Today, Circle's chief strategy officer, Dante Disparte, denied rumors that the company is pursuing a US federal bank charter. He emphasized Circle's commitment to complying with future US regulations for payment stablecoins. Meanwhile, ARK Invest has significantly raised its Bitcoin price predictions for 2030, citing increased institutional investment. Their bull case now forecasts Bitcoin to soar to $2.4 million, while the bear and base cases are set at $500,000 and $1.2 million, respectively. The report noted that Bitcoin's acceptance as 'digital gold' contributes to these high estimates, with potential for a 60% capture of gold's market cap. Additionally, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group announced plans to launch XRP futures contracts on May 19, offering micro-sized and standard contracts, cash settled. This move reflects a growing trend of institutional acceptance of cryptocurrencies and the emergence of crypto-focused financial products awaiting regulatory approval in the U.S.

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