and send capital into alternative 
assets.&#8221;
&gt; &#8220;Bitcoin could also see new highs as a result, particularly if the deal 
&gt; weakens the dollar or leads to renewed liquidity flows into emerging 
&gt; markets.&#8221;
Analyst Will Clemente said on X that only a solid announcement of a trade deal 
is likely to keep momentum rolling.
&#8220;Feels like you&#8217;re gonna need a real, tangible announcement on the China front 
to keep things moving here locally, momentum starting to stall out on BTC for 
the first time in a bit,&#8221; he said. 
_**Magazine:**__**Bitcoin eyes &#8216;crazy numbers,&#8217; JD Vance set for Bitcoin talk: 
Hodler&#8217;s Digest**_

Trump’s US-China trade deal could shed light on Bitcoin’s use case

The FBI is ramping up efforts to track victims of a massive crypto fraud tied 
to fake AML coins, urging submissions before June 5 for possible restitution. 
FBI Sets June 5 Deadline for Victims of AML Bitcoin and Crypto Fraud Empire 
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 
are reaffirming […]

Feds Drop Deadline Bomb: Victims of AML Bitcoin Scam Have Until June 5

Tinian, a small island in the US territory of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
could get a second chance at launching a stablecoin after the territory&#8217;s 
Senate voted to override the governor&#8217;s earlier veto of its stablecoin bill.
On May 9, the Northern Mariana Islands Senate voted 7-1 to override Governor 
Arnold Palacios&#8217; April 11 veto of the bill, which would allow the Tinian local 
government to issue licenses to internet casinos and includes a provision for 
the Tinian treasurer to issue, manage and redeem a &#8220;Tinian Stable Token.&#8221;
The bill will now head to the 20-member Northern Mariana Islands House, which 
will need a two-thirds majority vote to override the veto and pass the bill 
into law.
If the House is quick to pass the bill, the Tinian government could be in the 
lead for the first US public entity to issue a stablecoin. It&#8217;s in a race 
against the state of Wyoming, which is aiming to issue a stablecoin by July.
Tinian is governed by the local government, the Municipality of Tinian and 
Aguiguan, and is one of four municipalities in the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, a small US territory in the Pacific north of Guam.
Tinian has just over 2,000 residents, and its economy heavily relies on 
tourism.
## Senators push &#8220;much-needed&#8221; bill despite &#8220;deep concerns&#8221;
Governor Palacios said in his letter last month that he vetoed the bill as it 
&#8220;presents several legal issues and may be unconstitutional&#8221; and would regulate 
an activity that could not &#8220;be clearly restricted&#8221; to Tinian.
Democrat Senator Celina Babauta, the only one to vote against overriding the 
veto, said before the vote that she had &#8220;deep concerns with respect to the 
lack of resources, the lack of manpower&#8221; to enforce the gambling law and 
police use of the stablecoin.
&#8220;We are restricted by federal statutes and must comply with that,&#8221; she added.
_Senator Celina Babauta (right) delivers remarks at a Senate hearing alongside 
Senator Karl King-Nabors (middle). Source:__YouTube_
&#8220;We struggle with trying to find creative and innovative ways to diversify our 
economy and our industries,&#8221; Babauta said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t believe that gambling is 
the only thing that we can be looking forward to every single time there&#8217;s an 
investor that comes in.&#8221;
However, Republican Senator Karl King-Nabors, who represents Tinian and co- 
authored the bill, said it was &#8220;a far more stringent and efficient way to 
oversee the online gaming aspect.&#8221;
&#8220;This stablecoin is tracked through software, and if anything, it allows for 
more transparency when it comes to the Tinian Casino Gaming Control 
Commission,&#8221; he added.
King-Nabors said the bill aligned with &#8220;much-needed&#8221; economic diversification 
measures, as the local economy was yet to bounce back from a COVID-19 
pandemic-induced slump.
&#8220;This legislation stands at a time where we&#8217;re going through so much economic 
hardships,&#8221; King-Nabors added. &#8220;I find it difficult that we&#8217;re constantly 
having to step over obstacles when we&#8217;re trying to incentivize and look for 
ways to bring in revenue that don&#8217;t affect our environment, that don&#8217;t require 
a brick and mortar, that don&#8217;t impact our land.&#8221;
## Tinian bids for fully-backed stablecoin
Republican Senator for Tinian, Jude Hofschneider, led the introduction of the 
bill in February, which aims to amend a local Tinian law to allow internet- 
only casino licenses, along with allowing the island to launch a fully backed 
US dollar-pegged stablecoin.
A four-member Tinian delegation to the Marianas legislature, which includes 
Hofschneider and King-Nabors, had passed the bill to Governor Palacios in a 
unanimous vote on March 12.
Statements shared with Cointelegraph in March said the stablecoin is called 
the Marianas US Dollar (MUSD) and will be backed by cash and US Treasury bills 
held in reserve by the Tinian Municipal Treasury.
The Tinian government chose tech services firm Marianas Rai Corporation, based 
in the Northern Mariana Islands&#8217; capital of Saipan, as the exclusive 
infrastructure provider to issue and redeem MUSD.
MUSD is built on the eCash blockchain, a network that rebranded from Bitcoin 
Cash ABC in 2021 and is a fork of Bitcoin Cash, a blockchain that split off 
from Bitcoin in 2017.
_**Related:**__**Senator Tim Scott slams partisan politics for failed 
stablecoin bill**_ _** **_
Marianas Rai Corp. co-founder and technology chief Vin Armani told 
Cointelegraph in April that it was &#8220;in active discussions with potential 
partners&#8221; about launching the token after Governor Palacios&#8217; veto and was 
&#8220;poised to act quickly&#8221; as US Congress is looking to pass stablecoin laws.
In the US, one stablecoin bill, the Guiding and Establishing National 
Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, has since stalled in Congress 
after Senate Democrats pulled support for the bill due to concerns about 
President Donald Trump&#8217;s sprawling crypto ventures.
Another stablecoin-regulating bill in the House, the Stablecoin Transparency 
and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act, has also lost 
Democrat support due to Trump&#8217;s crypto tie-ups.
_**Legal Panel:**__**Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it &#8216;s becoming them 
in stablecoin fight**_

Stablecoin bill gets second chance with Northern Mariana lawmakers

Ethereum price started a fresh surge above the $2,350 zone. ETH is now up over 
35% and consolidating gains near the $2,500 zone. Ethereum started a fresh 
surge above the $2,350 resistance. The price is trading above $2,400 and the 
100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a connecting bullish trend line 
forming with support at $2,480 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via 
Kraken). The pair could continue to move up if it breaks the $2,600 resistance 
level. Ethereum Price Surges And Clears $2,500 Ethereum price remained 
supported and started a fresh increase above $2,200, beating Bitcoin. ETH 
gained pace for a move above the $2,350 resistance zone. The bulls were able 
to push the price above the $2,500 resistance zone. The price gained over 35% 
and recently surpassed the $2,550 resistance zone. A high was formed at $2,606 
and the price is now consolidating gains. There was a minor decline below the 
23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $2,272 swing low to 
the $2,606 high. Ethereum price is now trading above $2,500 and the 100-hourly 
Simple Moving Average. Besides, there is a connecting bullish trend line 
forming with support at $2,480 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. On the upside, 
the price seems to be facing hurdles near the $2,550 level. The next key 
resistance is near the $2,600 level. The first major resistance is near the 
$2,620 level. A clear move above the $2,620 resistance might send the price 
toward the $2,650 resistance. An upside break above the $2,650 resistance 
might call for more gains in the coming sessions. In the stated case, Ether 
could rise toward the $2,720 resistance zone or even $2,780 in the near term. 
Are Dips Limited In ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $2,550 resistance, it 
could start a fresh downside correction. Initial support on the downside is 
near the $2,470 level. The first major support sits near the $2,440 zone and 
the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $2,272 swing low to 
the $2,606 high. A clear move below the $2,440 support might push the price 
toward the $2,350 support. Any more losses might send the price toward the 
$2,270 support level in the near term. The next key support sits at $2,220. 
Technical Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is losing momentum in 
the bullish zone. Hourly RSI &#8211; The RSI for ETH/USD is now above the 50 zone. 
Major Support Level – $2,440 Major Resistance Level – $2,550