Bitcoin Nears $77K on US‑Iran Peace Hopes; Cardano Vote at Risk

Bitcoin climbed back toward $77,000 after President Donald Trump posted on social media that a US‑Iran peace memorandum had been largely negotiated, easing some investor concern about a wider regional conflict. The comment came after several days of selling that pushed Bitcoin to a one‑month low earlier in the week.

Traders returned to risk assets and selective altcoins gained. AI‑related tokens, privacy coins and projects aimed at institutional blockchain use recorded the strongest moves, with notable performance from NEAR, Worldcoin, Zcash, ONDO, Morpho and Hyperliquid.

Earlier in the week, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller warned that future rate increases could not be ruled out if inflation remains elevated. Markets reacted by pricing in a possible 25 basis point hike by October 2026, and Bitcoin fell below $77,000 amid higher real yields and a firmer dollar.

Regulatory outlooks also shaped flows. Asset manager Grayscale identified Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain and Canton Network as potential beneficiaries if the CLARITY Act becomes law, arguing institutional capital may move first to chains with active tokenization, stablecoin and regulated finance activity. Canton Network is designed for regulated financial firms and has existing ties with organizations including DTCC, J.P. Morgan, HSBC and Visa.

Outside crypto, SanDisk led investable assets for 2026 through May 20, rising about 509% on demand for memory chips used in AI data centers. Bitcoin remained down roughly 23% year‑to‑date.

On Cardano, founder Charles Hoskinson warned the network could lose scientists and research capacity if a 32.9 million ADA treasury proposal is not approved. The proposal would fund work on post‑quantum cryptography, zero‑knowledge proofs, scalability and university research partnerships. At the time of reporting, roughly 81% of active decentralized representative stake opposed the plan, leaving it well short of the 67% approval threshold required for passage.

Market participants noted any final US‑Iran agreement would still require clearer terms on sanctions, security in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear activities; those factors could influence energy prices and risk sentiment.