Kraken's parent company completes acquisition of Bitnomial, officially entering the US crypto derivatives market
On May 4, Payward — Kraken’s parent company — announced it has completed its acquisition of Bitnomial, marking official approval to offer cryptocurrency derivatives services in the U.S.
Post-transaction, Payward now holds a full suite of licenses from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) — including Futures Commission Merchant (FCM), Designated Contract Market (DCM), and Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) statuses — enabling it to offer spot margin, perpetual futures, and options trading to eligible U.S. customers.
Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi said the firm will first launch spot margin products on Kraken, then roll out perpetual futures and options gradually.
Headquartered in Chicago, Bitnomial is among the few U.S. platforms with a full set of crypto derivatives licenses. Post-acquisition, it will retain its original licenses and business structure, acting as the core of Payward’s U.S. derivatives strategy.
Additionally, Payward noted the deal will also
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Viewpoint: The Bitcoin community is beginning to reach a preliminary consensus on the quantum threat and is pushing forward a post-quantum upgrade roadmap
On May 4, Galaxy Digital Research Director Alex Thorn noted that as quantum computing hardware advances, the Bitcoin community is shifting from decentralized debate to preliminary consensus on the quantum threat. The core approach is to phase in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) via a soft fork, upgrading the address system and enhancing long-term security.
The report notes Bitcoin’s signature mechanism—based on the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA)—is theoretically vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm. Roughly 2 million BTC tied to early p2pkh addresses face a potential “collect now, decrypt later” risk due to exposed public keys. The community is leaning toward a “migration window” mechanism: guiding users to move funds to new quantum-resistant addresses, with unmigrated funds to be frozen or destroyed after a multi-year grace period to avoid market disruptions from extreme scenarios.
Additionally, the consensus calls for boosting “cryptographic agility,” letting the p
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SK Hynix Stock Price Closes Up 12.5%, South Korea's KOSPI Index Closes Up 5.12%, Reaching a New All-Time High
May 4 (Monday) – Per Bitget market data, South Korea’s KOSPI index closed up 338.12 points (a 5.12% gain) at 6936.99 on Monday, May 4, notching a new all-time high. SK Hynix’s share price finished up 12.5%, hitting a record closing high.
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The UAE Withdrawal from OPEC Shakes Power Dynamics, Putting Saudi Dominance to the Test
**May 4th Update**
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced its withdrawal from OPEC on May 4, removing roughly 12% of the bloc’s output and eliminating the group’s second-largest idle capacity (after Saudi Arabia). The move has sparked two key market concerns: supply stability and OPEC’s organizational cohesion.
Global oil supplies were already strained by disruptions in the Hormuz Strait and the Iran conflict. The UAE’s exit further erodes OPEC+’s ability to regulate global oil markets.
Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman has long led OPEC+ decision-making by leveraging Saudi production capacity and royal backing from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In recent years, however, his more centralized approach has narrowed negotiating room for member nations—fueling dissatisfaction, including from the UAE.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have a long-running quota dispute. While Abu Dhabi secured a quota increase in the past, tensions have not eased fundamentally. UAE Energy Mi
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Binance Futures to Launch AMDUSDT, QCOMUSDT, and USARUSDT Perpetual Contracts
On May 4, Binance Futures will launch AMDUSDT, QCOMUSDT, and USARUSDT perpetual USD-margined contracts, per an official announcement.
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