Cryptocurrency
More Crypto ETFs? This Firm Just Filed For a Bitcoin Buffer Fund

This season appears to be one for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as multiple traditional finance companies seek regulatory approval to introduce more to the market.
First Trust is the latest asset management firm that wants to create another Bitcoin ETF. However, the company is not looking to launch a spot product like others but a buffer fund.
First Trust to Launch Buffer Bitcoin ETF
According to a December 14 Form N1-A filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), First Trust has applied to launch the First Trust Bitcoin Buffer ETF to help investors protect themselves against the risk of downside loss while staying exposed to bitcoin’s (BTC) performance.
While spot Bitcoin ETFs give direct exposure to BTC’s price movement, buffer ETFs use options to provide a targeted level of protection when the market experiences negative returns. These funds are also known as defined-outcome ETFs, and they limit investor losses by providing a buffer in exchange for a cap on how much they can profit on market gains.
The First Trust Bitcoin Buffer ETF is designed to participate in the positive price returns of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust or another exchange-traded product (ETP) that seeks to provide exposure to BTC’s performance and also serves as a buffer against the first 30% of the asset’s loss over a specified period.
“The cap and buffer will be further reduced by any brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and extraordinary expenses not included in the Fund’s management fee. At the end of the Target Outcome Period, the Fund will reset for a new Target Outcome Period tied to the Underlying ETP and buffer, but the cap may change based on market rates as of the start of the new Target Outcome Period,” First Trust stated in the prospectus.
No Guaranteed Protection
While the buffer ETF seeks to achieve specified results, there is no guarantee that investors are totally protected. First Trust noted that investors may lose some or all of their money if they invest in the new fund.
The latest application comes as several asset management companies are vying to launch the first spot Bitcoin ETF in the United States. The crypto community anticipates the SEC’s decision on the applications by January.
Meanwhile, buffer ETFs have been around since 2018. Since then, they have become a significant part of the ETF market, attracting over $27 billion in assets, per a report by multinational financial services company Charles Schwab.
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Cryptocurrency
All TRX Holders Turn Profitable as Tron Hits Major 2025 Milestone

While the crypto market recovered last week, the Tron ecosystem quietly recorded a significant milestone for the year.
As reported by Burakkesmeci, an analyst for the market intelligence platform CryptoQuant, all cohorts of investors holding TRX, the native asset of the Tron network, have seen their positions turn green.
TRX Holders Enter Profit Zone
Burakkesmeci disclosed that TRX investor sentiment turned bullish as the coin recorded 115% gains in a year. The journey to this milestone kicked off on May 5 when TRX rallied to $0.25, bringing all investor cohorts, from long- to short-term participants, into the green territory.
Investors who held TRX for one week, one month, three months (short-term), six months, and one year (medium/long-term) all became profitable. According to the analyst, this development is significant for market sentiment and network dynamics because it shows the level of user confidence in Tron’s future potential.
As of May 15, TRX investors holding the asset for one week were in 10% profit, while those holding for a month were 6% in the green. Three-month-old holders were in 11% profit, while six-month and one-year-old investors had recorded gains of 52% and 115%, respectively. Burakkesmeci insisted that short-term holders being in profit drives strong positive sentiment in the market.
“These investors are more likely to share their success stories, which can encourage new participants to invest in Tron, potentially creating a feedback loop of increasing demand and momentum,” he stated.
At the time of writing on May 16, TRX was worth $0.272 following a significant, but volatile price move over the last seven days.
Tron Attains Higher Reliability and Security
Besides Tron’s latest win in profitability, the network has become more reliable and secure, with block production consistently averaging 99.7% of the expected 28,800 blocks daily. Tron has come a long way from 2020 to 2021, when it witnessed more network volatility and disruptions in block output.
A recent report by CryptoQuant said Tron is now recording a steady upward trend in production efficiency.
“The absence of large swings in block production indicates a maturing network with robust governance and operational performance, reinforcing TRON’s credibility as a high-throughput blockchain platform,” CryptoQuant added.
Meanwhile, Tether (USDT) supply on Tron recently surpassed Ethereum for the first time in crypto history.
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Cryptocurrency
These Altcoins Plunge Hard but Bitcoin (BTC) Maintains $103K (Market Watch)

Bitcoin’s price slipped below $103,000 earlier today, but the bulls managed to defend that level, and the asset is back well above it now.
However, several altcoins have marked massive losses over the past day, led by another double-digit price plunge from PI.
BTC Stays Calm
Bitcoin started the business week on the right foot as its price shot up from under $104,000 to a multi-month peak of just shy of $106,000. This came as a direct consequence of the trade deal struck by the US and China.
However, the asset couldn’t maintain its run and dropped by roughly five grand in the following hours to a weekly low of under $101,000. Nevertheless, the bulls didn’t allow a breakdown beneath $100,000, and the cryptocurrency began its recovery that pushed it to $105,000 by Thursday.
Another rejection followed, and more volatility ensued on Friday, but overall, bitcoin has been able to remain in a relatively tight range between $102,500 and $104,000. The past 24 hours brought some more minor fluctuations around these levels, and BTC now stands close to the upper boundary.
Its market cap has remained above $2.050 trillion on CG while its dominance over the alts has risen by over 0.5% daily to 60.4%.
PI Keeps Dumping
Most larger-cap alts have turned red in the past 24 hours. ETH has slipped below $2,500 after a 3% daily decline. A similar nosedive is evident from DOGE, while SHIB and LINK have dropped by over 4%.
However, PI leads the pack in terms of the biggest daily losses. Pi Network’s native token has plummeted by 20% and sits below $0.7.
Other larger-cap alts in the red today include PEPE, UNI, ONDO, AAVE, NEAR, APT, and more.
The total crypto market cap has seen over $70 billion disappear in a day and is down to $3.4 trillion on CG.
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Cryptocurrency
FTX Creditors to Receive Over $5B Starting May 30

The FTX Recovery Trust has announced it will begin disbursing more than $5 billion to creditors from May 30.
This payment round marks the second distribution to eligible parties as the firm continues its efforts to reimburse those affected by its collapse.
Repayment Efforts
In a May 15 release, the company’s bankruptcy estate categorized creditors into five “convenience classes” with specified payout rates. Members of creditors Class 5A will receive a 72% distribution, while Class 5B will be paid 54%.
Classes 6A and 6B, comprised of small lenders and Alameda Research trading partners, are each set for 61% distributions. Finally, Class 7 Convenience Claims will receive 120%.
John J. Ray III described the upcoming payments as a major development, stating:
“These first non-convenience class distributions are an important milestone for FTX. The scope and magnitude of the FTX creditor base makes this an unprecedented distribution process.”
He added that the announcement demonstrated the strong results of the team’s recovery and coordination efforts and emphasized that their focus remained on maximizing returns for creditors and addressing unresolved claims.
Eligible creditors are expected to receive their funds through their selected distribution service provider, either Bitgo or Kraken, within one to three business days after May 30. However, customers who onboard with a Distribution Service Provider will forfeit the right to receive cash directly from the bankrupt exchange, with all funds sent through their chosen provider instead.
The FTX Recovery Trust also said that the repayment schedule for upcoming creditor classes will be announced in due course. If all claims are filed, total repayments could reach up to $16.5 billion.
Separately, the FTX bankruptcy estate initiated legal proceedings in April against NFT Stars Limited and Delysium. The lawsuits aim to recover digital assets allegedly withheld from the estate and are part of the company’s efforts to reclaim funds and maximize recoveries following its November 2022 collapse.
Criticism Over Valuation Method
FTX currently has about $11.4 billion allocated for creditor repayments. The first round of reimbursements began on February 18, 2025, directed at creditors with “convenience claims” under $50,000. Approximately $1.2 billion was paid out in that phase.
The second distribution phase will now target those with requests exceeding that amount. These include major investors and institutions that held millions in crypto on the platform.
Despite progress, the repayment model has faced criticism for calculating reimbursements based on crypto values at the time of the bankruptcy filing. This has led to some creditors receiving less than the current market value of their holdings.
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