The SEC just approved a new ETF application from Grayscale, combining Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Cardano into one product. This represents a major breakthrough for regulatory approval.
BTC and ETH, which already have available spot ETFs, make up more than 90% of the product’s composition. Still, this sets a few big precedents for the US ETF market.
According to the SEC filing, Grayscale’s new ETF will heavily weigh towards Bitcoin; 80.20% of its value goes to it. ETH will represent 11.39% of the ETF’s value, XRP 4.82%, Solana 2.78%, and Cardano 0.81%. Technically, this will be the first US spot ETF that’s tied to these major altcoins, but BTC and Ethereum make up more than 90% of the fund. These assets already have spot ETFs.
Still, this is a major signal from the SEC. Several firms are attempting to create bundled products and altcoin ETFs alike, but Grayscale finally won the race. Hopefully, this indicates some similar approvals in the near future.
Two Solana-based meme coins, MOODENG and GOAT, posted substantial gains after being added to the Binance Alpha program. MOODENG gained over 400% in the past week, reaching its highest price since January.
Binance Alpha, designed to spotlight promising early-stage tokens, has significantly boosted both projects’ visibility and trading activity.
Is Binance Alpha Ushering in a Solana Meme Coin Season?
On May 11, Binance announced a new Alpha Projects batch that included two Solana-based meme coins, MOODENG and GOAT.
Following the announcement, MOODENG surged over 60%, reaching $0.20 — its highest level since January 2025. At the same time, the meme coin’s market cap rose from under $140 million to over $180 million within hours of the announcement.
The digital asset was conceived in 2024 by Truth Terminal. This Twitter-based AI chatbot enjoyed a massive following and interest from the crypto community for its novel characteristics at the time.
Since joining Binance Alpha, GOAT’s price climbed from $0.14 to $0.17, marking a 27% gain. Over seven days, its value nearly doubled, with a $100 million increase in market cap.
These token gains have renewed attention on Solana’s meme coin scene, which had slowed after controversies such as the LIBRA token incident.
Market analysts suggest that Binance Alpha’s spotlight has brought credibility back to the space and may usher in a fresh wave of investor activity.
On May 10, Dune Analytics data shows that the Binance-linked platform reached a new high of $428.3 million in daily volume, led by tokens like Polyhedra Network’s ZKJ, BSquared Network’s B2, and SKYAI.
That trend has continued today, with the platform’s trading volume at $279 million. Notably, MOODENG and GOAT have played key roles in driving the platform’s volume today.
According to Bo Hines, the executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, the Trump administration could consider using tariff revenues to build a national Bitcoin reserve.
It marks a notable shift, given recent indications that revenue generated from gold sales would help fund the Bitcoin reserve.
Trump Tariff Revenues To Fund US Bitcoin Reserve
Bo Hines explained the possibility during recent interviews. He cited the need for the US to act swiftly amid global competition for Bitcoin accumulation.
Speaking to Thinking Crypto on Tuesday, Hines emphasized that the US must compete globally in Bitcoin. He highlighted the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) through budget-neutral means. This, he said, includes novel funding mechanisms such as tariff revenues.
“SBR recognizes the value of what Bitcoin is and how it can be harnessed for the American people. There is a finite number of Bitcoin and I think there will end up being a race to accumulate,” Hines stated.
He reiterated this in an interview with Anthony Pompliano, the founder and CEO of Professional Capital Management. Bo Hines discussed the re-evaluation of tariffs, Bitcoin, and gold during the discussion. He labeled them as key components of the administration’s macroeconomic strategy.
“The strategic reserve is just the beginning. We’re thinking long-term about what assets can empower the American people and insulate us from global shocks,” Hines told Pompliano.
This plan is different from whatRepublican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming proposed. BeInCrypto reported that she introduced legislation to increase the government’s Bitcoin holdings by selling a portion of the Federal Reserve’s gold.
“We will convert excess reserves at our 12 Federal Reserve banks into bitcoin over five years. We have the money now,” said Senator Lummis back in July at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference.
The notion of using tariff revenue to buy Bitcoin is novel. However, such a move could redefine the role of digital assets in the US economic strategy. It reflects a broader ideological pivot, treating digital assets as more than speculative instruments but as national economic tools.
Crypto advocates responded enthusiastically. Influencer Crypto Rover called the tariff-based Bitcoin acquisition plan “mega bullish,” reflecting wider market sentiment.
Meanwhile, others warn that Trump’s aggressive tariff stance could undermine US Bitcoin mining dominance. Hardware costs and international trade barriers could harm domestic miners, especially if Chinese-made mining equipment is further taxed or restricted.
Despite these complexities, the administration appears undeterred. Hines also hinted at integrating stablecoin legislation and blockchain technology within banking infrastructure. He said this would bolster law enforcement capabilities in crypto and signal a multi-pronged strategy.
As inflation pressures mount and trade tensions with China escalate, speculation is that a more crypto-friendly Fed chair could align monetary policy with the administration’s digital asset goals.
With geopolitical tensions rising and central banks racing to define their digital currency strategies, the US appears to be moving toward a more assertive position.
BNB Chain has successfully deployed its much-anticipated Maxwell Hard Fork on the testnet. This launch delivers a high-speed, low-latency blockchain performance.
Maxwell’s mainnet activation is scheduled for June 30, 2025. Nevertheless, this deployment positions BNB Chain to rival Solana and Ethereum blockchains on specific metrics.
BNB Chain’s Maxwell Upgrade: What Users Need to Know
The upgrade, activated at block 5,255,2978, represents a foundational overhaul of BNB Chain’s consensus and networking infrastructure. It significantly reduces block times, enhances validator communication, and improves sync efficiency, which are integral factors for scaling user and developer experiences on-chain.
“Maxwell HardFork Successfully Activated on BNB Chain Testnet…Developers and validators are encouraged to begin testing the new infrastructure,” BNB Chain shared in a post.
The network named its Maxwell Hard Fork in tribute to James Clerk Maxwell, the physicist who unified electricity and magnetism. Similarly, BNB Chain’s upgrade aims to harmonize two often competing blockchain priorities: speed and stability.
It cuts block time in half from 1.5 seconds to just 0.75 seconds. New technical enhancements accompany this dramatic acceleration to maintain validator and node synchronization. This would ensure that faster blocks do not come at the cost of network health or decentralization.
Among the key changes introduced are adjustments to consensus cadence and network propagation. The epoch length has been extended from 500 to 1,000 blocks, and validators now lead for 16 blocks per turn. This keeps proposer durations stable even as blocks arrive more frequently.
Further, the per-block gas limit has been halved from 70 million to 35 million, keeping throughput steady and preventing network congestion and state bloat.
At the networking layer, new mechanisms allow blocks to propagate among validators within 400 milliseconds. Similarly, improved range sync capabilities help lagging nodes stay up-to-date even under the faster cadence.
Implications for Users and Rival Blockchains
The implications for end-users are profound. With sub-second block times and finality now approaching 1.9 seconds, BNB Chain is moving closer to a Web2-like experience.
Transactions such as swaps, mints, or gameplay actions can instantly be confirmed. This enhanced responsiveness narrows the psychological divide between Web2 and Web3, offering users a fluid and immediate experience.
The upgrade also opens up new design opportunities for developers. Real-time gaming, prediction markets, and high-frequency trading dApps can operate directly on Layer-1 without relying on separate fast chains.
Meanwhile, the BNB Chain is already showing strong momentum. According to data on DefiLlama, it currently leads the decentralized exchange (DEX) sector with over $13 billion in 24-hour trading volume, nearly six times more than Solana.
Data on Chainspect also shows that transaction throughput per second is up 37%, with BNB Chain handling 12 times more transactions than Ethereum.
However, on block time and finality metrics, BNB Chain remains 87.5% and 99.21%, respectively, less than Ethereum.
BNB Chain vs Ethereum on TPS, block time, and finality metrics. Source: Chainspect
Industry observers are optimistic. DeFi influencer Elja pointed out that BNB Chain’s previous Lorentz Hard Fork slashed gas fees tenfold.
With Maxwell promising even faster speeds, better validator coordination, and smarter syncing, Elja called it “even more bullish” for BNB Chain’s future.
“Lorentz Hardfork resulted in 10x gas fees reduction and increased TPS. The upcoming Maxwell Hardfork will be even more bullish for BNBChain,” Elja remarked.
One user echoed the sentiment, saying the upgrade should resolve the high failure rates they previously experienced during wallet sales.
