According to @EricBalchunas, public firm SharpLink Gaming (SBET) has acquired 176,271 ether (ETH) for approximately $463 million, making it the largest publicly traded holder of ETH. This move comes despite its stock price falling sharply after a regulatory filing, though shares remain up roughly 500% since the company pivoted to a crypto treasury strategy. In other major developments, Polygon (MATIC) co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has become CEO of the Polygon Foundation, initiating a strategic overhaul focused on the AggLayer cross-chain liquidity protocol and retiring the zkEVM network. Additionally, the developers of Bitcoin Core confirmed the upcoming version 30 release will significantly increase the OP_RETURN data limit from 80 bytes to nearly 4MB, a change that could impact network usage. The Ethereum Foundation also introduced a new treasury policy, capping annual operational expenses at 15% to ensure long-term sustainability.

According to the source, Polygon (MATIC) is undergoing a major strategic overhaul, with co-founder Sandeep Nailwal taking over as CEO of the Polygon Foundation. The team is retiring its zkEVM network to focus on AggLayer, a new cross-chain liquidity protocol aimed at enhancing interoperability. In other key developments, the Ethereum Foundation (ETH) has implemented a new treasury policy, capping annual operational expenses at 15% to ensure long-term sustainability, signaling a focus on critical deliverables for 2025-2026. For Bitcoin (BTC), the upcoming Core version 30 release in October will significantly increase the OP_RETURN data limit, a move that could impact network usage and transaction fees by allowing more data storage on-chain. Additionally, the Plume network has launched its Genesis mainnet to bring Real-World Assets (RWA) to DeFi, and Ant Group plans to apply for stablecoin licenses in Hong Kong and Singapore, indicating major institutional interest in the space.

According to @QCompounding, the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) has surpassed its proof-of-concept stage, with over $20 billion in tokenized assets from major institutions like BlackRock and VanEck. Key growth drivers for the next three years include maturing Layer 1 and Layer 2 infrastructure, evolving smart contracts potentially enhanced by AI, and increasing regulatory clarity in the U.S., EU, and APAC. In parallel, the market is seeing significant strategic shifts. According to the source, Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has taken over as CEO of the Polygon Foundation, reorienting the project's focus towards its new AggLayer cross-chain liquidity protocol and retiring the zkEVM network to reclaim its leadership in Web3. Additionally, the Ethereum Foundation has updated its treasury policy to cap operational expenses at 15% annually, aiming to focus on critical deliverables through 2026. The source also reports that the upcoming Bitcoin Core version 30 will increase the OP_RETURN data limit, a move that could impact how the network is used for non-financial data.

According to Margaux Nijkerk, Sandeep Nailwal has assumed CEO duties at Polygon Foundation, retiring the zkEVM rollup network to prioritize AggLayer for cross-chain liquidity, which may boost MATIC adoption and trading volumes. Nijkerk also reported the Ethereum Foundation's updated treasury policy with a 15% operational expense cap, enhancing ETH's long-term sustainability and market confidence. Sam Reynolds stated that Bitcoin Core 30 will increase the OP_RETURN data limit to nearly 4MB, potentially affecting BTC transaction utility and fee dynamics. Nijkerk noted Plume's Genesis mainnet launch for real-world asset tokenization in DeFi, signaling growth in RWA markets.

According to Samson Mow, users are showing decreased confidence in using Bitcoin Core, as reported on Twitter on May 14, 2025 (source: @Excellion). This decline in user trust could lead to increased volatility in Bitcoin prices and impact liquidity across major crypto exchanges. Traders should closely monitor network activity and sentiment shifts, as lower confidence in core infrastructure may prompt short-term selloffs or increased migration to alternative Bitcoin clients, potentially influencing BTC spot and derivatives trading volumes.

According to Samson Mow (@Excellion), Bitcoin Core maintainer fanquake has been accused of spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) about Knots, a Bitcoin implementation, raising concerns over trust in code integrity and transparency. As maintainers are central to the security and reliability of Bitcoin's codebase, any doubts regarding their actions can lead to increased volatility and uncertainty for traders and investors. Mow highlights the lack of accountability among Core maintainers, which could impact trading sentiment and the perceived stability of Bitcoin, potentially influencing price movements and market confidence (Source: Samson Mow via Twitter, May 11, 2025).

According to Samson Mow (@Excellion), recent internal conflicts in the Bitcoin Core development community—including contributor bans, controversial pull request (PR) handling, and debates over Bitcoin's architecture—are raising concerns among crypto traders about the stability and security of running Bitcoin Core nodes. These events, as reported on Twitter, may increase operational risks for traders relying on full or pruned nodes, potentially leading to shifts in network trust dynamics and influencing short-term Bitcoin price volatility (Source: Samson Mow, Twitter, May 10, 2025).

According to @parkeralewis, Bitcoin companies and mining pools with active users are being urged to reject a proposed change to the Bitcoin Core software, citing concerns over user security and decentralization. The source highlights that Bitcoin Core developers are attempting to implement a code modification that some view as detrimental to the network’s core principles, potentially affecting transaction validation and mining operations. This development has triggered significant debate within the crypto trading community, as large mining pools and user-focused platforms consider their response. Traders should monitor the situation closely, as any widespread refusal or acceptance by mining pools could directly impact Bitcoin's network stability, transaction fees, and short-term price movements (Source: @parkeralewis, Twitter).

According to Samson Mow (@Excellion), Bitcoin Core has officially announced that they will remove the OP_RETURN limit in their upcoming release, sparking significant debate among traders and developers. This technical change will allow larger arbitrary data storage on-chain, raising concerns about increased blockchain bloat, higher transaction fees, and potential spam attacks, which could impact Bitcoin's transaction efficiency and trading liquidity (source: Samson Mow, Twitter, May 5, 2025). Traders should closely monitor mempool congestion and fee dynamics as these could influence short-term Bitcoin price volatility. Users who prefer stability are advised to remain on version 29.0 or migrate to alternative implementations like Bitcoin Knots, as highlighted by Mow. This policy shift could also affect altcoins and token projects that rely on Bitcoin for data anchoring, potentially altering cross-chain trading strategies.

According to BitMEX Research, the recent controversy over OP_Return limits highlights the growing issue of out-of-band payments to Bitcoin miners, as detailed in their 2023 article (BitMEX Research, 2023). The research emphasizes the necessity for Bitcoin Core to address out-of-band fees to remain competitive and ensure on-chain miner incentives are not undermined. Traders should monitor potential protocol changes and miner behavior, as shifts in fee mechanisms could impact transaction costs and block composition, affecting Bitcoin market dynamics and short-term trade strategies (BitMEX Research, 2025).

According to @BitMEXResearch, Brink has renewed its financial support for eight Bitcoin Core engineers until 2025. This sustained financial backing is crucial for ongoing Bitcoin development, ensuring stability and continuous improvements in the Bitcoin blockchain. Such support can positively influence Bitcoin's market confidence and trading volumes, as it reinforces the network's robustness and future potential.

According to @OrangeSurfBTC, the Mempool Block Size Report explores the evolution of Bitcoin's block size since 2009, highlighting that miner behavior and Bitcoin Core defaults, rather than merely the 1 MB consensus limit, have significantly influenced block size growth. This report estimates that approximately 8% of the block size changes can be attributed to these factors, which is crucial for traders to understand as it affects transaction fees and confirmation times.

According to BitMEX Research, two grants have been provided to support Bitcoin Core developers. This initiative aims to ensure the continued development and enhancement of the Bitcoin Core software, which is crucial for maintaining the Bitcoin network's stability and security. Such financial support is vital for attracting and retaining talented developers in the open-source community, thereby potentially influencing Bitcoin's future performance and reliability.

According to BitMEX Research, the Ethereum Foundation and Vitalik Buterin hold more significant influence over Ethereum than the Bitcoin Core development team does over Bitcoin. This has been the status quo for years and is expected to continue. Many in the cryptocurrency community view this centralized influence as a disadvantage for Ethereum when compared to Bitcoin's decentralized nature.

According to BitMEX Research, Bitcoin Core developers continue to adhere to the original values of Bitcoin's creation. This steadfast commitment is crucial for traders as it suggests stability and reliability in Bitcoin's development, potentially impacting long-term investment strategies.

According to BitMEXResearch, SegWit has been highly successful, now representing approximately 97% of all Bitcoin transactions, indicating strong adoption and implementation by Bitcoin Core. Additionally, Taproot is gaining traction with over 100,000 BTC currently stored in Taproot addresses, and this number is rapidly increasing. This reflects growing confidence and usage of these Bitcoin protocol upgrades.

According to BitMEX Research, there is a misconception that one must wait for the Bitcoin Core to dictate actions for developing a dominant reference implementation. They argue that it is possible to build a Bitcoin client independently and encourage its use without waiting for guidance from the Core. The focus should be on adhering to Bitcoin's protocol rules, indicating that innovation and competition in client development are feasible.

According to BitMEX Research, the assertion that the Bitcoin Core codebase has remained largely unchanged since 2011 and is considered a fragile system is not accurate. BitMEX Research disagrees with the notion that the codebase is a 'giant fragile mess' that developers are hesitant to modify. This disagreement suggests that traders should not be concerned about the stability or development stagnation of Bitcoin's core infrastructure.

According to BitMEX Research, Arthur Hayes's family office, Maelstrom Fund, has announced a second Bitcoin Core grant. This grant, which will last for one year, has been awarded to seasoned engineer Jon Atack. This continued support from a prominent figure in the crypto space could positively influence Bitcoin development and market sentiment.

According to Farside Investors, there is positive news regarding additional independent funding sources for Bitcoin Core developers, credited to CryptoHayes. This development is seen as beneficial for the sustainability and advancement of Bitcoin's core infrastructure.