“U.S. launches airstrikes on Iranian military facilities”
Bitcoin (BTC) fell toward the $74,000 level following reports that the United States had carried out airstrikes on Iran.
As of 9:10 a.m. Korea time on May 28, Bitcoin was trading at 109.87 million won on Bithumb, down 0.69% from 24 hours earlier.
At the same time, Bitcoin traded at $74,309 on CoinMarketCap, down 1.84% from a day earlier.
After trading in the mid-$75,000 range the previous day, Bitcoin slipped back into the $74,000 range on May 28.
The decline appeared to reflect weakening investor appetite for risk assets following reports of U.S. airstrikes on Iran.
According to Reuters on May 27 local time, the U.S. military carried out airstrikes targeting an Iranian military facility.
A U.S. government official said the Iranian facility was believed to pose a potential threat to U.S. forces operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian drones deemed threatening to U.S. forces were also reportedly intercepted and shot down.
Reuters reported that explosions were heard east of the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas earlier that day.
Donald Trump also said during a White House Cabinet meeting the same day, “If we don’t reach an agreement with Iran, we may have to go back and finish the job.”
He added, “We could end a war with Iran quickly,” while saying he did not believe such action would be necessary.
According to Alternative.me, the cryptocurrency market’s Fear & Greed Index fell three points from the previous day to 22, indicating “extreme fear.”
The index ranges from 0 to 100, with values closer to zero signaling extreme fear and values closer to 100 indicating extreme optimism.
U.S. clearinghouse to tokenize custody assets
Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) plans to tokenize custody assets using the Stellar blockchain.
According to CoinDesk on May 27 local time, DTCC said it is partnering with the Stellar Development Foundation on the project.
The service is scheduled to launch in the first half of next year.
Assets to be tokenized are expected to include components of the Russell 1000, major exchange-traded funds, and U.S. Treasury securities.
Tokenized assets will carry the same investor protections and rights as conventional securities.
DTCC received regulatory relief from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last December to operate the tokenized custody asset service.
Mastercard secures New York virtual asset license
Global payments company Mastercard has obtained a license to operate virtual asset-related businesses in New York state.
According to CoinDesk on May 27 local time, Mastercard subsidiary Mastercard Transaction Services received a BitLicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services.
The approval allows the company to legally operate digital asset services in the United States.
Mastercard said it plans to accelerate development of blockchain-based payment and settlement infrastructure through the license acquisition.
Jorn Lambert, Mastercard’s chief product officer, said, “Digital assets are moving beyond the experimental stage into real-world use,” adding that “a clear regulatory framework is essential for building trust.”
Trump: “We will not let the crypto industry fail”
President Donald Trump reiterated his pro-cryptocurrency stance, saying the United States “will not allow the digital asset industry to fail.”
In a May 27 post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler and “anti-crypto forces” had driven Bitcoin and crypto innovation companies overseas.
He adHe added that the United States has “once again become the world’s crypto capital” and that developers and companies that had moved abroad are returning to the country.
ded, “The US has once again become the world’s cryptocurrency capital,” noting that “developers and companies that left for overseas are now returning to the US.”
Trump also pledged to codify the structure of the digital asset market so that “opponents of crypto regulation reform cannot reverse it.”