XRP is back at the top of South Korean trading screens.

The token’s won pair was the most traded market on Upbit over the past 24 hours, with about $110.9 million in volume, ahead of bitcoin’s $88.6 million and ether’s $67 million, CoinGecko data shows. On Bithumb, XRP/KRW recorded about $41 million in volume, ranking second behind USDT/KRW and above both BTC/KRW and ETH/KRW.

That matters because Korea has long been one of XRP’s most active speculative markets. Bitcoin and ether usually dominate global exchange activity, but Korean traders have repeatedly pushed XRP into the top volume slot during periods of heightened interest, often before volatility expands.

Price-action has been muted, however. XRP traded near $1.44 to $1.45 across the two exchanges, up roughly 3% on the week. That beats bitcoin over the same period, but trails stronger gains in BNB and Solana’s SOL, both of which have risen around 8%.

The setup is less about a finished breakout and more about pressure building under a level the market has not been able to clear.

Data from CoinDesk analytics shows XRP is still battling the $1.49 to $1.50 zone, an area that has repeatedly rejected upside attempts since February. The token has continued to compress below that resistance while holding higher lows above the broader $1.40 support floor.

That kind of structure tends to matter when volume starts rotating in. Repeated tests can weaken resistance, and liquidity above current levels appears relatively thin. If sellers are absorbed near $1.50, a sustained move through that level could accelerate faster than the recent price action suggests.

Korean activity also stands out against a choppier local macro backdrop.

South Korea’s Kospi fell sharply Tuesday after comments from a presidential policy aide raised questions over how the government could return part of the country’s AI-driven corporate gains to citizens through tax revenue.

The index remains one of the world’s strongest markets this year, powered by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, but the pullback showed how sensitive local risk appetite has become after a steep rally.

That makes the XRP flow more notable. Traders are not simply buying everything tied to Korean risk appetite. They are concentrating activity in one of the market’s most familiar high-beta crypto names.

High volume does not guarantee upside, however. It can also mark aggressive selling or late positioning near resistance. But when XRP starts leading Korean exchange volumes while price compresses below a long-tested ceiling, the market usually pays attention.

Referees’ chief Howard Webb has insisted the VAR was right to rule out West Ham United’s late equalizer against Arsenal after a lengthy review which also featured checks on a number of other incidents.

Callum Wilson fired home in the fifth minute of stoppage time and looked to have sealed a 1–1 draw for the Hammers—a result that would have given Manchester City a route back into the title race—only for a foul on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya by West Ham’s Pablo to be detected after a five-minute review.

“Is it a foul on the goalkeeper? Categorically yes,” Webb told Match Officials Mic’d Up.

“We’ve said all season that if a goalkeeper is impeded by an opponent grabbing or holding their arms and therefore they can’t do their job, they’ll be penalized. We’re not just talking about contact with goalkeepers, we’re talking about a specific type of contact when the goalkeeper’s arms or hands are being interfered with, stopping them doing their job.

“So when you see the best angle on this, you’ll see that that’s what happens from Pablo. And on the video, it’s clear and it’s obvious, and it happens early. And even though it’s not clear and obvious to the referee, because he’s got a huge group of players in a penalty area, and it’s difficult to see, when the VAR sees this, of course, they have to get involved.”

---

VAR Audio Highlights Regular Issue for Arsenal

For rival fans, the sight of Arsenal benefiting from such a decision was a real source of frustration, with the Gunners well-known to be willing to push the boundaries of physical contact when it comes to their own set-pieces.

That was evident even in the incident involving Raya. Pablo, guilty of fouling the Arsenal goalkeeper, is simultaneously being held by Leandro Trossard, while Declan Rice’s decision to grab Hammers defender Konstantinos Mavropanos also needed reviewing by VAR.

---

VAR Transcript From Crucial Incident

VAR: It’s literally just a possible foul on Raya, what I’m seeing in terms of that.

AVAR: And to make sure he doesn’t have it in his hand.

VAR: For me, there is a foul, potential foul, with the arm. His hand is holding his arm down. That’s impactful, for me. The left arm is holding, is across the body. He’s across the head and he’s holding the left arm of Raya, which impedes his ability to get to the ball properly.

VAR: It doesn’t look that impactful from [an alternative] angle.

AVAR: You’ve got that [Rice on Mavropanos] straight behind him as well, look.

VAR: Yeah. But this happens before. Is it impactful on the goalkeeper that? Go back to the second angle you showed me. Give us a split screen.

AVAR: I don’t like Trossard not facing the ball. I agree, it’s impactful. It’s just everything else that’s going on as well. Let’s say we’re saying that’s a foul, then what are we saying about Trossard’s actions on the same player? What are we saying about Declan Rice behind?

VAR: He still gets a hand to the ball, doesn’t he? When he’s getting to the ball. I think, for me, we send [the referee] for an on-field review to look at the possible foul on the goalkeeper, and then we get him to look at the other incidents as well. I think that’s the best decision in terms of this.

VAR: Chris [Kavanagh, referee], I’m going to recommend an on-field review for a possible foul on the goalkeeper, but there are some other incidents to look at while you’re at the monitor as well.

VAR: The left arm of Pablo comes across Raya and holds on to the left arm of Raya as he goes to win the ball.

REF: I can see the clear holding on him across.

VAR: But then I’m just going to show you some other angles on that incident, of players.

AVAR: You’ve got Declan Rice and you’ve got Trossard.

REF: I don’t know what you’re trying to show me mate, give me a clue.

VAR: Trossard on Pablo. Just if you look at Trossard on Pablo … give me a better angle on that.

REF: I don’t think there’s much in that at all, I’m happy with that. That’s nothing.

VAR: O.K., and then if you just want to consider the actions of Declan Rice on Mavropanos at the back. But the foul happens on the goalkeeper before.

REF: Before it, so … after review, West Ham number?

VAR: 19.

REF: 19. Foul. Just confirm his number again for me?

VAR: 19. Confirmed.

---

“When they’re trying to identify what should be penalized, they’re looking for situations that are impactful,” Webb continued. “They’re looking for mainly those situations which prevent the player from doing their job, moving, and particularly when that impacts their ability to play the ball.

“A key player in this moment, of course, is the goalkeeper, who has got a unique ability to use his hands. And in what we see in this situation, different to the other situations around the penalty area, is that the goalkeeper can’t do that job because of that very clear action by the attacker, preventing him from putting his arm up.

“There are other pieces of contact from other players, from Arsenal players too, but the most significant contact undoubtedly is that on the goalkeeper. [It] stops him from doing something pretty routine, catching the ball. The arm is across the neck, it’s on his arm. He can’t put his arms up, and we’ve said that we’ll penalize that. And we’ve been consistent in that particular aspect.”

---

Physicality to Be Reviewed After Season

Arsenal are by no means the only culprits of excessive physicality. The issue is accepted to spread wide across the Premier League, with Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hürzeler recently enlisting the help of a Mixed Martial Arts fighter to help navigate the penalty-box duels.

Webb confirmed further conversations would be had at the end of the season to address policing of these issues in the future.

“We consult all the time with the clubs, with the fan groups, with a range of other stakeholders about the type of game that they want to see and how they want us to officiate it,” Webb concluded.

“This season’s been a little bit more unique than previous ones about the number of contacts in the penalty area, and it does create a challenge for the officials.

“We’ll certainly continue consulting with all of the people I mentioned earlier about the type of game they want to see, because we have seen more involvement from set-piece coaches bringing players together in these areas, looking for those marginal gains. But we need to be vigilant. We need to identify those clear actions that are impactful.

“We’ve penalized more holding penalties than we did last year, but we’ve missed some as well.”

---

READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow

View gallery

Unlike her movie star boyfriend, Jamie Foxx, Alyce Huckstepp has remained as far away from the public eye as possible, especially amid the reports of her pregnancy. In May 2026, multiple outlets reported that she is pregnant and expecting her first child with Jamie.

Here are five things you should know about Jamie’s girlfriend, Alyce.

How Old Is Alyce Huckstepp? Her Age

Alyce is in her early 30s, according to multiple outlets, but her exact age is unknown. Jamie, for his part, is currently 58.

What Does Alyce Huckstepp Do for Work? Her Job

Since Alyce keeps such a low profile, it’s unclear what she currently does for a living. She does not have any public social media accounts.

The Sun reported that the Australian was a fitness model and a business owner.

When Did Alyce Huckstepp & Jamie Foxx Start Dating?

In 2022, Alyce attended the premiere of Jamie’s film Day Shift, though it’s unclear if they had been dating at the time.

Alyce and Jamie were spotted in public together for the first time in August 2023. She stayed by his side throughout his health scare, when he suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke.

The following year, Alyce was seen supporting Jamie at the taping of his Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, in Atlanta, Georgia. As seen in an Instagram video shared by Gayle King at the time, Alyce joined in on toasting her boyfriend.

Jamie Foxx & Alyce Huckstepp Briefly Broke Up in 2025

As we all know, couples go through ups and downs, and Jamie and Alyce briefly broke up by early 2025, according to People. However, the split didn’t last long since they were spotted dining at Nobu in Malibu, California, just four months later.

Jamie Foxx & Alyce Huckstepp Are Expecting Their First Child

It was reported in May 2026 that Jamie and Alyce were expecting their first child together, his third altogether. Neither of them has publicly commented on the reports at the time of publication.

Jamie is a father to his two daughters, Corinne and Anelise. He shares Corinne with ex Connie Kline and Anelise with ex Kristin Grannis.

The U.S. Senate Banking Committee released the full text of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act just after midnight Monday, placing the 309-page manager’s amendment in public view 48 hours before the panel’s scheduled Senate markup on Thursday, May 14.

Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC), Subcommittee on Digital Assets Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) issued the bill text alongside a section-by-section summary. “This bill reflects serious, good-faith work across the committee and delivers the certainty, safeguards, and accountability Americans deserve,” Scott said. “It puts consumers first, combats illicit finance, cracks down on criminals and foreign adversaries and keeps the future of finance here in the United States.” 

Lummis described the text as the product of “nearly a year of bipartisan, blood, sweat, and tears.”

The stablecoin yield deal

The legislation’s most contested provision — Section 404, which governs stablecoin yield — reached its current form through three stages of negotiation. On May 1, the compromise text became public. On May 4, Senators Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) issued a joint statement declaring the deal final, saying they “respectfully agree to disagree” with continued banking industry pressure. 

The final language bars stablecoin issuers and affiliated digital asset service providers from paying yield on stablecoin balances if that yield is the functional or economic equivalent of bank interest. Activity-based rewards — cashback on payments, transaction-based incentives, and rewards tied to commerce — remain permitted. Holding a stablecoin with no activity generates no return.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong held a live event on X on Monday in which he said, “Not everyone got everything they wanted, but they got the must-haves.” Armstrong added that Coinbase is working with at least five of the largest global banks and wants integration to be “win-win.” The SEC, CFTC, and Treasury Department will have twelve months after enactment to write the joint implementing rules.

Banking groups push back

The banking industry has not stood down. The American Bankers Association, the Bank Policy Institute, and the Independent Community Bankers of America sent a joint letter over Mother’s Day weekend to bank CEOs, urging congressional engagement to block the stablecoin provisions. 

Their core argument: yield-bearing stablecoins function as substitutes for insured deposits and threaten bank funding for mortgages and lending.

The industry front shows fractures, however. Reports indicate that large banks with consumer-facing arms oppose the language, while banks without them are more receptive, and some community banks have signaled quiet support. 

Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad called the deposit-flight argument “a fabrication and wildly overstated,” and noted that fully reserved stablecoins are not the same as fractionally-reserved bank deposits.

Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) called the ABA’s mobilization the “banking cartel in full panic mode” on X and confirmed his vote in favor during the upcoming Senate markup.

Galaxy Digital research published last week contended that stablecoin growth would pull trillions in foreign capital into U.S. banking infrastructure at a rate that “materially exceeds any domestic deposit migration.”

DeFi protections hold

On the DeFi front, the bill retains language drawn from the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act, which shields software developers who do not control customer funds from treatment as money transmitters. 

The DeFi Education Fund said in a statement that “the most important provisions for developers and infrastructure providers — the BRCA and protections under the Exchange Act — are in this bill,” and that the group would monitor amendments this week. A separate accord among Senate lawmakers, reported Monday by Punchbowl News, adds allowances for prosecutors to pursue crypto money-laundering cases within the Clarity Act framework.

A Senate ethics stalemate

The bill’s biggest remaining fault line is ethics. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, released a statement condemning the newly unveiled crypto market structure bill text as a threat to investors, national security, and the financial system. 

She called out the bill for containing zero ethics provisions to address President Trump and his family’s $1.4 billion in crypto gains, demanding no committee member support legislation that fails to curb those conflicts of interest.

Democrats have drawn a firm line: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said at Consensus Miami that there would be “no one voting for this bill” without an ethics provision barring members of Congress, senior administration officials, and the president from profiting through insider status in the crypto industry. 

White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt countered that the administration accepts ethics rules applying “across the board, from the president all the way down to the brand new intern on Capitol Hill,” but rejects anything targeting a specific officeholder or family.

The Thursday Senate markup is not the finish line. If the Banking Committee approves the bill, it must then merge with a version passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee, which holds jurisdiction over digital commodities. A Senate floor vote requires 60 votes — a threshold that makes Democratic support necessary and makes the ethics provision a practical prerequisite for passage. 

The White House is targeting a July 4 signing as a 250th-anniversary milestone.

An Iowa high school boys basketball coach had his appeal for his contract to be renewed denied by the school board.

According to a report by the Clear Lake Mirror Reporter, Clear Lake High School boys basketball coach Jeremey Ainley will not have his contract renewed for the upcoming 2026-2027 season.

The Clear Lake Community School District Board of Education voted 4-1 in favor of following the administration’s recommendation to not bring Ainley back as the head basketball coach. The standing room-only meeting took nearly two hours and included members of the board, community and administration being present.

Clear Lake School Board Votes In Favor Of Decision Made To Not Retain Head Boys Basketball Coach

Both current and former Clear Lake boys basketball players, assistant coaches and parents spoke in favor of retaining Ainley, who won nearly 230 games over the past 12 seasons. Under Ainley’s guidance, the Lions reached the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament and captured nine North Central Conference championships.

Earlier this year, Ainley made a social media post that mentioned the success of the Clear Lake boys basketball program, prompting online discussion regarding his future as head coach. It was later confirmed that Ainley had been placed under investigation by Clear Lake Schools Superintendent Ian Dye.

The bullying and harrassment claims were later found to be untrue, but the decision had been made to move on from Ainley as the head boys basketball coach.

Special Meeting Included Jeremey Ainley Speaking Out On His Behalf

Those in support of Ainley returning in his role filed a petition to get a hearing with the school board.

“Accountability is not a bad word,” Ainley said during the hearing. “There’s been a total lack of direction through this whole process, from not allowing the AD to do his job to an investigation that didn’t include half the team.

“And finally to us having to get a petition to force this on the school board to even discuss it.”

Clear Lake Became State Contender Under Ainley’s Guidance

Ainley added that under his guidance, Clear Lake boys basketball went from being an “underachieving program to a level of success that has never been done in school history and more importantly what we’ve done off the court.”

Jason Enke, who was representing Ainley, claimed that the board policy was not followed.

“The investigation report should have been written by the investigator according to your board policy, but the one we saw was written by superintendent Dye,” Enke said. “Superintendent Dye shared the unfinalized report with parents, which ended up being a false claim of a founded harassment and bullying claim.”

American homeowners and landowners have heard of the term “squatters” before, but only some have actually encountered the problem. A&E‘s latest docuseries explores real-life instances involving uninvited occupants in homes, as the show’s leader, Flash Shelton, vows to return properties to their owners.

Per the show’s description, A&E’s Squatters follows Shelton and his team “as they tackle high-stakes, fast-moving, and often volatile situations to help homeowners reclaim their property.”

So, why exactly do squatter’s rights exist in the United States? Below, Hollywood Life breaks down A&E’s latest series, Squatters.

Who Is Flash Shelton?

Shelton is known as “The Squatter Hunter” and amassed a strong YouTube following for his documented encounters. Titled, “Outside The Box with Flash ‘The Squatter Hunter,” Shelton’s channel follows him removing squatters from property owners’ homes.

Each episode of Squatters follows “urgent and emotional cases, from homeowners on the brink of losing everything—including a woman dealing with squatters living in her basement—to a couple whose brand-new home is occupied before they even have a chance to move in,” per the network.

Why Do Squatters Have Rights?

The term “squatter’s rights” is also known as adverse possession, which ensures that a squatter may acquire and/or occupy property for a certain period of time if the owner doesn’t take legal action soon. The time frame, however, varies by state.

The reason squatters have rights in the U.S. is generally to discourage vigilante justice. Avoiding violent conflicts between landowners and squatters is the crux of the legal dilemma.

Squatters A&E Series Release Date

Squatters premieres on May 12, 2026, at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

The show is produced for A&E by Grinning Dog Entertainment. Adam Kaloustian, Brian Ferretti, Kathleen Lojkovic and Shelton serve as executive producers for Grinning Dog Entertainment, and Seth Sherman serves as showrunner. Sean Gottlieb and Jonathan Partridge serve as executive producers on the A&E side.

How to Watch the Squatters TV Series

All episodes of Squatters will be available to watch on A&E.

Five of the nation’s largest labor organizations are urging the Senate to vote against a pending cryptocurrency market structure bill, warning that the legislation would expose retirement accounts to digital asset volatility ahead of a key committee vote Thursday.

The AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees sent letters and emails to Senate Banking Committee members, according to CNBC, which obtained the correspondence first.

The crypto industry takes ‘risks’

The groups wrote that the bill “jeopardizes the stability of workers’ retirement plans, including public pensions, and introduces significant volatility to retirement savings accounts.”

“This legislation invites the cryptocurrency industry to take outsized risks, knowing that if those risky bets do not pay off, it is working people and retirees, not crypto billionaires, who will pay the price,” the unions wrote in a joint letter to all senators.

The AFL-CIO, in a separate email to Banking Committee members, warned that “absent sufficient regulation, embedding cryptocurrencies and other digital assets into the real economy will have a destabilizing effect, while benefiting issuers and platforms at the expense of working people.”

The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to mark up and vote on the bill Thursday. Despite months of bipartisan talks, it remains unclear whether any Democrats on the committee will vote in favor of the measure. Several lawmakers say the bill needs more work on ethics, conflict-of-interest, and security provisions.

Labor groups are not the sole source of opposition. The American Bankers Association has also pushed back on updated language in the bill concerning stablecoin holdings. ABA CEO Rob Nichols wrote to bank executives on May 10 that a provision barring cryptocurrency firms from paying yield on payment stablecoins remains a threat to traditional bank deposits, arguing it would “unnecessarily incentivize the flight of bank deposits.” 

The crypto industry, in contrast, has backed the revised language, with Coinbase voicing support for the restriction.

Michael Saylor chimes in

Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor took a position in favor of the legislation. In a post on X, Saylor wrote that the bill “would unlock the next wave of Digital Capital, Digital Credit, and Digital Equity in the U.S. and globally,” calling it a framework for “STRC-powered digital yield markets” and a signal of “institutional validation for BTC.”

The crypto industry has identified the bill as its top legislative priority this session. Whether that momentum carries through committee — and into a full Senate vote — now depends on resolving opposition from organized labor, traditional banks, and a block of Senate Democrats who have yet to commit their support.

Victor Wembanyama came out like a man possessed in Game 5 and his energy carried the Spurs to victory. The superstar center recorded 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and three blocks as San Antonio ran away with the victory to go up 3–2 on the Timberwolves. It was another outstanding postseason performance from the young center—and one that definitely qualified as a bounceback showing after he got tossed in Game 4.

The last time the Spurs took the court, Wembanyama elbowed Minnesota center Naz Reid hard enough to earn himself a flagrant-2 foul and an ejection. While his teammates did their best they couldn’t pull out the win sans their best player and the Wolves won to even the series at 2–2. It was Wemby’s first career ejection and, obviously, couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Tuesday’s game meant Wembanyama would face reporters for the first time since elbowing Reid. He brushed off a question about it on the court immediately following Game 5’s win but, unsurprisingly, was asked a few follow-up questions during his postgame availability in the press room. The 22-year-old refused to get into any details about the incident but did give a frank response when asked if he had reflected on what happened and if he had any regrets.

“I mean, it was two games ago,” Wembanyama said. “It’s the playoffs. I’m focused, I was focused on the game today and now I’m focused on the game in Minnesota in three days. It’s the playoffs. We’ve got to move on and I’ve got to care about my team.”

Despite the violent nature of the elbow, both teams seemed to have mostly adopted the same mindset of just moving on. Wembanyama’s Spurs teammates didn’t touch upon the situation too much before Game 4 and even the Timberwolves acknowledged they didn’t expect Wemby to get suspended for it (nor would they want him to) so they were just looking to try to win on Tuesday night.

The two centers were plenty physical again in Game 5. Reid, like the rest of the Minnesota roster, was hammering Wembanyama with body blows whenever they were legally allowed to do so and nearly took the Spurs star out of the air while trying to block his dunk attempt after a whistle. But nothing crossed the line; it was just good old-fashioned playoff physicality.

And thus, that seems to be the end of it. Wembanyama could have kept the story alive by offering one of his typically thoughtful quotes on the incident but instead kept his answer laser-focused on Game 6. And it seems the Wolves were happy to earn Game 4’s win as the only retaliation for elbowing one of the team’s more beloved figures.

There remains a possibility for fireworks in Game 6 on Friday night; in the playoffs there’s always that chance. But there is no semblance of bad blood or frustration stemming from that elbow from either side at this point.

---

More NBA Playoffs From Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow

View gallery

Jamie Foxx and Alyce Huckstepp have protected their relationship from the public eye for years. But after reports surfaced about her pregnancy with the couple’s first child in May 2026, fans of Jamie were curious to learn more about his girlfriend. Among the most popular questions is the pair’s supposed age gap.

After all, multiple outlets have reported that Alyce is at least 20 years younger than Jamie. So, how old is she now?

Below, learn more about Alyce, from her age to what we know about her personal life with Jamie.

What Does Alyce Huckstepp Do for a Living?

Alyce is from Australia and was a business owner and fitness model, according to The Sun. It’s unclear if she’s maintained her career or made a change in recent years.

She does not have any public social media profiles.

How Old Is Alyce Huckstepp?

Since Alyce keeps a low profile, her exact age is still unknown. Multiple outlets have reported that she’s in her early 30s.

How Old Is Jamie Foxx?

Jamie is currently 58 years old. He was born on December 13, 1967.

How Did Alyce Huckstepp Meet Jamie Foxx?

As previously noted, Alyce has maintained a life out of the spotlight, and Jamie has kept the details of their relationship away from the public eye. So, it’s still unclear how exactly the pair met.

While they were first spotted in public together in August 2023, some outlets have reported that Alyce and Jamie’s relationship dates back to 2022, since she attended the premiere of his film Day Shift at the time.

In May 2026, Alyce’s pregnancy with her and Jamie’s first child made headlines. The comedian is already a father to two daughters: Corinne and Anelise. He shares Corinne with ex Connie Kline and Anelise with ex Kristin Grannis.

President Donald Trump’s push to install Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve moved closer to completion Tuesday after the Senate confirmed him to the Fed’s Board of Governors, a step that clears the path for a final vote on the chairmanship later this week.

The Senate approved Warsh in a 51-45 vote that fell along party lines, with Sen. John Fetterman joining Republicans in support of the nominee. If confirmed as chair, Warsh would replace Jerome Powell, whose term leading the central bank ends Friday.

Warsh’s rise has drawn attention across financial markets and the Bitcoin industry because of his public support for bitcoin and his ties to crypto-related firms. 

Warsh’s consideration of bitcoin

Unlike past Fed leaders who treated digital assets with skepticism, Warsh has described bitcoin as “an important asset” and “a very good policeman for policy,” arguing that its price can reflect confidence in the Federal Reserve’s handling of inflation and monetary policy.

“Bitcoin doesn’t trouble me,” Warsh said during a Hoover Institution event last year, where he framed the asset as a signal of monetary credibility rather than a threat to the U.S. dollar.

His confirmation follows financial disclosures showing Warsh held an equity stake in Flashnet, a Bitcoin payments startup focused on lightning-style transaction infrastructure for merchants and fintech companies. The disclosure marked one of the clearest links yet between a potential Federal Reserve chair and a company tied to Bitcoin adoption.

Warsh has also maintained ties to the crypto sector through advisory work and investments connected to digital asset firms, including crypto index manager Bitwise and stablecoin project Basis.

At the same time, Warsh remains known as an inflation hawk. During his earlier tenure as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, he warned about inflation risks and criticized loose monetary policy following the financial crisis. 

Recent comments calling for “regime change” at the Fed and signaling openness to lower interest rates have created debate among investors over how he would balance inflation concerns with pressure from the White House.

Markets now face a Fed transition during a period of renewed inflation pressure, rising geopolitical tensions and uncertainty around future rate policy. 

Bitcoin traders and crypto investors are watching closely to see whether Warsh’s views on digital assets translate into a shift in tone from the nation’s most powerful financial institution.