The U.S. banking system is officially primed for a digital evolution as the OCC confirms its readiness to support blockchain, stablecoins, and crypto- powered financial services. OCC Endorses Crypto Future for US Banks, Calling System ‘Well Positioned’ The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the federal agency that supervises national banks and federal savings […]

OCC Declares US Banking System ‘Well Positioned’ to Embrace Crypto

Retail participation in the Bitcoin (BTC) market is on the rise, as on-chain 
data indicates that smaller investors are gradually re-entering the space. 
This renewed activity is often a sign of growing confidence in the asset and 
can act as a catalyst for the next leg up in price. Bitcoin Witnesses Rise In 
Retail Participation According to a recent CryptoQuant Quicktake post by on- 
chain analyst Carmelo Aleman, retail investors &#8211; defined as wallets holding 
less than $10,000 worth of BTC &#8211; are steadily returning to the market. These 
participants are typically the most reactive to market movements. Related 
Reading: Bitcoin Market Cycle Indicator Hints At Bullish Breakout Ahead, 
Analyst Says Aleman noted that while retail investors may not always time the 
market as effectively as institutional players, their behavior remains a key 
barometer of broader market sentiment. As more retail investors join, they 
tend to create a positive feedback loop, reinforcing bullish narratives and 
driving increased buying pressure, which can attract even more participants. 
The BTC: Retail Investor 30-Day Change indicator reflects this trend. Since 
turning positive on April 28, the indicator has shown a 3.4% increase in 
retail buying through May 13, signalling a strong resurgence in small-investor 
activity. Aleman added that if Bitcoin maintains its upward momentum, the 
broader crypto market could benefit, as retail investors may begin 
diversifying into other assets in search of higher returns. He wrote: This 
could benefit the entire crypto space, as small investors are likely to 
diversify into other projects, including DeFi, staking, futures, and other 
instruments. All signs point to this shift in retail behavior being the start 
of a new wave of mass adoption in the cryptocurrency market. Aleman also 
emphasized monitoring other on-chain indicators such as active addresses, 
unspent transaction output (UTXO) count, new addresses, and transfer volume, 
which often rise in tandem with growing retail activity. A Few Warning Signs 
For BTC While rising retail interest is encouraging, a few red flags suggest 
caution. Notably, the Exchange Stablecoins Ratio (USD) recently surged to 5.3 
during Bitcoin’s rally to $104,000. This suggests that BTC reserves on 
exchanges now exceed stablecoin balances &#8211; a signal that selling pressure 
could be building. Related Reading: Bitcoin Flashing Pre-Rally Signals Seen 
Before Major 2024 Breakouts, Analyst Says According to CryptoQuant contributor 
EgyHash, a reading above 5.0 is historically significant. A similar spike to 
6.1 in January was followed by a sharp price correction, indicating that 
investors may be rotating from BTC back into cash. Despite some cautionary 
indicators, Bitcoin continues to exhibit bullish momentum. The Stochastic RSI 
is showing renewed strength, and other technical signals suggest the rally 
could continue. At press time, BTC trades at $103,993, up 0.3% in the past 24 
hours. Featured image from Unsplash, charts from CryptoQuant and 
Tradingview.com

Bitcoin Retail Demand Rises 3.4% As Small Investors Return To The Market – New ATH Soon?

U.S. community banks face extinction-level risk as they ignore crypto rails 
and real-time payment tech, warns top digital asset advocate. Crypto Offers 
Lifeline as US Community Banks Continue to Shrink Cody Carbone, newly 
appointed chief executive officer of the Digital Chamber, voiced concern 
Wednesday on social media platform X about the accelerating decline of 
community […]

US Community Banks Are Shrinking—Crypto Could Be the Cure, Says Digital Chamber

Ethereum price extended its increase above the $2,720 zone. ETH is now 
correcting gains and might revisit the $2,500 support zone. Ethereum started a 
fresh increase and cleared the $2,720 resistance. The price is trading above 
$2,520 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a short-term 
declining channel or a possible bullish flag forming with resistance at $2,630 
on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). The pair could find 
bids near $2,500 and start a fresh increase in the near term. Ethereum Price 
Dips Again Ethereum price remained supported and started a fresh increase 
above $2,620, beating Bitcoin. ETH gained pace for a move above the $2,650 
resistance zone. The bulls were able to push the price above the $2,700 
resistance zone. A high was formed at $2,736 and the price is now correcting 
gains. The price dipped below $2,650 and even spiked below the 50% Fib 
retracement level of the upward move from the $2,415 swing low to the $2,736 
high. However, the bulls are still active above $2,550. Ethereum price is now 
trading above $2,550 and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. On the upside, 
the price seems to be facing hurdles near the $2,620 level. There is also a 
short-term declining channel or a possible bullish flag forming with 
resistance at $2,630 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD. The next key resistance 
is near the $2,680 level. The first major resistance is near the $2,720 level. 
A clear move above the $2,720 resistance might send the price toward the 
$2,820 resistance. An upside break above the $2,820 resistance might call for 
more gains in the coming sessions. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward 
the $2,880 resistance zone or even $2,950 in the near term. More Losses In 
ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $2,630 resistance, it could start a fresh 
downside correction. Initial support on the downside is near the $2,575 level. 
The first major support sits near the $2,500 zone or the 76.4% Fib retracement 
level of the upward move from the $2,415 swing low to the $2,736 high. A clear 
move below the $2,500 support might push the price toward the $2,420 support. 
Any more losses might send the price toward the $2,350 support level in the 
near term. The next key support sits at $2,320. 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 below the 50 zone. Major Support Level – $2,575 
Major Resistance Level – $2,680

Ethereum Price Dips May Offer Buying Opportunity — Bulls Eye Reentry

European law enforcement in January arrested 17 suspects of a &#8220;mafia crypto 
bank&#8221; who are said to have laundered over 21 million euros ($23.5 million) in 
crypto for criminal entities in China and the Middle East.
The money laundering services were allegedly carried out on behalf of other 
criminal networks engaged in migrant smuggling and drug trafficking, Europol 
said in a May 14 statement.
Spanish authorities said the criminal organization ran a secret informal money 
transfer system called hawala and was often compensated in crypto.
A total of 17 individuals were arrested &#8212; 15 in Spain, one in Austria and one 
in Belgium &#8212; while 4.5 million euros ($5 million) worth of items were seized, 
including cash, crypto, 18 vehicles, four shotguns and several electronic 
devices.
Of the 4.5 million euros, 183,000 euros ($205,000) came as crypto. Another 
421,000 euros ($471,000) in cash was seized from 77 bank accounts tied to the 
criminal organization, which one Spanish news outlet described as a &#8220;mafia 
crypto bank.&#8221;
Luxury bags, watches and even cigars worth 876,000 euros ($980,000) were also 
seized, Spanish officials said.
_Scenes of European law enforcement efforts and assets seized from the 
criminal organization. Source:__Europol_
The arrests and asset seizures took place in January 2025, across Spain, 
Austria and Belgium, Europol said. More than 250 officers were involved, 
Spanish authorities added.
## Most of those arrested have already been detained
Of the 17 arrested, 15 have already been imprisoned as alleged perpetrators of 
the crimes linked to the organization.
Most of those arrested were of Chinese and Syrian nationality, targeting 
clients in China and the Arabic-speaking criminal world.
_**Related:**__**Crypto exchange CEO &#8216;s daughter fights off brazen kidnappers 
in Paris**_
The criminal organization tried to cover up its money laundering activities by 
operating a remittance business, and even advertised those services on social 
media.
The investigation was led by a court in Almeria, Spain, which supported 
Europol&#8217;s efforts to coordinate Spanish and Belgian officials to dismantle the 
criminal organization.
Blockchain forensics firm Chainalysis estimates that illicit crypto 
transactions totaled $51.3 billion in 2024, marking an 11.3% year-on-year 
increase.
_**Magazine:**__**Japanese porn star &#8216;s coin red flags, Alibaba-linked L2 runs 
at 100K TPS**_

Europol helps dismantle $23M ‘mafia crypto bank’

Bitcoin price started a fresh increase and tested the $105,000 zone. BTC is 
now correcting gains with a short-term bearish angle below $103,500. Bitcoin 
started a correction from the $105,000 resistance zone. The price is trading 
below $103,800 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There was a break 
below a connecting bullish trend line with support at $103,600 on the hourly 
chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair could dip further 
if it stays below the $105,000 zone. Bitcoin Price Corrects Gains Bitcoin 
price started a fresh increase from the $102,500 support zone. BTC formed a 
base and was able to clear the $103,500 resistance zone. Moreover, the bulls 
even pushed the price above $104,200. The pair spiked toward $105,000. A high 
was formed at $104,980 and the price is now correcting gains. There was a move 
below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $100,772 
swing low to the $104,980 high. Besides, there was a break below a connecting 
bullish trend line with support at $103,600 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD 
pair. Bitcoin is now trading below $103,500 and the 100 hourly Simple moving 
average. However, the bulls are now active near the $102,850 level and the 50% 
Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $100,772 swing low to the 
$104,980 high. On the upside, immediate resistance is near the $103,600 level. 
The first key resistance is near the $104,200 level. The next key resistance 
could be $105,000. A close above the $105,000 resistance might send the price 
further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $106,500 
resistance level. Any more gains might send the price toward the $108,000 
level. More Losses In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $104,200 
resistance zone, it could start another downside correction. Immediate support 
is near the $102,850 level. The first major support is near the $101,750 
level. The next support is now near the $100,500 zone. Any more losses might 
send the price toward the $100,000 support in the near term. The main support 
sits at $98,800. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining 
pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for 
BTC/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $102,850, followed 
by $101,750. Major Resistance Levels – $104,200 and $105,000.