Global oil inventories are being drawn down quickly to offset a major Middle East supply disruption, and could approach record lows by the end of May if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. UBS estimates stockpiles fell from just over 8 billion barrels at the end of February to 7.8 billion by end of April, with a potential drop toward 7.6 billion by end of May. Analysts across firms warn that prices may need to jump to curb demand before inventories reach levels that would strain the supply system.

On Saturday, the UAE said its decision to leave OPEC and OPEC+ was driven by national economic priorities rather than politics, while reiterating a commitment to market stability. The country previously said it would exit OPEC on May 1 after being a member since 1967. Oil prices rose Friday, with Brent July futures closing up more than 3% at $109.26 a barrel and WTI June futures settling up more than 4% at $105.42.

Hana Bank plans to acquire a 6.55% stake in Dunamu, the company behind South Korea's largest crypto exchange, Upbit, for about $670 million (1 trillion won). The purchase covers 2.28 million shares from Kakao Investments and is slated to close on June 15. Hana Financial Group said it will fund the all-cash deal using roughly 2.78% of its equity capital.

The crypto market lost roughly $100 billion over the past 24 hours, with total capitalization sliding from about $2.7 trillion to around $2.6 trillion. Bitcoin fell 3.24% to roughly $77,878 and Ethereum declined 3.76% to about $2,170, while large-cap losses also hit Solana, BNB, and XRP.

On May 15, 2026, a broad risk-off move hit global markets after South Korea's KOSPI sank 6.1% and chipmakers sold off, dragging S&P 500 futures down 0.8% and Nasdaq 100 futures 1.1%. Oil rose sharply, with Brent at $108.75 and WTI at $104.42 as traders weighed potential disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Bond yields climbed across major markets, with the US 10-year nearing 4.52% and Japan's 20-year yield reaching its highest level since 1996.

USDC circulation declined by about $1.7 billion over the past seven days, reducing the amount of the Circle-managed stablecoin available across supported blockchains. The move implies that redemptions exceeded fresh issuance during the week, a dynamic that can affect how much readily deployable liquidity is available for trading and DeFi activity.

Bitcoin fell nearly 3% in the past 24 hours to around $78,300, while Ethereum slid about 3% to below $2,200 as the broader crypto market cap dipped to roughly $2.61 trillion. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs logged about $290 million in net outflows on May 15, with major withdrawals concentrated in BlackRock's IBIT and Fidelity's FBTC. XRP-related ETF products recorded net inflows of more than $7 million, helping XRP hold up better than many large-cap tokens.

Stablecoin supply has climbed to $322 billion, but wallets holding $10 million+ in stablecoins have continued to decline since the 2025 market peak. With total crypto market cap around $2.6 trillion versus above $4 trillion at the 2025 top, the Fear and Greed Index at 43 and the Altcoin Season Index near 30 suggest conditions still look neutral rather than rally-ready.