GateBlog

Ethereum is on the eve of a new round of protocol upgrades. In the first half of 2026, a hard fork called "Glamsterdam" will be activated on the Ethereum mainnet, representing the most significant architectural adjustment to the execution and consensus layers since the Merge in 2022. Meanwhile, crypto ETPs have recorded net inflows for five consecutive weeks, surpassing $4 billion in total, and Ethereum spot ETFs have also hit inflow records since 2026 in recent weeks. As technological iteration and capital flows intersect on the timeline, a core question arises: How will the Glamsterdam upgrade affect the staking annual percentage yield (APY) of stETH? And how will it transmit to the broader DeFi ecosystem?
Glamsterdam Upgrade: Underlying Reengineering of the Execution Layer
Glamsterdam is a coordinated hard fork that simultaneously updates the Ethereum execution layer and consensus layer, aiming

The stablecoin market underwent a quiet yet profound transformation in 2026. The total global stablecoin market capitalization rapidly rose from approximately $250 billion in 2025 to about $321.759 billion as of May 3, 2026. USDT maintained the top position with a 58.90% market share, with a market value of roughly $189.525 billion, while Circle’s USDC followed closely at 24.33% of the market. As the market continued to focus on USDT’s scale advantage and USDC’s compliance-driven expansion, a more fundamental change began to emerge from deep within the balance sheets of traditional financial giants—multinational remittance leaders began issuing their own stablecoins, upgrading blockchain from an “experimental tool” to a core track of their payment infrastructure.
On May 4, 2026, Western Union officially announced the launch of the U.S. dollar.

On May 5, 2026, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy, NASDAQ: MSTR) released its first-quarter financial report for 2026, disclosing a net loss of $12.54 billion, equivalent to a loss of $38.25 per share, with operating losses reaching $14.46 billion. The core source of the loss is not business contraction, but an unrealized loss of $14.46 billion caused by a decline in Bitcoin’s fair value.
On the same day, Executive Chairman Michael Saylor made a statement during the earnings call that sent shockwaves through the market: the company may sell some Bitcoin to fund preferred-share dividend payments. His statement was: “We will very likely sell some Bitcoin to pay dividends, simply to send a message to the market that we have taken action.”
After the announcement, Strateg

On May 4, 2026, the U.S. Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) announced the formation of an industry working group to advance the tokenization of the U.S. capital markets. Among the selected list of entities, Ondo Finance was listed alongside more than 50 institutions, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), making it one of the few crypto-native protocols in the working group. The news was released during DTCC’s key timeline window: a limited pilot for tokenized securities would begin in July and a full rollout would take place in October, immediately prompting the market to reassess the landscape of the RWA track.
But the significance of this event goes far beyond triggering price fluctuations at the level of a single protocol. A deeper signal is that the core infrastructure of the U.S. capital markets is choosing partners to participate in standard-setting—and this choice itself is a collective vote on the “institutional credentials” of RWA protocols. Against this backdrop, Ondo Finance, Centrif…

May 5, 2026, the world's largest enterprise Bitcoin holder, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), announced its Q1 2026 financial report. The net loss of $12.54 billion quickly triggered a chain reaction in the crypto market and traditional finance circles. $12.54B—this figure, marking the company's worst quarterly performance in history, is enough to make any investor gasp in shock at first glance.
But the core question is: what kind of loss is this exactly? Does it represent a real cash outflow for the company, or is it an "on-paper revaluation" under accounting standards? Furthermore—given the fact that the company holds 818,334 Bitcoins—what kind of tension exists between the reported loss and the true value of the company's assets?
Key figures from the financial report
Strategy is based in the Eastern United States

BitMine has continued to increase its holdings over the past three weeks by hundreds of thousands of ETH, reaching a total position of 5,180,131 ETH, approximately 4.29% of the total supply, approaching its "alchemy" target of 5%. 84% of ETH has been staked through MAVAN, with a 7-day annualized yield of about 2.91%, corresponding to an annualized return of approximately $297 million. The foundation reduced its holdings during the same period, and the market will focus on its governance impact and the uncertainties brought by future staking and network upgrades.

As AI storytelling and meme coin culture converge in the cryptocurrency market of 2026, a new speculative track is experiencing a dramatic revaluation of value.
On May 5, 2026, the AI meme coin track saw a collective surge.
Tokens that combine artificial intelligence and meme themes recorded double-digit gains within 24 hours, with ELIZAOS soaring 49.5% to $0.0010977, leading the entire sector.
Meanwhile, LOBSTAR increased 32.3%, ACT rose 12.5%, TURBO advanced 5.1%, and GOAT gained 4.6%.
As of May 6, 2026, Gate Market data shows ELIZAOS at $0.0009747, with a 24-hour trading volume of $4.22 million and a market capitalization of $7.33 million.
Although the price experienced a correction within a single day (down approximately 6.17% in 24 hours), its 7-day increase still reached 54.05%.

Bitcoin’s quantum threat is no longer a distant technical parable, but an industry-level event drawing near. The core of this debate has shifted from theoretical projection to a decision at the operational level. If discussions in the past few years lingered on “whether quantum computing can break Bitcoin,” then the focus in 2026 has evolved into “what exactly kind of measures we should choose to stop it.”
As the debate framework keeps narrowing step by step, three positions stand in sharp opposition: the BIP-361 forced migration route, which argues for a network-wide address replacement driven by hard protocol constraints; the PACTs timestamp proof route, which provides a soft, non-migratory self-rescue channel that does not require migration; and the community-veto route, which insists on the fundamental principle of network non-interference, choosing to passively endure the quantum onslaught rather than actively undermine the neutrality principle of “code is law.”
## Why the quantum shadow is accelerating its approach
At the end of March 2026, Google’s Quantum AI team and the Ethereum Foundation

The recent developments in the Middle East have brought new uncertainties to the global markets, especially in terms of disruptions to energy supply expectations. Escalating military conflicts, rising risks in shipping routes, and political instability factors have all heightened market concerns over the continuity of oil and natural gas flows. Governments around the world are taking measures such as strengthening security, utilizing strategic reserves, and actively engaging in diplomatic negotiations to prevent larger-scale supply disruptions. These public actions indicate that energy supply risks are being actively managed, but have not been fully resolved.
The significance of these series of developments lies in their direct transmission to financial markets. In energy-sensitive regions like Europe, which heavily depend on imported energy, perceptions of supply risks are quickly reflected in market prices. Therefore, even just expectations of disruptions are enough to trigger adjustments in oil and gas market prices. These changes further influence broader economic expectations, particularly regarding inflation and economic growth.
XAUE

The fluctuations of XAUEUR are driven by divergence in monetary policy, inflation expectations, and capital flows. The European Central Bank shifting to a neutral stance and adjusting communication, along with fiscal and energy policies boosting liquidity, have changed the relative attractiveness of the euro and gold. Gold, as a store of value to hedge against inflation, makes XAUEUR an intuitive indicator for observing changes in market confidence and sentiment, reflecting the evolution of confidence in the monetary system.

As of May 6, 2026, according to Gate market data, the price of Bitcoin is $81,153.1, the 24-hour trading volume is $484.78 million, the market capitalization is $1.49 trillion, and the market share reaches 56.37%. On May 5, during intraday trading, BTC briefly touched $81,795.2, reaching the highest level since January. The price fluctuation within 24 hours was approximately $1,346, and it ultimately closed above $81,000.
Over the past seven days, Bitcoin has risen cumulatively by 4.68%; over the past 30 days, the cumulative increase is 5.76%. However, if we extend the timeframe to one year, the price is still down 12.43% compared with the same period in 2025. This series of data highlights a core issue: whether the current breakout is, in fact, just the start of a trend driven by institutional funds,

On May 5, 2026, the Gate Contract Stock Zone officially launched perpetual trading for QCOM (Qualcomm) and USAR (U.S. Rare Earths), bringing users two high-quality trading assets with growth potential and scarcity attributes. Both contracts are settled in USDT, supporting 1x to 20x leverage for long and short positions, allowing investors to choose leverage multiples based on their strategies.
The two assets launched belong to two major strategic sectors: QCOM, as a global leader in wireless communication and semiconductor design, is in a critical transition period from smartphone chips to AI data centers; USAR is the only listed company in the U.S. that has established a complete rare earth industry chain, deeply linked to national strategic fields such as U.S. defense, new energy, and AI computing power.
QCOM: Smartphone cycle hits bottom, AI data centers open new growth opportunities
Qualcomm in 2026

In 2026, Gate will focus on deep integration of TradFi and tokenized assets to create an all-in-one multi-asset account, covering full-chain services such as stock tokenization, precious metals, Pre-IPOs/IPOs, derivatives, and foreign exchange. As the scale of RWA skyrockets and global regulations become clearer, Gate leverages its first-mover advantage to promote seamless integration of crypto and traditional assets, becoming a new hub of the financial system.

This article reviews the evolution of Bitcoin and leveraged tokens such as BTC3L/3S on the Gate platform from mid-March to early May 2026. It began with shorts dominating after a sharp rally and drop, then shifted to gradual wear during wide-range consolidation, followed by a bullish pushback in April and a short squeeze in May. During this cycle, BTC3S led in single-day gains, while in the choppy, range-bound period it saw notable erosion, suggesting that the repositioning mechanism has a double-edged sword effect in trend trading. Currently, BTC is around 81k, and the short-position funding rate has not yet returned to zero. Short-term bulls still have momentum, but investors should stay alert to a pullback. Leveraged tokens are suitable for short-term trend trading; long-term holding will be eroded by management fees and wear, so strategies should be adjusted flexibly according to market phases.

Gold fluctuates sharply between geopolitical risk-driven safe-haven demand and high interest rate suppression, with XAUT around $4,630. Gate TradFi offers 24/7 trading, low-threshold entry with USDT, and integrates multiple categories such as XAUT/PAXG spot, XAU/USDT perpetual, and XAU/USD contracts, making long positions easier. Three practical steps: fund your account, choose your entry point, and set up buy orders along with stop-loss and take-profit, prioritizing isolated margin. This provides investors with a low-threshold, efficient digital gold entry channel.

This article outlines the profit logic from private placements to going public: using discounts below the listing price for valuation anchoring, realizing gains through price differences after listing, and then exiting through vesting/lock-up periods and unlocking windows. It illustrates risks and opportunities with cases such as Zerostack, MegaETH, IPO Genie, KAIO, Pi Network, and others, and introduces how Gate's Pre-IPOs allow ordinary investors to participate; but caution is needed regarding unlocking selling pressure and market volatility risks, and a rational assessment of unlocking terms and token economics.

2026 US stock IPOs experience a "super year," with valuations of SpaceX and others continuing to expand. Traditional pre-IPO thresholds are high, and liquidity is poor, making it difficult for retail investors to participate. The crypto market opens a gateway through tokenized pre-IPs, with Gate launching SpaceX tokens SPCX starting at a minimum of 100 USDT, supporting 24/7 trading. As regulations gradually become clearer and windows open, retail investors have the opportunity to get ahead of global private companies, but risks of failed listings, insufficient liquidity, regulatory boundaries, and overvaluation coexist. Overall, tokenized pre-IPs bring new access points for ordinary investors, but caution is needed—diversify carefully and base investments on fundamentals.

Gold prices surged over 58% in 2025, and the trend for 2026 has become a focal point for global investors. As expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts fluctuate repeatedly and Middle Eastern geopolitical conflicts continue to intensify, traditional technical analysis and fundamental forecasts seem increasingly unable to capture short-term gold pulses. So a question arises: can market prediction be used to forecast gold price movements?
What is a prediction market? How do Polymarket and Kalshi operate?
Prediction markets allow participants to bet on the outcomes of real-world events, with price ranges typically between $0 and $1, determined by supply and demand. When a "bullish" contract reaches a price of $0.67, it indicates that the market estimates about a 67% probability of the event occurring—that these probabilities reflect the collective judgment of thousands of participants.
Today, Polymarket,

This article outlines the funding trajectory for early 2026: Polymarket's upcoming launch of the POLY token may drive application adoption, with prediction market open interest reaching new highs, and institutional funds beginning to flow in. a16z, Haun Ventures, and others have announced massive funds focused on stablecoins, DeFi, prediction markets, and AI agent economies. AI combined with encryption has become the main theme, with secondary market capital flowing back. Overall, three main themes: the recognition of prediction market value, AI/stablecoin infrastructure and RWA tokenization as definitive funding directions, and AI/blockchain projects with tangible products being more impactful.

According to the latest market data from Gate, as of May 6th, BTC is currently priced at $81,195, with a daily increase of 1.02%. Since the April lows, the cumulative increase has exceeded 16%. The perpetual contract funding rate has been negative for 66 consecutive days, and the risk of a short squeeze continues to accumulate. Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency fear and greed index has recorded its first "neutral" reading (45) since January. The spot Bitcoin ETF saw nearly $630 million in net inflows on the previous trading day, indicating the market is transitioning from "fear" to "cautious optimism."
But a larger variable is quietly rewriting the entire game: U.S. Treasury yields have broken through 5%, and global capital is shifting massively toward high-certainty fixed-income assets, directly squeezing speculative capital inflows into the crypto market. Should investors stick to the old strategy of dollar-cost averaging and HODLing, or take advantage of Gate's staking mining with BTC staking yields?