Plus: New Hampshire claims the Bitcoin crown

GM. We took a bite out of the market, spat out the seeds, and baked it into this piping hot info pie.

New Hampshire wins the US state Bitcoin reserve race.

Ethereum Pectra upgrade.

News drops: Hawk Tuah girl breaks her silence, Coinbase CEO’s company against aging + more

Market flavor today

Happy FOMC Day to those who celebrate

And for everyone else: it’s basically when Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaks, markets listen, and sometimes… they don’t like what they hear. That’s why FOMC days often have investors playing it safe.

Everyone’s waiting to see what the Fed does with interest rates and what Powell’s broader outlook is. Will he sound dovish or hawkish? That’s the big question, especially after we got weeks of mixed signals.

Now, why should you, a crypto enthusiast , care?

• If the Fed cuts rates, borrowing gets cheaper, and saving becomes less rewarding. So, investors start chasing higher returns – and riskier assets like stocks and crypto suddenly look a lot more attractive;

• Plus, rate cuts usually mean the economy’s struggling. During rough times, some investors see Bitcoin as digital gold – something that might hold value even if other markets crash.

Basically, when the Fed lowers rates to boost the economy, it often boosts crypto excitement too.

Will they do it today, though? Most likely not – inflationary pressure from tariffs is still a problem. But we’ll find out at 2:30 PM ET (and we’ll break it all down in tomorrow’s Squeeze).

The good news: Bitcoin probably isn’t gonna tank either way.

BTC ETFs have attracted $5.13B in inflows since April 16, and that steady cash flow is acting like a safety net.

Actually, not only is Bitcoin unlikely to drop – according to Santiment, it might be heading up.

Wallets holding 10 to 10K BTC have added 81,338 BTC over the past six weeks (+0.61%);

Meanwhile, the little guys – wallets with less than 0.1 BTC – dumped 290 BTC (-0.60%) in the same period.

Translation: whales are buying while retail panics or gets bored and sells = typically a long-term bullish signal.

Bitfinex analysts say that if Bitcoin reclaims $95K – the bottom of its three-month range – it might start moving back toward all-time highs.

No pressure, BTC

Memecoin harvest

The memecoins are memecoining HARD today. Let’s peep the giga pumps

Data as of 04:55 AM EST.

Check out these memecoins and plenty more here.

For a while, US states have been competing to be the first to build a strategic Bitcoin reserve.

Just a couple of days ago, we told you Arizona almost took the crown – until the governor vetoed their SBR bill.

Then yesterday, Florida withdrew from the race.

But now… drumroll, please… we finally have a winner!

New Hampshire’s Governor Kelly Ayotte signed a bill letting the state treasurer invest up to 5% of public funds in digital assets and precious metals.

There’s one catch, tho’: the digital assets need a market cap over $500B.

This narrows it down to… Bitcoin. Just Bitcoin.

Still, congrats, New Hampshire – you just made crypto history

And now… let the FOMO games begin. Hopefully.

Pectra

Hey, Ethereum fans! Put your hands up in the air! Let’s celebrate – it’s a big day for y’all!!

I know… it’s been rough. Down 62.89% from the all-time high is… lemme just say, you’re strong.

But things might be looking up.

The Pectra upgrade went live – Ethereum’s biggest update since the 2022 Merge.

It brings three major changes (aka Ethereum improvement proposals aka EIPs). Let’s break ’em down, simple and easy:

1/ EIP-7702

Right now, most Ethereum wallets (like Coinbase Wallet) can only send/receive ETH or tokens.

If you wanna do more complex stuff, you need a smart contract wallet. But those are expensive and harder to use.

EIP-7702 changes that.

Your regular wallet can now “borrow” smart contract powers just for one transaction.

That means:

• You can approve a token, swap it, and send it – all in one step;

• A friend or a company can pay the gas fees for you;

• You can give a temporary permission to another app or wallet to do something for you.

After the transaction finishes, your wallet goes back to normal. No permanent changes. No extra costs.

2/ EIP-7691

When people send a transaction on Ethereum Layer-2 networks, those networks send data to Ethereum Mainnet and pay a fee.

But the current system is clunky. They sometimes overpay or wait too long to post data.

EIP-7691 changes that.

It introduces a better fee market just for Layer-2 data posts (aka blobs).

Results:

3/ EIP-7251

Validators (the computers running Ethereum) can currently only stake 32 ETH each.

If you wanna stake more, you have to run multiple validators, which makes things more complicated and uses more computer power and memory.

EIP-7251 changes that.

Now each validator can stake up to 2,048 ETH.

Benefits:

• Big stakers can run fewer validators;

• Saves resources;

• Helps make Ethereum staking simpler, cheaper, and more scalable.

TL;DR:

• EIP-7702 = smarter wallets = easier to use Ethereum = more users;

• EIP-7691 = cheaper, faster L2s = lower costs for everyone = higher demand;

• EIP-7251 = bigger stakes per validator = more efficient staking.

Basically, Pectra makes Ethereum stronger, more scalable, and more user-friendly.

Might even help the price long-term… but hey, let’s not jinx it.

News drops

The US Treasury sanctioned the Myanmar-based Karen National Army. Turns out, they’ve been running crypto scams.

Hailey Welch, aka the Hawk Tuah girl, finally spoke up about the whole HAWK memecoin drama. She said she’s sorry for getting involved and admitted she didn’t really get how crypto works before she agreed to promote the token.

ElizaOS, a framework for building AI agents that run on blockchains, has a major flaw. Researchers found that hackers can sneak fake memories into these AIs, basically brainwashing them into handing over crypto to scammers.

NewLimit, a biotech company co-founded by Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong, bagged $130M in funding. They’re cooking up therapies to help people stay healthy and live longer.

Not sure if the Trezor Safe 5 is the upgrade you need? We gave it a look – check out what we found so you don’t have to guess.

Juicy memes

If you’ve taken part in Web3 gaming before, you’ve probably caught glimpses of its vast potential: open economies, true digital ownership, and vibrant communities.

However, we often see flashy token launches followed by empty promises and abandoned projects. As they launch their ISLAND token, Nifty Island is building with patience and purpose to realize that potential. It uses its token as a starting point for a community-driven world where players and creators shape the future together.

What Nifty Island Is All About

So, what exactly is Nifty Island? Think of it as a digital playground filled with “islands” that you can customize from top to bottom. It has a bit of that Roblox feel but in a way that encourages players to bring in their favourite NFTs and build something they’re proud of.

It’s a world where you host friends, run events, and show off your creations. They’ve teamed up with various Web3 communities to keep things fresh so players can actually feel like part of something growing and evolving over time.

Source Nifty Island

Why the ISLAND Token Matters

In many crypto projects, tokens come first, and the fun comes later—if at all. Nifty Island flips that script. The ISLAND token is meant to give you a real stake in this evolving universe. Sure, it’s a currency for in-game items and upgrades, but it’s also a tool for shaping its world.

By staking ISLAND, you can get your hands on exclusive resources, speed up how fast you earn rewards, and even have a say in the platform’s direction. LayerZero’s omnichain tech ensures these tokens can work across multiple blockchains.

To break it down: the more ISLAND you hold and stake, the more influence you have. Maybe you want larger plots of land to build your dream island or access unique consumables.

On Nifty Island, rewards are built to keep players genuinely engaged. They’re putting aside 175 million ISLAND tokens in a rewards pool that you can tap into simply by playing, hosting events, and diving into daily challenges.

Furthermore, Market-Driven UGC Gaming (MUG) is expected to go live in 2025, changing how players and creators connect. Creators will be able to launch tokens tied to their in-game work, tradable with $ISLAND. Players can discover new tokens, follow their favourite creators, and trade based on what’s hot.

Token Allocation: A Long-Term Commitment

Before the token launch, Nifty Island ran a Play-to-Airdrop (P2A) campaign. Instead of handing out tokens randomly, they gave them to players who spent time on the platform.

Nifty Island’s token allocation looks like it is carefully planned to build trust and stability. About 10% of the total supply (100 million out of 1 billion) went to the P2A campaign, rewarding early players for their genuine engagement. The Rewards Pool holds 17.5% to keep players motivated over time.

There’s also a Community Pool (40%), Ecosystem Incentives (10%), and a small 1% set aside for exchange liquidity. Investors and advisors get 30%—but most of it is locked up for years, slowly released over time. The team’s 20% is also locked for multiple years, aligning everyone’s incentives around long-term growth. The Project Treasury (9%) stands ready to fund future projects and expansions.

Source Nifty Island

An Inclusive Ecosystem That Grows with You

One of the biggest complaints about online games is feeling like you’re stuck with whatever the developers churn out. Nifty Island sees it differently. They want players to guide the ecosystem. If you’re a creator who dreams of building massive virtual spaces for other people to explore, holding and staking ISLAND can open doors to more platform resources.

Furthermore, as the community grows, staking ISLAND tokens will add more ways for holders to influence what happens next through governance, receive rewards, earn consumable items, and access gated quests.

It’s worth noting that Nifty Island has strong backing. They’ve raised more than $20 million in pre-seed funding, and investors have signed up for long lock-up periods. Why does that matter? It shows that this isn’t a hype-driven cash-in. Everyone involved, from the team to the backers, is here for the long haul. That’s a rare signal in a space often marred by short attention spans.

A Vision That Lasts

As the ISLAND token launch approaches, Nifty Island stands apart by looking beyond “launch day” headlines. They’re focused on building a place where tokens have a purpose, where players get rewarded for creativity and effort, and where the community can shape the future.

This patient, people-first mindset is refreshing in a world that often prizes quick wins over genuine connection. Nifty Island is betting that by putting the power in the hands of its players and creators; it can craft a place that is meaningful and worth sticking around for.

Editor’s note: Written with the assistance of AI – Edited and fact-checked by Jason Newey.