TechubNews

The 2026 Conflux Tree Map Digital Finance and Ecosystem Development Conference will officially open on May 13 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and the University of Hong Kong, and will run through May 15. This conference is co-hosted by Conflux Hong Kong and the Shanghai Tree Map Blockchain Research Institute, with the series theme “The Present is the Future,” bringing together the world’s top scholars, financial experts, and industry leaders to jointly explore paths for compliant implementation of Web3 global expansion breakthroughs, new paradigms in AI finance, and real-world assets (RWA).

As a supporting partner for this conference, the RWA Research Institute will take an in-depth part in this event that combines technical depth and industry breadth, and will deliver forward-looking interpretations from an exclusive perspective.

The conference agenda is designed to be tight and layered. On the afternoon of May 13, the conference will officially open at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with the “The Present is the Future” main forum taking the lead; on May 14

New Era Market The New Era Protocol is a flagship product of GoldBit (Gold Bit) Exchange, and is the world's first AI intelligent prediction protocol. It will redefine the growth model of decentralized finance by combining five levels of token burning at the protocol layer with multiple AI intelligent systems, shifting from price-driven to rhythm governance, and building an innovative model capable of traversing bull and bear cycles. It provides perfect support for enterprises from digitalization to assetization.
NEM New Era Protocol The initiator, Tianmai Group, is a company soon to be listed on Nasdaq, with business covering traditional Chinese studies / I Ching training, digital health, Web3 ecology, IPO incubation, financial technology, and other real industry scenarios. Its students are spread across dozens of countries worldwide. Currently, it is globally deploying RWA transformation and upgrading to achieve equal rights for equity tokens. Its core value is not just a single technology or financial tool, but empowerment, growth, digital upgrade, enterprise trust, and a sense of order for enterprise development in the digital age.

OFAC sanctions 10 individuals and entities, accusing them of assisting Iran's weapons parts and drone procurement networks. This move is part of the "Economic Fury" campaign, which has imposed over 1,000 sanctions since February 2025, targeting Middle Eastern, Asian, and Eastern European entities providing procurement networks for Iran's Ministry of Defense, Aerospace Industries Organization, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Treasury Department will continue to combat weapons proliferation networks, requiring compliant crypto platforms to block related wallet addresses and report transactions, or face enforcement actions and fines.

The overall cryptocurrency market is showing an upward trend. According to TokenPost Market data, Bitcoin has increased by 0.96% compared to the previous day, trading at $80,244.75 (approximately 117.69M KRW). Ethereum has risen by 1.75% compared to the previous day, trading at $2,313.99 (approximately 3.39M KRW).
Cryptocurrency Market Data / TokenPost Market
Mainstream Altcoin Price Movements
Mainstream altcoins generally perform strongly.
XRP 3.19%▲
BNB 2.30%▲
Solana 6.27%▲
Dogecoin 4.26%▲
Tron 0.99%▲
Hyperliquid 3.95%▲
The market capitalization of altcoins is 1.0742 trillion, $13,807,143.52 (approximately 157.55458 million).

Nom proposed the idea of "products like Crypto": making blockchain the underlying layer, allowing users to use BONK without needing to learn. Through fair airdrops, low-threshold token issuance, and products like BONKfun/JUNK.fun/Moonwalk Fitness, it aims to lower the cognitive barrier, promote multi-chain and institutional ecosystem expansion, with the goal of enabling ordinary users to naturally use BONK.

Several crypto companies, after experiencing hacker attacks, quickly migrated their oracle providers to Chainlink to enhance credibility. Although Chaos Labs did not directly breach core systems, the incident exposed security vulnerabilities, prompting Tydro, Solv Protocol, Kelp DAO, and others to switch to verified infrastructure, reflecting the market's trust premium in decentralized oracles and a trend toward centralization.

AlphaAI announces that its Asia-Pacific operations center will be unveiled in Hong Kong on May 20th, building a global layout centered on AI-native quantitative infrastructure. Through multimodal large language models, deep reinforcement learning, and institutional-level risk control, it breaks the limitations of traditional quantitative methods. Hong Kong, as a financial and regulatory hub connecting the East and West, helps bridge Silicon Valley technology with Asian markets. On the ecological level, ASDT stablecoin and Alpha Chain public chain together form a dual-driven foundation of public chain + stability mechanism, promoting efficient, transparent, and inclusive AI + digital finance.

Cardano ADA ETF once again becomes a market focus. If the SEC makes a ruling on GADA and activates the relevant documents before October 23, the ETF is expected to be launched within the year or around October. The new regulations simplify the spot ETF process, and ADA has had CME futures since February, meeting the requirements. Grayscale has increased its ADA holdings to 18.33%, which is interpreted as increased institutional confidence. Industry insiders are also preparing other ADA ETF candidates, and ADA's price has rebounded from lows, with volatility possibly increasing.

Fund holdings show institutional funds are flowing back into Bitcoin, with BTC increasing to about 1.37 million BTC, while ETH has decreased from 5.93 million ETH to 5.80 million ETH, showing opposite trends. BTC has become a reserve asset due to liquidity and mature ETF infrastructure, while ETH is dragged down by regulatory uncertainty and valuation pressure, with ETH/BTC continuing to decline. The short-term key level is between 0.027–0.028; a break below will test 0.020; to reverse, ETH needs to return to 0.035, but the signal is still unclear.

On-chain data shows that BTC wallet inactivity has surged in the past five days, with the number of holders dropping at the fastest rate in two years, indicating that retail investors are taking profits after the price rebound. Santiment states that this wave of selling is mainly driven by retail investors, with limited influence from whales. If it continues, it may suggest market weakening; if it rebounds quickly, it could indicate a shakeout followed by a new rally. The current price is around $81k, but the trend requires further on-chain data confirmation.

As of May 9, 2026, BTC and ETH increased by 1.24% and 1.75% respectively, with mainstream altcoins generally strengthening, and notable gains in Solana, XRP, Dogecoin, and others. Bitcoin dominance is approximately 59.97%, and Ethereum around 10.41%. DeFi and stablecoin trading volumes are relatively weak, and 24-hour derivatives trading volume has also declined, indicating market capital rotation towards large-cap coins and altcoins. In the short term, focus on the sustainability and trading volume recovery of assets like Solana, XRP, and others.

Meritage Hospitality Group Q1 2026 revenue was $132.6 million, down year-over-year, with a net loss of $9.6 million, and consolidated EBITDA of negative $4.5 million. The one-time expense of $4.5 million comes from store closures and restructuring. The company has closed approximately 60 stores, with some stores shortening morning hours, and expects annual EBITDA to increase by about $10 million. The full-year guidance remains: revenue of $520-530 million, restaurant profit of $35-40 million, and adjusted EBITDA growth of 45-55%. The focus is on cost reduction and profit normalization, as well as advancing refinancing and capital cooperation to improve liquidity.