Google shares drop after reports that Apple plans to integrate an AI search engine instead of the standard Google Search.

A top Apple executive directly stated that, for the first time in 20 years, they are seeing a decline in search query volume. People are switching en masse to AI interfaces like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and DeepSeek.

The market reacted instantly—Google shares plunged by −9% in just a few hours.

🟣 Weekly Insider Unlocks: May 12–18, 2025

🔥 $209.9M+ 🔥
Top Highlights 🔓

Total Crypto MarketCap approaching $4 trillion.

Note: Gold is $21.9 trillion.

The USDT supply has hit a record high, surpassing the $150 billion mark.

Solana has surpassed BNB and reclaimed fifth place in the CoinMarketCap rankings.

▪️The price of the Solana (SOL) token exceeded $180 for the first time since mid-February. Since the sharp crypto market rally began on May 8, SOL has surged by about 30%, despite briefly dipping below $100 in April.

▪️With a market cap now over $94 billion, Solana has once again overtaken Binance’s BNB, securing fifth place in the overall CoinMarketCap ranking.

▪️SOL’s all-time high of $294 was recorded on January 19, the same day the TRUMP memecoin launched by Donald Trump’s team debuted. Before it was listed on centralized exchanges, TRUMP could only be bought via DEX platforms on the Solana network — a factor that likely boosted demand for SOL, which is required for transaction fees.

The Central Bank of Brazil wants to ban stablecoin transfers abroad, restrict their domestic use, and impose taxes on related transactions.

The goal is to strengthen control over cross-border payments.

Analyst: In Q1 2025, institutions reduced their Bitcoin holdings by 10% due to tariff-related news, and the price of $BTC also dropped by around 12%.

This marks a sharp contrast to Q4 2024, when the same investors significantly increased their purchases (+78%), driving the price up by 47%.

However, Q2 is already looking more promising, with signs that big money is flowing back in.

Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) reported the purchase of 7,390 bitcoins totaling $764.9 million between May 12 and 18 at an average price of $103,498 per BTC.

▪️As of May 19, Strategy holds 576,230 bitcoins (around 2.6% of total BTC supply), for which the company has spent approximately $40.18 billion since 2020, with an average purchase price of $69,726 per BTC.

▪️According to documents filed with the U.S. SEC, the bitcoins were acquired through the issuance of Strategy's common and preferred stock under ATM (At-the-Market offering) programs.

▪️The day before the announcement, Strategy founder Michael Saylor once again hinted at a new BTC purchase. On Sunday, he posted a chart from saylortracker.com on X, showing Strategy’s purchases marked in orange against Bitcoin’s price chart, with the caption:
"Never short a man who buys orange ink by the barrel."

Hacker Withdraws Over $200M from Cetus Crypto Platform

▪️The decentralized exchange Cetus, built on the Sui blockchain, was attacked. The hacker drained liquidity from several pools, causing the prices of most Sui tokens to crash by more than 75%. The Cetus team has temporarily suspended its smart contract and launched an investigation.

▪️On DEXs like Cetus, users provide liquidity by depositing tokens into pools. When a hacker “drains liquidity,” it means they remove most of the tokens from a pool, leaving other users without the ability to trade. As a result, token prices collapse and trading becomes impossible.

▪️According to DEX Screener, tokens like LOFI, HIPPO, and CETUS dropped by over 50%, with some assets losing up to 90% of their value.

▪️Analysts at Lookonchain estimate the total damage at $260 million, with around $60 million already converted to USDC, moved to the Ethereum network, and swapped for ETH. PeckShield confirms that over $200 million was stolen, with a similar amount moved via USDC.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao wrote on X that the exchange is “doing everything possible to help SUI,” but did not provide further details.

WSJ: Major U.S. banks discuss launching a joint stablecoin

▪️The largest U.S. banks — including JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo — are in talks about launching a joint stablecoin, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

▪️The project is in its early stages, but Zelle and the Clearing House — instant payment services owned by these banks — are reportedly involved in the discussions. The proposed stablecoin would be backed by dollar-denominated assets and could be used both within the banking system and by other market participants.

▪️Wall Street sees the stablecoin initiative as a way to maintain competitiveness amid the growing strength of the crypto industry — especially given the support the sector is receiving from the Donald Trump administration, WSJ notes.

WSJ: Trump Family’s Crypto Business Intersects with U.S. Foreign Policy

The Wall Street Journal published an investigation into the activities of the crypto project World Liberty Financial (WLF), which is linked to Donald Trump’s family and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

According to the report, his son, Zach Witkoff — a co-founder of WLF — has been promoting the USD1 stablecoin and negotiating crypto deals with foreign governments while accompanying his father on official visits.

Key points from WSJ:

▪️ World Liberty has sold over $550 million worth of tokens, with buyers including Tron founder Justin Sun ($75M) and trading firm DWF Labs ($25M). UAE-based MGX Fund announced a $2 billion purchase of USD1, which it then invested in Binance.

▪️ MGX is linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, head of the UAE sovereign wealth fund. Steve Witkoff, in his role as a White House envoy, met with the same sheikh during official visits, including during a chip supply agreement.

▪️ WLF has held talks with representatives from Pakistan, Malaysia, and Kyrgyzstan, and participated virtually in a crypto conference in Moscow. In Kyrgyzstan, World Liberty and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao were received by the president, and Zhao joined the country’s national crypto council.

▪️ In Pakistan, World Liberty signed an MoU with the Ministry of Finance to use USD1 in settlements and expressed ambitions to make the country a “leader in digital finance.”

▪️ Zhao, who has pleaded guilty in the U.S., is seeking to re-enter the American market. WLF representatives claim he is not a “facilitator” but remains in contact.

▪️ Zach Witkoff publicly emphasizes his proximity to Trump. WSJ sources say he described WLF as well-positioned under the crypto-friendly stance of the current administration.

▪️ Senate Democrats are calling for an investigation into a potential conflict of interest, suspecting possible pay-for-access dealings. The White House denies any such conflict.

This week, the USD1 stablecoin was listed on Binance and quickly entered the top five stablecoins by market cap. WSJ notes that, unlike the Trump Organization, World Liberty would not be restricted from making international deals during Trump’s presidency.

Sentora: Bitcoin cycles typically show that the first year post-halving is stuck in consolidation before breaking out. While this cycle saw an early sharp rally, it has stalled in a prolonged pause, with high rates slowing momentum.

However, peaks tend to arrive 1.5–2 years after the halving, shifting focus to BTC’s performance in the coming year.

Whale Trader James Wynn Completes Record-Breaking Trade Series and Reenters the Market

▪️Anonymous trader James Wynn, who rose to fame after opening the largest on-chain positions in history on the Hyperliquid platform, has announced the completion of a trading series with a net profit of $25 million. According to him, he started with $3–4 million, and at its peak, the unrealized profit reached $87 million. “Decided to leave the casino a winner,” he wrote on social platform X.

▪️Last week, he closed a $1.2 billion long position on Bitcoin with a $17.5 million loss, then opened a 40x leveraged short. That trade also ended in the red, with a loss of over $15.5 million. Both positions were the largest in the history of on-chain trading, with nearly $1.8 million paid in funding fees and commissions alone.

▪️Now, the trader is active again. At the time of publication, he had opened a 40x leveraged long position on Bitcoin with an entry point of $109,699, as well as a 10x leveraged long on the meme coin PEPE at a price of $0.0141. At one point, the PEPE position showed an unrealized profit of $500,000.

▪️Wynn’s trades have turned into a spectacle, with his positions trending on X and influencers and traders closely following his every move. To this day, it remains unclear who is behind the pseudonym and whether the trading activity was part of a campaign by Hyperliquid itself. Regardless, the platform has demonstrated its capacity to handle trades of such scale, and its token HYPE has hit a new all-time high in response.