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BlockBeats News, May 9th – An initiative in Switzerland that called for the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to include Bitcoin in its official reserves has failed due to a lack of signatures. The initiative aimed to amend the Swiss Constitution to require the SNB to hold BTC reserves in addition to its gold and forex reserves.According to the rules, the initiators needed to collect 100,000 valid signatures within 18 months to trigger a nationwide referendum. However, they only managed to achieve about half of the target, leading to the decision to abandon the initiative.Supporters had described Bitcoin as a "neutral reserve asset" that could hedge against the risks of USD and EUR reserves. Currently, USD and EUR assets account for about three-quarters of the SNB's forex reserves. However, the SNB had explicitly opposed the proposal last year, citing Bitcoin's liquidity and volatility as not meeting the central bank's reserve asset requirements.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, Binance released a research report stating that by 2026, emerging market users accounted for 77% of the total platform users, up from 49% in 2020. The report pointed out that an increasing number of users are using cryptocurrency exchanges for savings, payments, and investments, rather than just trading.Binance stated that globally, 1.3 billion adults still lack access to financial services, 4.7 billion adults are unable to obtain credit, and around 1.4 billion depositors in low-income countries do not earn interest on their savings. In this context, cryptocurrency platforms are filling the gap left by traditional financial services.The report shows that about 36% of emerging market users allocate at least half of their assets to stablecoins, with Binance suggesting that this phenomenon reflects the perception of stablecoins as a savings tool. It also notes that the cost of stablecoin cross-border transfers can be as low as $0.0001, enabling near-instant settlement, which is a significant advantage compared to the average cost of over $20 for traditional SWIFT cross-border remittances.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, according to Xinhua News Agency, the US Central Command stated on social media that the US military continues to carry out a naval blockade against Iran. Since April 13th, it has altered the course of 58 merchant ships and rendered 4 ships immobile to prevent them from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

BlockBeats News, May 9th. "Copy Fail" is a recently exposed Linux kernel local privilege escalation vulnerability, affecting a large number of mainstream Linux distributions since 2017. Researchers say that after gaining ordinary user privileges, an attacker can swiftly obtain root superuser privileges using about 10 lines of Python code.The United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has included the vulnerability in the "Known Exploited Vulnerabilities" list. As much of the cryptographic infrastructure relies on Linux, including exchanges, validation nodes, mining pools, hosted wallets, and cloud-based trading systems, the vulnerability has attracted significant attention in the crypto industry.Analysis indicates that once an attacker exploits the vulnerability to compromise relevant servers, they may further steal private keys, control validation nodes, gain administrator privileges, or even launch ransomware attacks. While the vulnerability itself does not directly impact blockchain protocols, if the underlying Linux system is compromised, it could still pose severe operational and financial risks to the crypto ecosystem.Industry experts also warn that with the enhancement of AI-assisted vulnerability discovery capabilities, similar underlying security issues may be discovered and weaponized more rapidly in the future, raising the crypto industry's reliance risk on server and operating system security.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, Chrome will download a several GB-sized AI model file on users' devices without their knowledge, for local anti-fraud, page summary, and AI functionality support. Despite Google's claim that running AI locally can enhance privacy and security, many encrypted users question its lack of transparency and explicit authorization.Analysts believe that as the browser gradually becomes the primary entry point for encrypted wallets, on-chain transactions, and DApps, the browser itself has become a vital part of the encrypted security system. Industry insiders are concerned that while deep AI integration may enhance phishing website detection, it will also expand the browser's attack surface, including risks such as malicious plugins, fake transaction pages, and wallet hijacking.The article points out that in the future, encrypted users may need to manage the browser environment similar to protecting hardware wallets, including isolating browser configurations, limiting extension permissions, and using hardware wallets to store large assets.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, according to on-chain analytics firm LookIntoBitcoin, an Ethereum OG address, after being dormant for 3 years, moved all of its 52,170 ETH (approximately $120.61 million) to a new wallet 4 hours ago.The address had previously withdrawn 42,572 ETH from Kraken 6 years ago when the price of ETH was only $246, with a total value of approximately $10.48 million.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, according to Xinhua News Agency, Ibrahim Azizi, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly, warned on social media on the 9th that governments should not support the US-driven agreement on Iran, otherwise, it will have "serious consequences".Azizi wrote on social media: "The Strait of Hormuz is a vital lifeline. Don't close the door of this vital lifeline with your own hands."

BlockBeats News, May 9th. The United States and Iran remain deadlocked over ceasefire and negotiations. The New York Times reported that despite both the U.S. and Iran stating that the month-long ceasefire agreement is still holding, there have been multiple rounds of attacks between the two sides in the past week, with no breakthrough in negotiations.The report stated that the U.S. recently attacked two Iranian oil tankers headed for an Iranian port; Iran, in turn, has continued to block the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. has proposed various measures including lifting the port blockade, resuming navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and extending the ceasefire by 30 days, but the core disagreement in the negotiations remains the Iran nuclear restrictions.Meanwhile, the UK has announced the deployment of a destroyer to the Middle East for a future escort mission in the Strait of Hormuz as a "pre-deployment," and France has already dispatched an aircraft carrier battle group to the Red Sea. The UK and France are pushing for the establishment of a "multinational joint escort mechanism."Furthermore, satellite images have revealed a large area of suspected crude oil spill near Iran's Khark Island, with the pollution spreading over an area exceeding 20 square miles. Analysts believe that under the U.S. blockade and long-term high-pressure operation, Iran's oil infrastructure is facing significant risks.

BlockBeats News, May 9th. According to the Enterprise Adoption Report for April 2026 released by BitcoinTreasuries.net, publicly traded companies and enterprises collectively added 64,722 BTC to their reserves in April, with a net addition of around 57,791 BTC, marking one of the largest Bitcoin buying months since mid-2025.Notably, Strategy accumulated 56,235 BTC in April, with the majority of the funds coming from ATM (At Market Issuance) financing from STRC and MSTR. The report indicates that from April 1st to May 3rd, STRC provided $3.3 billion in financing, representing approximately 80% of the total ATM financing for Strategy during the same period of $4.1 billion, setting a monthly record.The report highlights that in just one month of April, the BTC buying volume of the corporate reserves sector has almost matched the net buying volume of the previous two quarters, indicating a strong start to Q2.Furthermore, the total BTC held or exposed by Bitcoin ETFs has reached approximately 1.5 million BTC, about 300,000 BTC more than the holdings of publicly traded companies. The competition for BTC holdings between BlackRock's IBIT and Strategy is intense, as of May 5th, Strategy holds 818,334 BTC, and IBIT holds around 818,147 BTC.The report also mentions that the current total market cap of altcoin reserves held by enterprises is around $22 billion, with ETH reserves accounting for approximately $16.2 billion.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, Bitcoin mining firm TeraWulf released its Q1 2026 financial report, with the company's quarterly net loss widening to $427 million, significantly higher than the $61.4 million in the same period last year.The report shows that TeraWulf's total revenue for the quarter was $34 million, with AI/HPC (High-Performance Computing) leasing revenue reaching $21 million, a 117% increase from the previous quarter, accounting for approximately 60% of total revenue; while Bitcoin mining revenue declined by 50% year-on-year to about $13 million.The company stated that AI revenue mainly came from the leasing of 60MW of computing power at its North American HPC campus Lake Mariner, currently leased to Core42. In addition, TeraWulf is collaborating with Fluidstack and Google to advance more AI infrastructure projects.Previously, TeraWulf announced a $9.5 billion, 25-year AI data center leasing agreement with Fluidstack, accelerating its transition from Bitcoin mining to AI infrastructure operation. As of the end of the quarter, the company's cash reserves were approximately $3.1 billion. Despite the expanded loss in the financial report, TeraWulf's stock price has still risen by over 105% year-to-date.

BlockBeats News, May 9th - During the Consensus 2026 conference, Trust Wallet CEO Felix Fan and Mesh CTO Arjun Mukherjee stated that the AI Agent is driving the restructuring of the crypto wallet architecture, enabling AI to hold assets, conduct on-chain transactions, and establish on-chain identity.Trust Wallet has launched the Agent Kit, allowing the AI Agent to autonomously execute transactions, transfers, and other on-chain operations. They are also advancing the Ethereum Improvement Proposal EIP-8004 to provide on-chain identity and a credit scoring system for AI Agents. Felix Fan mentioned that on the consumer side, the model still follows the "users hold the keys, incremental authorization" approach, with AI mainly serving as an on-chain operation assistant. On the developer side, Agents are allowed more autonomy to execute operations.Mesh has introduced Smart Funding technology, which can automatically route funds between different chains, accounts, and tokens to reduce the complexity of Web3 usage. The Mesh CTO stated that one of the core issues AI Agents face is the "cold start" problem — without a wallet and funds, the Agent cannot take real action, making the encrypted wallet the foundational financial layer for AI.Both executives believe that in the future, major AI platforms may introduce their own wallets. Felix Fan mentioned that X has publicly promoted X Money, and Grok is also likely to have a built-in wallet, with AI such as Claude potentially running directly on-chain in the future.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, the rebase protocol Kelp DAO released an update on the rsETH exploit, stating that within the next 24 hours, the Kelp team will be coordinating a series of contract operations with Aave as part of the next phase of the rsETH underlying asset support process.Kelp stated that during this period, users do not need to take any action, and the reopening time window and next steps will be announced through official channels.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, as the Iran conflict has disrupted oil shipping in the Persian Gulf, global oil inventories are being rapidly depleted at a record pace, eroding the buffer stockpile that was meant to cushion against supply shocks. The swift contraction of inventories means that the risk of more extreme price spikes and supply shortages is looming ever closer.With the Strait of Hormuz nearing closure for two months, governments and industries around the world are running out of options to handle the impact of a loss of over 1 billion barrels of supply. The rapid depletion of inventories also implies that even after the conflict is resolved, the market will remain vulnerable to future supply disruptions for a longer duration.Morgan Stanley estimates that between March 1st and April 25th, global oil inventories depleted by an average of around 4.8 million barrels per day, far surpassing previous peaks in quarterly inventory drawdowns compiled in the International Energy Agency's data. Nearly 60% of this drawdown was from crude oil, with the remainder being refined products. The key is that the oil system also requires setting a minimum inventory level.Natasha Kaneva, Head of Global Commodities Research at JPMorgan, noted that this means that the part of the strategic reserves that cannot be further tapped into has been reached before inventories truly bottom out.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, Trader Eugene Ng Ah Sio posted on his personal channel, stating, "Several charts appear to be approaching a bottom, while Bitcoin is still hovering around $80,000. I believe that in the next week or so, the market will truly start a major rally (hopefully to the upside), and many altcoins are also expected to break out of the current range."Looking at the overall trading volume and open interest (OI) levels, most currencies now only need relatively less marginal buying pressure to drive prices higher. Therefore, I believe overall market positioning for most assets is still relatively low.What the market needs now is for Bitcoin to cleanly break through the $80,000 level, followed by key altcoins (such as ETH, SOL, HYPE) taking the lead to start a new clear upward trend. Hopefully, we won't be pushed back here."

BlockBeats News, May 9th, The world's largest asset manager BlackRock is planning to launch two tokenized money market funds aimed at stablecoin holders, demonstrating its further bet on the long-term growth trend of the "digital dollar economy."According to the latest filing, BlackRock plans to introduce on-chain digital shares for its approximately $6.1 billion BlackRock Select Treasury Based Liquidity Fund (BSTBL). The fund mainly invests in cash, U.S. Treasury notes, and short-term securities with a remaining maturity of no more than 93 days.The newly issued tokenized fund shares will be deployed on the Ethereum blockchain and will operate in parallel with existing traditional fund shares. The market perceives this move as a sign that the traditional asset management giant is actively promoting the on-chainization of U.S. Treasuries, money market funds, and other traditional financial assets, further bridging stablecoins with real-world asset (RWA) ecosystems.

BlockBeats News, May 9th, According to reports, a liquefied natural gas carrier associated with Qatar loaded in Ras Laffan Port earlier this month, and on Saturday morning local time, the vessel began to attempt to exit the Persian Gulf.Vessel tracking data shows that the ship is currently sailing on a route north of Ghasham Island and Larak Island, both approved by Iran. If the ship successfully passes through, this will be Qatar's first known liquefied natural gas export through the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the war at the end of February. The vessel's indicated destination is Kasim Port in Pakistan, with an expected arrival date of May 1st. (Jinse)

BlockBeats News, May 9th, Powell will officially step down as Federal Reserve Chair on May 15th. This "atypical" central bank leader, who does not have an economics background, has experienced the impact of the pandemic, the most severe inflation in 40 years, an aggressive Fed rate hike cycle, and a political storm surrounding central bank independence over the past eight years.During the early part of his tenure, Powell continued the path of gradual rate hikes and balance sheet reduction. After the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, he led the implementation of a combination of "zero interest rates + unlimited QE + emergency lending facilities," swiftly stabilizing market liquidity, preventing a deep recession in the U.S. economy, and driving a subsequent V-shaped recovery.However, as the U.S. economy reopened and fiscal stimulus was unleashed, Powell and the Fed had previously viewed inflation as "transitory," which was seen as the biggest policy mistake during his tenure. In 2022, the U.S. CPI surged to 9.1%, reaching a 40-year high. Subsequently, the Fed initiated the most aggressive rate hike cycle since the 1980s, raising interest rates 11 times to 5.25%-5.5%.Although the tightening cycle briefly raised concerns in the market about a recession, the U.S. ultimately managed to control inflation without a severe economic downturn, seen by the outside world as a "soft landing." Data shows that the year-on-year increase in U.S. CPI has significantly retreated from the peak in 2022, while the job market has remained relatively resilient.In addition to monetary policy, another core issue during Powell's tenure was to uphold the Fed's independence. He has long faced public pressure and interest rate cut demands from the Trump administration, and even encountered a criminal investigation related to a Fed renovation project in 2026, prompting rare joint statements of support from central banks of multiple countries around the world.

BlockBeats News, May 9th. As the Suez Canal blockade enters its 71st day, market expectations for progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations have increased. This has driven the price of gold to quickly rebound after breaking below $4500 per ounce, with spot gold reaching a weekly high of $4764.73 per ounce, up approximately 2.15% for the week.Despite a marginal easing of geopolitical tensions, global funds continue to flow into gold assets. Data from the World Gold Council shows that global physical gold ETFs saw a net inflow of $6.6 billion in April, reversing the previous outflow trend. Asian market gold ETFs have seen net inflows for 8 consecutive months. Meanwhile, the People's Bank of China continued to increase its gold holdings by 260,000 ounces in April, marking the 18th consecutive month of net purchases.Several institutions believe that the long-term bullish case for gold remains intact. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, stated that in a global environment of sovereign debt expansion and currency depreciation, gold remains a crucial store of wealth. Goldman Sachs forecasts that by the end of 2026, the price of gold could rise to $5400 per ounce, while UBS expects it to approach $5900 per ounce. Bank of America maintains a target price of $6000 per ounce over the next 12 months.Analysts point out that if U.S.-Iran tensions further ease, short-term safe-haven demand may weaken. However, factors such as a retreat in oil prices, enhanced expectations of Fed dovishness, and ongoing central bank gold purchases could still provide medium to long-term support for gold.